Description
This Roasted Cauliflower Date Salad is layered with fun flavors and textures then smothered in a delicious creamy garlic chive tahini sauce.
Ingredients
Cauliflower & Chickpeas
- 1 small head cauliflower
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp dry thyme
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 ground coriander
- 1, 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 1/2 tbsp avocado oil
- Kosher salt
Sauteed Dates
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium lemon, zested and cut in half
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 1 Fresno pepper, sliced
- 4 Medjool dates, pits removed and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
Garlic Chive Tahini Dressing
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1/4 cup finely minced chives
- 3–4 tbsp cold water
Make it a meal: Serve with cooked rice, quinoa or stuffed in a pita
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. Fully zest the lemon on to a cutting board then cut the lemon in half and set aside.
- Cut the cauliflower into 1 inch florets then slice the florets. Place on one baking tray with nutritional yeast, 1/2 tsp thyme, the coriander, garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Drizzle the tray with 1 1/2 tbsp oil then toss to coat (use additional oil as needed). Spread everything out into a single layer then roast for 20 minutes on the bottom rack. Flip then bake for an extra 10 minutes until charred around the edges.
- Dry the chickpeas in a kitchen towel then place on a baking tray with 1 tbsp oil, a pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp thyme. Toss to coat then spread out in an even layer and bake for 20 minutes. Give the chickpeas a toss then roast for another 10 minutes then allow to completely cool.
- Heat up a medium sized sauté pan with 2 tsp oil over medium-low heat. Place the lemon halves cut side down into the pan on one side and shallots and peppers on the opposite side. Cook the lemon undisturbed for 4-5 minutes or until the bottom of the lemon has mostly browned. In the meantime, sauté the shallot mixture for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and dates and continue to sauté for 3-5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and set aside.
- Transfer the chickpeas, sautéed date mixture, and half the zested lemon to the tray of cauliflower then top with the juice of 1/2 the seared lemon and toss to combine.
- Make the dressing by adding the tahini, mustard, garlic, remaining lemon zest and juice, a generous pinch of salt and minced chives to a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine until it starts to thicken then pour in the water and whisk until mostly smooth. If still too thick, whisk in additional water 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved. Taste and add more salt as needed.
- To serve, portion some of the cauliflower mix on top of your favorite grains and drizzle with some of the dressing and enjoy.
Notes
Getting crispy chickpeas. I recommend a couple of things to get the crispiest chickpeas. Use a brand of canned chickpeas that aren’t overly mushy and hold their shape well. I find that store branded canned chickpeas tend to be firmer in texture. Then, after draining, make sure you dry the chickpeas well in a kitchen towel. The goal is to remove as much excess moisture as possible as this impacts how crispy your chickpeas will get. After they bake, allow the chickpeas to cool on the pan completely to further enhance that crispy texture.
For less spice, remove the seeds and membranes from the Fresno pepper. You can also swap for a milder pepper if desired or leave it out.
For a nice char on the cauliflower, bake it on the bottom rack and make sure that the cauliflower is placed cut side down on the tray and spread out in a single layer so that no pieces of cauliflower are laying on top of each other.
