Curry Roasted Cauliflower Salad
This Roasted Cauliflower Salad features cauliflower tossed with curry powder and extra turmeric, roasted until tender and golden, and then tossed with protein-packed lentils and sweet, juicy grapes. The flavor and texture is perfect!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 335kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Curry Roasted Cauliflower Salad
- 1 head cauliflower chopped into florets
- ½ red onion sliced thin
- 1-2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
- 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 1 can (15 oz) brown or green lentils rinsed and drained (or 2 cups cooked lentils)
- 1 cup halved red seedless grapes
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped, optional
For the dressing (makes about ½ cup)
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons raw creamy almond butter
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ¾ teaspoon yellow curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons water to thin, if needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets and sliced red onion with olive oil, 1 teaspoon curry powder, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, salt, and pepper. Spread into an even layer own the prepared baking sheet.
- Roast for 20 minutes. Stir the vegetables around and spread back out into one even layer. Bake another 5 to 10 minutes until the cauliflower is tender and the red onions are caramelized.
- Toss the cauliflower and onion mixture with the lentils, sliced red grapes, and cilantro, if using.
- Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, adding just enough water until you reach your desired consistency. How much water you need will depend on how thickness of your almond butter. Sometimes I don't need to add any water at all.
- Drizzle some of the dressing lightly over the salad and serve with extra dressing on the side. This salad tastes great warm, at room temperature or even cold.
Notes
~ Chop the cauliflower into fairly equal size florets so they all cook at the same rate.
~ If your cauliflower is small, use just 1 tablespoon of oil. If you have a large cauliflower, you may need two. You want just enough oil to lightly coat the florets and help the spices to stick. There should NOT be extra oil in the bottom of the bowl. If in doubt, start with 1 tablespoon, toss well, and only add more if the cauliflower seems dry.
~ Don't overcrowd the pan when roasting the vegetables! Use two pans if necessary. This is to ensure the edges of the veggies get nice and caramelized and the texture is tender, yet firm, not mushy.
~ Use brown or green lentils which hold their shape well after cooking. Do not use red lentils.
~ If using canned lentils, drain and rinse them first. If cooking dried lentils, cook them until just tender, but not mushy.
~ For an oil-free option, toss the cauliflower with lemon juice or vegetable broth, instead of olive oil before sprinkling on the spices.
~ For a nut-free option, use tahini instead of almond butter in the dressing.
~ Double up the dressing and use the extra to drizzle on salads, roasted vegetables, or grain bowls all week.
~ This salad could easily be doubled to feed a crowd.
Nutrition
Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 750mg | Potassium: 1224mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 13g