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    Home » Fall

    Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Tahini Dressing

    Originally Published: Nov 4, 2019 · Last Updated: Jan 16, 2020 by Ann · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    1.1K shares
    • 11
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    A bowl of roasted cauliflower salad with tahini dressing and pomegranate seeds

    This beautiful roasted cauliflower salad with tahini dressing is scented with cumin and coriander. Peppery arugula, crunchy roasted chickpeas, and sweet pomegranate seeds make this a delicious and hearty fall main course salad.

    A bowl of roasted cauliflower salad with tahini dressing and pomegranate seeds

    *This post probably contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my full disclosure policy for details.

    Remember this roasted cauliflower from last week? Well turns out, not only is it a worthy companion to so many main dishes, but it's also talented enough to be the star of the show!

    Although... the tahini dressing is pretty spectacular too. Let's call it a co-star!

    I used to think a salad needed some kind of meat in it to satisfy the "main dish" criteria. But after multiple experiments with vegetarian salads, I have definitely come around.

    Take this roasted sweet potato salad for instance. SO filling. Or this southwestern chopped salad. The creamy beans are all the protein you need there.

    If you WERE to serve this roasted cauliflower salad as a side though, it would definitely pretty up any holiday table.

    As a bonus the spiced roasted crunchy chickpeas were absolutely devoured by my 4 year old. Adding them to my simple healthy snacks repertoire!

    Here's the step by step.

    How to make Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Tahini Dressing

    1. Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a large baking sheet with foil. Separate the cauliflower into 1-inch florets.
    2. Drain and rinse a 14-oz can of chickpeas and dry them a bit with a paper towel.

    Cauliflower being separated into florets and chickpeas being drained and dried

    3. In a small bowl, whisk together the cumin, coriander, cayenne, garlic powder and salt with ¼ cup of olive oil.

    4. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with ⅔ of the spice mixture, and spread in a single layer on one half of a large baking sheet.

    5. Toss the chickpeas with the remaining spice mixture and spread in a single layer on the other half of the baking sheet.

    Spices and olive oil combined in a bowl and tossed with cauliflower florets and chickpeas. Cauliflower and chickpeas spread on a baking sheet.

    5. Roast the cauliflower and chickpeas in the preheated oven for around 30 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender and caramelized and the chickpeas are dry and crunchy, gently tossing them once, about halfway through the cooking time.

    *I keep them separate on the baking sheet because I find the chickpeas get crunchier that way.

    Roasted cauliflower and chickpeas on a foil-lined baking sheet

    6. While the cauliflower and chickpeas are roasting, whisk together the tahini, lemon, dijon, minced garlic, olive oil, honey, and salt in a small bowl.

    7. Slowly add water one tablespoon at a time, until a creamy dressing consistency is reached.

    Tahini in a bowl with garlic, lemon, mustard and olive oil around it, and tahini dressing in a bowl

    8. To serve, fill two bowls with a bed of arugula, add some roasted cauliflower and chickpeas on top. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, and drizzle with tahini dressing.

    *Not sure how to seed a pomegranate? Check out this tutorial.

    A bowl of roasted cauliflower salad with tahini dressing and a pomegranate half in background

    I hope you'll indulge me with one more photo cause this may be the prettiest salad I've ever made 😉

    A bowl of roasted cauliflower salad with tahini dressing and a pomegranate half in background

    Enjoy! xx

    Sound good to you? If you make this recipe, I would love it if you would take a pic and tag me on Instagram @ourhappymess!

    Or pin for later!

    A bowl of roasted cauliflower salad with tahini dressing and pomegranate seeds

    And if you’re looking for more easy dinner inspiration, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Or be old-fashioned and subscribe in the sidebar on the right to get every new recipe in your inbox 🙂.

