Roasted Cauliflower Kale Salad Recipe

When I want a fast, healthy meal, this salad is my go-to recipe. I dress it up with fresh citrus juices, seasonal veggies, and my favorite nuts & cheese.

When I’m not in the mood to cook (and yes, that happens), our dinner often looks something like this roasted cauliflower salad. While there are a lot of salads on this blog, I probably don’t post as many kale salads as I actually consume. I love them because they’re hearty and filling and are pretty much a blank canvas for any seasonal vegetable. Plus, they’re great to pack away for lunch the next day.

Kale might be “so last year,” but it’ll always have a special place in my heart.

How to Make This Roasted Cauliflower Salad

This is a basic recipe that you can customize however you like – I like to serve it with soup or sometimes with a piece of salmon on top. You can get creative with what you mix in – I often add a little feta cheese, roasted sweet potatoes, chickpeas and/or a scoop of hummus or cashew cream. The options are endless.

Roast your cauliflower until it’s browned and caramelized on the edges. Massage your kale with olive oil, salt, and citrus. I like to squeeze a bit of lemon and orange – I think the tangy/sweet combo helps to offset the bitterness of the kale. I usually don’t bother to make a separate “dressing,” I just mix everything together in one bowl. Taste and adjust from there, and enjoy!

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Roasted Cauliflower Kale Salad

This roasted cauliflower salad is great for packing for lunch. It's flexible, too - toss in your favorite nuts, cheese, or seasonal veggies!

Author: Jeanine Donofrio

Recipe type: Salad

Serves: 2 as a main

Ingredients

3-4 cups cauliflower florets
Extra-virgin olive oil
One bunch of kale, stemmed (about 5 packed cups)
A few squeezes of lemon
A few squeezes of orange
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt & pepper
¼ cup hemp seeds, toasted chopped almonds, or pine nuts

a few add-on ideas: (choose 1 or a few)

Crumbled feta cheese
Shaved Parmesan cheese
Dried currants or cranberries
Chickpeas (or a protein of your choice)
Roasted sweet potatoes (roast w/ the cauliflower)
A scoop of hummus or cashew cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
On a baking sheet lined with parchment, toss the cauliflower with olive oil, salt & pepper. Spread cauliflower evenly on the baking sheet and roast until golden brown (usually 20-30 minutes).
Tear your kale into pieces and place it all into a large bowl. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper and use your hands to massage the leaves until the kale becomes tender and wilted (the volume in your bowl will reduce by about half). Add a big squeeze of orange, a big squeeze of lemon, a bit of dijon mustard, and use your hands to work it all together. Taste and adjust - if it's bitter add orange, if it's bland, add more seasonings. What you add will depend on the bitterness of your kale (I find that I add different amounts each time). If it's still too raw-tasting, let it sit for 20 or so minutes (at room temp), and the flavors will develop a little more.
Toss in the roasted cauliflower, a sprinkle of hemp seeds and some freshly cracked pepper. If the kale is still too raw-tasting, add some of the suggested add-ons to offset the amount of kale in your salad.
Store extra kale salad in an air tight container in the fridge (it's great for lunch the next day).

Notes

If you're new to kale salad, or if your kale is especially tough or bitter, try mixing in a few handfuls of softer baby salad greens.