My sisters and I are always on the hunt for the perfect salad recipe. One that ticks all the boxes. Has all the things. Crunch, flavour, zing.
This cauliflower and chickpea creation encapsulates all of these things.
Made up of three parts – the roasted cauliflower and chickpeas, the fresh salad greens and then the creamy avocado dressing – it really does make for a very exciting dish. Perfect to take along to your next barbecue with friends. I guarantee you that everyone will be pinching the recipe.
I love to use a bar mix for ease of use but by all means use a food processor or blender if that’s what you have.
cauliflower + chickpea salad with a creamy avocado dressing
Serves 2
1/2 a cauliflower, chopped into florets
1 x 400 gram tin of chickpeas, drained
A sprinkling of paprika
A sprinkling of cumin
A sprinkling of dried rosemary
A dash of olive oil
Salt and freshly cracked pepper
1 x zucchini, peeled into ribbons using a potato peeler
2 x cups of kale, finely shredded
1 x small head of broccoli, finely chopped
A handful of almonds, chopped and lightly toasted
Avocado dressing
1 x ripe avocado
2 x tablespoons of natural yoghurt
A handful of fresh herbs (think parsley, basil, dill, coriander – or a mixture of them all)
A drizzle of maple syrup
A sprinkling of chilli flakes
The juice of half a lemon
Salt and freshly cracked pepper
- Start by roasting the cauliflower and chickpeas in a large baking dish, that you’ve drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with the paprika, cumin and rosemary and seasoned with salt and pepper. I never like to tell you exactly how long to roast veggies for as every oven seems to work differently. I bake mine in a moderate oven for about 25 minutes and it seems to do the trick. I turn them over half way through the cooking process and keep a close eye on them.
- While this is happening, place your zucchini, kale, broccoli and almonds into your serving bowl and set aside.
- To make the dressing – simply add all ingredients into a small bowl and blitz until combined using a bar mix.
- Once you’re happy with your cauliflower and chickpeas – simply add these to the greens and dress with the creamy dressing. Stir to combine and serve.
Lo’s tips
- Do you know what would be really nice with this as well? Some raisins or sultanas scattered over the top. Similarly, feel free to replace the almonds with pine nuts if you prefer and why not throw in some pepitas and/or sunflower seeds if you’re that way inclined.
- You can substitute the chickpeas for butter beans too and feel free to play around with the veggies you choose to use. You could replace the cauliflower with broccoli florets and if you’re not a fan of kale – then use baby spinach or rocket instead. All good salads are supposed to be tweaked to be made your own depending on the seasons and your access to fresh produce.
If you make this salad, I’d love to hear what you think. Feel free to leave a comment below or shoot me a message. xx