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Roasted cauliflower with spices, watercress, pickled onions, and almonds in a white bowl.

Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Creamy Lemon Tahini Dressing

Sarah
This Roasted Cauliflower salad with Sweet Tahini Dressing is nourishing but not heavy, and impressive without being weird or complicated. It's the dreamiest bowl of lentils and roasted cauliflower you've ever had! You can make this salad for countless occasions and it will always be just right and this DRESSING is out of this world delicious!!!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 head of cauliflower
  • 4 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon cumin ground
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon ground
  • ½ ginger ground
  • ¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 small red onion pickled thinly sliced*
  • 2 cups of cooked lentils
  • 6 dried dates
  • 6 dried apricots
  • ½ cup almonds roughly chopped
  • 2 cups of watercress.

Creamy Lemon Tahini Dressing:

  • cup tahini
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 3 tablespoon red wine vinegar or white balsamic
  • 1 small garlic clove grated or pressed
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350° and prepare a baking sheet with lined paper.
  • Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Add the cauliflower to a large bowl, then drizzle the olive oil onto the cauliflower and add spices. Mix everything to ensure an even coating of spices on the cauliflower.
  • Add the cauliflower to a sheet pan. Make sure to give the cauliflower space so it doesn't steam well it's baking. You want nice crispy florets!
  • Bake for 15 -20 minutes or until the cauliflower is softened and golden in colour.
  • Once cauliflower is finished baking allow to cool for 5 minutes. NOT too long, you want to eat it when it's still warm.
  • Meanwhile. It's time to make your lemony tahini dressing. Add all of the tahini dressing ingredients into a mini blender and blitz until smooth. If you don't have a blender, add all of the ingredients into a small bowl and mix well.
  • Find your favourite large salad bowl, add the cooked lentils, and watercress to the bowl. Then add the cauliflower. Top the cauliflower with dried fruits, almonds and pickled onions.
  • Drizzle the tahini dressing on the salad just before eating.
  • Enjoy with a loved one.

Notes

  • If you wish to eat this salad at a later time, like the next day for lunch. Store the watercress & pickled onions separate from the cauilflower, lentils, dried fruit, and nut mixture. This way you can heat the salad up and then add the watercress, pickles, and tahini sauce.
  • Quick Pickled Onion: Thinly slice 1 whole red onion. Cover in the onion in red wine vinegar and add 1 tablespoon salt. Allow to sit at least 15 minutes. I usually start making the pickles first.
Keyword cauliflower nourish bowl, Creamy lemon tahini dressing, lentil recipe