Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Sesame Date Dressing

Excerpted from BIG BITES: Wholesome, Comforting Recipes That Are Big on Flavor, Nourishment, and Fun by Kat Ashmore. Copyright © 2024 by Kat Ashmore. Published by Rodale Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

In the colder months, I sometimes crave a warming salad, and I know many of you do too (judging by the many requests I’ve gotten for certain types of recipes). Here roasted cauliflower and chickpeas are tossed with a flavorful oil flecked with za’atar (because you bought it to make the Feta-Stuffed Olives with Za’atar [page 51], didn’t you?). If you can’t find za’atar, you can make your own by combining equal parts of cumin, thyme, sumac, and sesame. The combination really brightens up this toasty roasted salad.

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 8 cups)

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons za’atar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

6 cups (5 ounces) mixed baby greens

1 large shallot, minced

3 celery stalks, diced

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup toasted sesame seeds

SESAME DATE DRESSING
4 dates, pitted

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

¼ cup tahini

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1⁄3 cup cold water

1 Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2 On two large rimmed baking sheets, evenly divide the cauliflower, chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, za’atar, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat everything well. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes, rotating the pans between the racks halfway through, or until the cauliflower is tender and lightly charred.

3 Meanwhile, in a large salad bowl, combine the mixed baby greens, shallot, celery, parsley, and sesame seeds.

4 TO MAKE THE SESAME DATE DRESSING: In a high-speed blender, combine the dates, mustard, tahini, apple cider vinegar, salt, olive oil, and water. Blend for 10 seconds until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

5 Toss the room-temperature roasted cauliflower and chickpeas in with the salad. Add the vinaigrette and toss to coat if serving right away, or store separately for later. The undressed salad will keep for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.

This recipe was discussed on an edition of Central Time‘s Food Friday. Listen to the episode here.