Cauliflower Lentil Salad

No ratings yet

If you love a hearty salad that eats like a meal, then you will love this Roasted Cauliflower Lentil Salad. Golden, turmeric spiced cauliflower and lentils are roasted until crispy, then tossed with baby kale, toasted pine nuts, feta and dried cranberries in a zesty lemon honey mustard dressing.

Prep Time30

Cook Time50

Total Time1 20

Course: Salads

Cuisine: Australian, Mediterranean

Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free

Keyword: cauliflower lentil salad, homemade salad dressing

Servings: servings

Calories: 590kcal

Author: Sarah Bell

Equipment

Sharp knife
Chopping Board
Large baking tray
Salad bowl
Small Mixing Bowl
Whisk

Ingredients

800 grams cauliflower cut into small florets
420 gram can lentils drained and rinsed
1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
1 ½ teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup pine nuts
120 grams kale finely chopped
125 grams firm feta
¼ cup dried cranberries

Dressing

40 mL lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
50 mL extra virgin olive oil

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C/392°F (conventional). Line a large pan with baking paper and set aside.
Remove the leaves from the cauliflower and cut into very small florets. Place florets onto the lined baking tray.
Add the lentils, turmeric, cumin seeds, garlic powder and salt to the tray. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat as evenly as possible. If you don’t want your hands died yellow from the turmeric, use food safe gloves for this step.
Bake for 50 minutes, until the cauliflower is starting to crisp up. Set aside to cool.
Spread the pine nuts onto a small baking tray and place into the oven to toast for about 5 minutes, keeping an eye on them so that they don’t burn. Transfer to a bowl to cool and to prevent them from cooking further in the hot tray.
To make the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, Dijon mustard and honey in a small bowl. Continue whisking while pouring in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To assemble the salad, add the chopped kale, roasted cauliflower and lentils, pine nuts, crumbled feta and cranberries to a large salad bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss to combine.

Notes

Prep ahead – if making this salad in advance, leave off the dressing until the day of eating.

Dairy free – swap the feta for a dairy free feta or leave it out.

Nut free – swap the pine nuts for pepitas (pumpkin seeds).

Lentils – 1 ½ cups of home cooked brown or green lentils can be used in place of the canned lentils.

Add some heat – whisk 1–2 teaspoons of harissa paste into the dressing.

Nutrition facts are an estimate only.

Storage

Store the undressed salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store the dressing separately in a glass jar in the fridge for up to one week. If the salad is dressed, store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days.

Nutrition