California Cauliflower Salad
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 heads artisan romaine (or romaine hearts)
- 4 cups baby arugula
- 1/2 head purple cabbage
- 1/2 cup pickled red onions (See link in notes)
- 6-8 radishes
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- 1/2 cup pita chips, roughly crushed
- 1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons parsley, fresh
- 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1/3 cup canola or avocado oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Note: If you are making your own pickled onions, start by preparing those.
I used this recipe from Love & Lemons. I made half a recipe and had onions left over. I did include the optional garlic and peppercorns.
- Preheat oven to 425℉.
- Prepare the cauliflower.
Break or cut the head of cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. You want the pieces smaller than if you were making it for a vegetable side.
- Combine the spices.
Combine the turmeric, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Stir in the olive oil.
In a large mixing bowl, toss the cauliflower with the oil and spice mixture until thoroughly coated.
- Roast the cauliflower.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the cauliflower in an even layer.
Bake at 425℉ for about 20 minutes, until just fork-tender. You want it a bit al dente for the salad. Allow to cool.
- Combine lemon juice and garlic.
Begin by pasting the garlic (finely mincing and smashing) with 1/4 tsp Kosher salt. Let the garlic sit in the lemon juice while preparing the other ingredients.
You can substitute with regular lemon juice, but you may want to add a teaspoon or two of sugar as Meyer lemons are slightly sweeter than conventional lemons. - Combine dressing.
Finely chop the parsley; set aside.
Whisk together the yogurt with the garlic and lemon juice. Then slowly drizzle in the canola oil, whisking constantly. Stir in the parsley and dill weed. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prepare the greens.
Chop the romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces and combine with the baby arugula.
Halve and then quarter and stem the cabbage. Finely shred two of the quarters and add to the lettuce mixture. Toss to combine.
- Prepare the remaining ingredients.
Thinly slice and halve the radishes. I used the lowest setting on my mandolin. Place the pita chips in a zip-top bag and use a rolling pin or small pan to lightly crush. Crumble the feta cheese.
- Build each salad.
For this salad, I find it easiest to add the ingredients to each plate/container. If meal-prepping, line the container with a paper towel. This will help the salad remain crisp.
Evenly divide the greens mixture between four plates or containers. Divide and add the radishes, 1/2 c. cauliflower, 2 T pickled onions, 2 T. feta cheese, 2 T. pita chips, and 2 T. dressing. Toss and enjoy!
If your meal-prep containers have compartments, I recommend separating the cauliflower and pickled onions as pictured in the post above.