    Other Vegetarian Main Course Salads you might like

    Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Baby Kale

    Mediterranean Buddha Bowls

    Grilled Halloumi and Strawberry Salad

    Southwestern Chopped Salad

    Here are some products I love and used to make this Roasted Cauliflower Salad

    [amazon_link asins='B003YKGR9Q,B00BB0QFIY' template='ProductCarousel' store='ourhappymes00-20' marketplace='US' link_id='9d6f7ca5-9aff-40b9-a6f7-950426bcb2f2']

    A bowl of roasted cauliflower salad with tahini dressing and pomegranate seeds

    Roasted Cauliflower Salad

    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Course: Main Dish, Salad
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 542kcal
    Author: Ann Otis

    Ingredients

    Salad

    • 1 head cauliflower separated into 1-inch florets
    • 1 14 oz can chickpeas
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon coriander
    • 1 teaspoon cayenne
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 4 cups arugula
    • ½ pomegranate seeded

    Tahini Dressing

    • ½ cup tahini
    • ¼ cup lemon juice 1 large lemon
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon dijon
    • 1 tablespoon honey
    • 1 garlic clove minced
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ cup water
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    Salad

    • Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
    • Separate the head of cauliflower into florets of roughly equal size.
    • Drain, rinse, and dry the chickpeas with paper towels.
    • In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, cumin, coriander, cayenne and garlic powder and salt.
    • Toss the cauliflower with ⅔ of the spice mixture in a medium bowl.
    • Toss the chickpeas with the remaining spice mixture in a small bowl.
    • Spread the cauliflower on one half of the prepared baking sheet, and the chickpeas on the other half.*
    • Roast in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes until cauliflower is tender and caramelized and chickpeas are crunchy, gently tossing them once, after about 15 minutes.

    Tahini Dressing

    • While the cauliflower and chickpeas are roasting, in a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, dijon, honey, garlic, and salt. Slowly whisk in the water until the desired consistency is reached.

    To Serve

    • Divide arugula between 4 bowls. Top each bed of arugula with chickpeas and cauliflower. Drizzle with tahini dressing, and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

    Notes

    *I separate the chickpeas and cauliflower on the baking sheet because I find the chickpeas get crunchier that way, but you can toss them together with all of the spice mixture and roast together if you want to keep it simple.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 542kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 1878mg | Potassium: 1403mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 1403IU | Vitamin C: 160mg | Calcium: 205mg | Iron: 5mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag it Today!Mention @OurHappyMess or tag #OurHappyMess!
    « Vegetarian Sweet Potato Chili
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    1.1K shares
    • 11

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Becky

      November 23, 2022 at 7:23 pm

      5 stars
      I occasionally try something new and my boyfriend's reaction is usually "that's different" or "that's interesting", but when I made this he said "oh man, this is really good...we should have this again". And our four year old even ate it...she really liked the pomegranate 🙂

      Reply
      • Ann

        November 23, 2022 at 7:36 pm

        Well this totally made my day Becky!! Thank you so much for letting me know! Now I think I'll try it on my kids too, sometimes I don't give them enough credit 😉

        Reply
    2. Jamelle

      January 11, 2021 at 6:15 pm

      Can I make this salad ahead or do I need to serve the cauliflower and chick peas warm?
      Thank you

      Reply
      • Ann

        January 11, 2021 at 7:08 pm

        I usually serve it at room temperature, but I bet it’s good cold too! You can definitely make the cauliflower and chickpeas, as well as the dressing, ahead of time 🙂

        Reply
    3. Katie Crenshaw | A Fork's Tale

      December 05, 2019 at 7:19 am

      5 stars
      This tahini salad dressing sounds incredible. I love that you mixed it with cauliflower, pomegranates, arugula and chickpeas. It sounds like an AMAZING combo! I am saving this for my dinner menu list to try next week!

      Reply
      • Ann

        December 05, 2019 at 8:07 am

        Awesome!! Let me know how you like it 🙂

        Reply
    4. Paula Montenegro

      November 18, 2019 at 10:04 am

      5 stars
      Just yesterday I was talking about tahini dressing and in comes this wonderful salad post! Pairing it with cauliflower and chickpeas (and roasted!) is just what I need. I'm making this salad today! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Ann

        November 18, 2019 at 10:07 am

        Awesome Paula!! Love it when things come along at just the right time. Would love to know how it goes 🙂

        Reply
    5. Prajakta

      November 18, 2019 at 8:33 am

      5 stars
      Cauliflower and chickpeas are my staple for vegan meals. Love all the flavors in the recipe. Can't wait to try it.

      Reply
      • Ann

        November 18, 2019 at 8:53 am

        Thank you so much Prajakta! It's really delicious 🙂

        Reply

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    I'm Ann and I believe in balanced eating, homemade foods, and DESSERT. I love to cook, but I can't spend all day in the kitchen anymore, so what you'll mostly find here are simple, family-friendly recipes. I'm really happy you're here!
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