I am not quite sure whether it is the Paleos, Banters or Vegans responsible for making cauliflower the vegetable of the moment but I am quite grateful to them. I love all the recipes available to make some really tasty dishes with this vegetable which has been so under the radar. Except for these cauliflower pizza bases doing the rounds. Sorry but when I want pizza, I want the whole gluten and fat festival!
I have made a number of dishes over the last year with cauliflower and Cauliflower Cous Cous and Garlic Buttered Cauliflower Mash are now firm favourites when I am cooking. I was playing with the idea of a replacement for the usual potato salad served with a barbecue and this Roasted Cauliflower Salad came about. Originally I wanted to do a spin on a German potato salad, replace the potato with cauliflower and that idea culminated in this fantastic salad. I am really happy with the result and think this is so much better than any potato salad can ever be.
The salad packs a huge punch of flavour and texture and could very easily be a meal in one. But served as a side with a barbecue and I am sure it will be eaten quicker than the potatoes drenched in mayo.
A tasty combination of roasted cauliflower, with a bit of heat from the dried chilli flakes, saltiness from the cheese, sweetness from the peas and crunch from the beans. Add the zesty, garlicky dressing and it is all pretty fantastic!
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, broken into florets and florets thickly sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, skin on
- 1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- olive oil
- 80g fresh or frozen peas
- 80g fine green beans
- 150g streaky bacon, sliced in small pieces
- 1 round disk feta cheese, cubed
- 100g baby spinash
- Dressing
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- handful chopped parsley
- half a red onion, peeled and quartered
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C
- Place the cauliflower on a baking tray.
- Sprinkle with the cumin and chilli and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.
- Roast for 30 minutes until the cauliflower has browned.
- Remove the garlic and use for the dressing.
- While the cauliflower roasts bring some salted water to the boil in a small saucepan.
- Add the peas and beans and boil for 2 minutes.
- Drain the vegetable and plunge into a bowl of ice water for a few minutes to refresh them.
- Remove from the water and set aside.
- Fry the bacon over a medium heat until crispy.
- Make the dressing by putting all the ingredients and the roasted cloves of garlic in a food processer and blitz until a smooth paste.
- Assemble the salad by placing the baby spinach on a platter.
- Top with the cauliflower, peas and beans.
- Sprinkle with the bacon and feta.
- Spoon the dressing over the salad and serve.
