Warm Tahini Cauliflower Salad

I love winter salads. They’re usually a little heartier and stray from the typical light, leafy greens. In this case, I couldn’t wait for the cauliflower to completely cool off and accidentally made what turned out to be quite delicious: a warm salad. The tangy tahini dressing balances perfectly with some sweetness from the dates + a kick from the onions. Almonds provide the perfect crunch, an always necessary detail.

Make it for a group dinner as a unique side, or prepare it for a couple days worth of lunches as it keeps well in the fridge, too! PS: you don’t have to use purple cauliflower, but man it’s gorgeous huh?

INGREDIENTS:

(serves 4)

salad:
1 head cauliflower
4 dates, pitted and chopped
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion, or shallot
1/2 cup sliced almonds
handful of parsley, chopped

*feel free to add greens (arugula and/or spinach are great)

dressing:
1/4 cup tahini
1 lemon, juiced
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp maple syrup
2 tbsp cold water
salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 400. Cut cauliflower into bite-sized pieces and spread out on parchment paper lined sheet pan. Do not over crowd (use 2 pans if needed). Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder. Toss to coat and roast until slightly crispy (20-25 minutes). If you’re using 2 pans, you may need to swap them halfway and leave in a little longer.

While cauliflower cooks, prepare the rest of your salad ingredients and set aside. Make dressing by whisking tahini, lemon juice, maple, and ACV in a bowl. It will end up thickening almost into a paste, but don’t worry. Add in 2 tbsp cold water and whisk until creamy. You may need to add more until the desired consistency is reached (thin, but not too watered down). Add salt to taste and adjust if it needs more lemon or maple syrup to balance.

When cauliflower is done, remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 min. You can then toss everything together in a large bowl, or mix it all right on the sheet pan (I do this when making smaller portions out of laziness).

Can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days– just as good when cold! If you’re keeping leftovers and want to add in salad greens, I’d keep those separate and mix in as you decide to eat (to prevent sogginess).