If you are looking for a tasty side dish that is simple and a crowd-pleaser, then look no further than this Roasted Cauliflower Salad . This salad is a healthy twist on roasted cauliflower and tastes amazing. It is also great for leftovers!
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I love turning simple ingredients into something delicious and cauliflower is one of those underrated vegetables that can be transformed into something spectacular.
Packed full of vitamins and nutrients many people are fooled into thinking that cauliflower is bland and soggy. Roasting your cauliflower brings out the flavor and turns cauliflower into something wonderful.
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You just need a little time for the cauliflower to bake in the oven but the preparation can be done in minutes, so there is very little effort involved.
Ideal to be served as part of a family meal, as a side dish for holidays, or even served with other side dishes as part of a delicious and light evening meal, you are going to love this salad or you could serve the roasted cauliflower warm with a tahini sauce.
I love a good salad or vegetable recipe and this salad pairs well with almost any main course that you are serving. I tend to serve this when I don't feel like making my Roasted Heirloom Carrots, Cauliflower Tabbouleh, Gluten Free Pasta Salad, or the Greek Village Salad for company. This has become our family's new favorite side dish!
Ingredients
You can’t go wrong with taking one simple ingredient and creating a delicious healthy side dish that can be served with most main courses.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
If you are looking to make this fit a specific diet, here are a few suggestions:
- Paleo Roasted Cauliflower Recipes - this recipe can become paleo if you take out the manchego cheese.
- Keto Roasted Cauliflower - take out the cheese if you are looking for quicker weight loss however, this recipe is fine for a Keto diet.
- Whole 30 Cauliflower Salad - this is similar in the recipe to the paleo diet. Take out the cheese.
- Olive oil - you can substitute any mild flavored oil like avocado oil.
Variations
- Spicy - add red pepper flakes while roasting to gain some heat into the dish, or use Aleppo pepper.
- Cheese - if you cannot find manchego cheese, you can use any mild firm white cheese, even a white cheddar will work fine.
- Almonds - if you cannot find Marcona almonds, you can use regular almonds. Just roast and salt them before adding them to the top of the salad.
How To Make Roasted Cauliflower Salad: Step-By-Step
Step 1: Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, combine the onion, tomatoes, rice wine vinegar, olive oil, cheese, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Chop the cauliflower head into florets and place them into a bowl. Add olive oil and salt to the bowl. Place the florets in a single layer on a foil-lined sheet pan.
Step 3: Roast until the cauliflower has golden edges and is caramelized, about 30 minutes.
Step 4: When the cauliflower is done, set it aside to cool for 10 minutes. Add to the onion mixture and toss. Garnish with arugula and Marcona almonds.
Hint: Cut the florets into bite-sized pieces. Don’t leave them too large as they won’t cook all the way through. My favorite sheet pan to use is this one from Nordic Ware.
Top tip
Don’t throw away the green outer leaves from your cauliflower, or even the stalk. These can be used in soups so there is no waste. I store mine in the freezer until I'm ready to make a soup. I also love using roasted cauliflower from previous dinners by turning it into another salad for another meal.
Looking for another great vegan salad? This Arugula Salad With Feta, Mediterranean Lentil Salad, or this Vegan Caesar Salad are great options! Or, if you are looking for a yummy soup to serve with this salad try this Ground Chicken Soup.
Storage
The cauliflower can be made and stored up to three days in advance. Once roasted place them into an airtight container and keep the florets in the fridge until ready to use.
The tomato-onion mixture can made up to a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
The salad once made will last 1-2 days in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
When it comes to nutrition, cauliflower is a superstar. It's high in Vitamin C and K and is also a good source of folate, which supports cell growth. Cauliflower is fat-free and cholesterol-free. And it's low in sodium.
Roasted cauliflower can become soggy or mushy when you overcrowd the florets on the baking tray. Also, you can cut back on the amount of olive oil you use to make sure the florets don't become soggy.
Roasting will caramelize the cauliflower and bring out that hidden sweetness. It really is the best way to cook cauliflower, as well as so many other vegetables, especially root vegetables.
Other Salad Ideas
This simple Warm Roasted Cauliflower Salad will be a crowd-pleaser. My family loves this recipe and asks me to make it. It will become a terrific addition to your own simple recipes that you make time and again.
Did you try this recipe? I would love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section and leave a ⭐️ rating and review. Share it on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
xoxoxo
Gwen
Roasted Cauliflower Salad
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Ingredients
Roasted Cauliflower
- 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Salad
- ⅓ cup red onion julienned
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 3 oz Manchego cheese cubed
- 3 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Garnish
- 2 cups arugula
- ¼ cup Marcona almonds chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- In a large bowl, combine the onion, tomatoes, cheese, rice wine vinegar, olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Set aside.
- Cut the cauliflower into florets. Place them into a bowl.
- Add ¼ cup of olive oil and toss.
- Prepare a sheet pan by lining it with foil.
- Add the cauliflower in a single layer on the sheet pan.
- Sprinkle with kosher salt.
- Roast for 30 minutes or until golden brown and carmelized.
- Let the cauliflower cool for 10 minutes.
- Combine the cauliflower with the salad and toss.
- Place the salad into a bowl or on plates garnished with the arugula and marcona almonds. Serve.
Anna says
I made this as a side dish for a BBQ and everyone loved it! I could not find manchego so I used some cubed aged parmesan and it was delicious. We will make this one again.
Barbara Asher says
Such a tasty and unusual salad! Both adults and kids loved this. And it is so healthy. I plan to make it often and certainly will bring it to our holiday pot luck where both taste and presentation matter.
Anonymous says
Yum!