This roasted cauliflower and chickpea salad takes a bit of time to put together, but the results are absolutely delicious and it’s so worth the time and effort to make this salad.
While it’s quite active to make, there are lots of things you can do simultaneously that it’s really not quite as demanding or complicated as it may seem.
For those looking for a great meal salad filled with lots of delicious things and fresh, Middle Eastern flavours, then this is an excellent choice.
It combines lots of different textures, flavours and spices for an excellent meal to eat any time of the year.
How to Make Roasted Chickpea & Cauliflower Salad
The first step to the salad is to roast your cauliflower and chickpeas. These two things cook at different rates, but you can put them in the oven together to save some time.
Start by preheating your oven, ensuring that you’ve arranged two racks inside of it. Also, go ahead and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, add your cauliflower florets. Cauliflowers are large and I only call for using half of a large head in this recipe – you can use the rest in something like my cauliflower soup, roasted carrots & cauliflower or some cauliflower rice!
To the cauliflower, add some cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, allspice and cinnamon along with some salt and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Spread the cauliflower over a baking sheet and move to the oven.
Repeat this step with the chickpeas, putting them on the rack below the cauliflower and cooking for a few minutes longer.
Once the cauliflower and chickpeas are done, remove them from the oven and allow them both to come to room temperature.
Meanwhile, you can assemble the rest of the salad. So, to a large salad bowl add a bit of rocket (also called arugula) and a good amount of fresh herbs.
I like to use a combination of parsley, mint and coriander, however, you can use any combination of these herbs – or others, if you’d like!
To the bowl, also add in some chopped olives for saltiness, some hazelnuts for a nutty crunch, a bit of crumbled feta (leave this out if you want the salad to be vegan!), some dried apricots for a bit of sweetness and a thinly sliced red onion.
Once your chickpeas and cauliflower are cooled enough, add them to the salad bowl and toss everything to combine.
Then, make the dressing. This is super simple and can even be done a few days in advance – just make sure to thin it out with some water before pouring it over your salad.
In a small bowl, combine some tahini, lemon juice, a clove of garlic, honey and some ground cumin, smoked paprika and chili flakes.
Add some water and then mix until everything is well combined and smooth. This dressing is very similar to the tahini sauce I drizzle over my za’atar salmon.
Pour the dressing over the salad and then toss until everything is coated in the dressing. Then, serve the salad immediately and enjoy!
Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
Roasted Cauliflower & Chickpea Salad
- ½ large cauliflower cut into bite-sized florets
- 1 tsp ground cumin divided
- 1 tsp ground coriander seed divided
- ½ tsp smoked paprika divided
- ½ tsp ground turmeric divided
- ½ tsp ground allspice divided
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon divided
- 1 can chickpeas drained, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
- 60 g (2 oz) rocket/arugula
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 2 tbsp mint chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander/cilantro chopped
- 75 g (¼ cup) pitted kalamata olives roughly chopped
- 60 g (½ cup) dried apricots roughly chopped
- 35 g (¼ cup) blanched hazelnuts toasted and roughly chopped
- 25 g (2 tbsp) feta crumbled
- ½ red onion sliced thin
Tahini Dressing
- 60 g (¼ cup) tahini
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic peeled and grated
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp chili flakes
- ½ tsp honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F. Arrange two racks in the middle and lower middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add the cauliflower to a large bowl along with 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of coriander, 1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika,, 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon of allspice, 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt (or kosher salt) and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
- Toss to combine and spread out over a prepared baking sheet and place on the upper rack of the oven. Cook until tender and slightly charred, about 15 minutes.
- In the same (now empty) bowl, add the chickpeas along with the remaining cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, allspice and cinnamon. Add a generous pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss to combine.
- Spread over the other prepared baking sheet and place on the rack below the cauliflower. Cook until brown and slightly crispy, about 20-30 minutes. Remove both the cauliflower and chickpeas from the oven when done and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, assemble the salad. In a large salad bowl, combine the rocket, parsley, mint, coriander, olives, apricots, hazelnuts, feta and onion. Toss to combine. Once cooled, add the cauliflower and chickpeas and toss to combine.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, chili flakes and honey along with a generous pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Pour in 60ml (1/4 cup) of cool water and mix until smooth and pourable.
- Drizzle the tahini dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated. Serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
This roasted chickpea and cauliflower salad is super delicious and relatively easy to make. The time it takes to throw it together is definitely worth it when you tuck in!
Are you looking for a great meal salad for your next dinner? Have any questions about this recipe? Let me know in the comments!
