I love cauliflower, especially roasted cauliflower or when it is turned into cauliflower soup. But honestly, I’ve never been a fan of raw cauliflower. That changed after ordering a charcuterie plate with a raw, kind-of-pickled cauliflower salad situation. It blew my mind. So here I am, someone who wasn’t the biggest fan of raw cauliflower, trying to convince you to try this raw cauliflower salad. It’s crunchy, fresh, delicious, and one of my favorite cauliflower recipes. Trust me.
Key Ingredients
Cauliflower: I love raw cauliflower in this salad. I break it down into tiny trees, as Heidi from 101 Cookbooks calls them. By breaking the cauliflower down so small, our salad is much more approachable, and the lemon herb dressing has a chance to get into every nook and cranny. This adds an extra minute or two of prep time, but it is worth it! (Yes, you can swap it for roasted cauliflower if you want to). Chickpeas: I usually use drained canned chickpeas, but you can also cook your own. Here’s our recipe for cooking dried chickpeas. Fresh herbs: This salad is all about fresh flavor, so I add a big handful of chopped fresh herbs. Try parsley, dill, cilantro, or mint. Lemon dressing: I whisk fresh lemon juice with olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. This dressing is so simple and works wonders with the salad. Pickled onions: These are optional, but woah do they add something special. I make my homemade pickled onions, which take about 1 hour (they are amazing!).
How to Make Cauliflower Salad
Once you’ve cut your cauliflower into tiny trees, it’s time to season it. Now, you might be used to adding salt and pepper to meats, but what about salads? Trust me, for this cauliflower salad, you’ll want to season the raw cauliflower with a good amount of salt and pepper before adding the dressing. This not only helps to soften the cauliflower a bit, but it also really brings out its natural sweetness. You can whip up the easy lemon dressing while the cauliflower hangs out with the salt and pepper. It’s similar to the dressing we use for our lemon herb couscous salad. Just whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt. Finally, you’ll toss everything together: the seasoned cauliflower, chickpeas, dressing, and fresh herbs. And if you’re using them (which I highly recommend), chop up some pickled onions and throw those in, too. I let my salad sit in the fridge for a while. It honestly gets better with time. You can enjoy it in as little as 30 minutes, but I love it the next day after the acid and salt have had a chance to work their magic on the cauliflower.
Storing Cauliflower Salad
You can store cauliflower chickpea salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The chickpeas might begin to soften, but they will still be delicious. I do not recommend freezing.
What to Serve with Cauliflower Salad
This cauliflower salad works with so many dishes. I often spoon it over salad greens and call it a day, but it is equally delicious added to rice bowls. Serve this next to more decadent dishes like baked salmon with capers, juicy pork chops, lemon chicken thighs, and Cajun shrimp. It’s also perfect served with other summery salads, such as watermelon salad, potato salad, creamy pasta salad, and bean salad. We break the cauliflower down into tiny florets, but another option is to use a food processor and make a chunky cauliflower rice. Take a look at our cauliflower rice recipe to see how we do it. 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon) 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional for some heat 1 (15oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or use 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas) 1/2 cup fine fresh herbs like parsley, dill, or mint, chopped 1/2 cup pickled red onions, chopped, optional, see our pickled onions recipe 2Season with 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper, and then toss the cauliflower around the bowl to mix. 3To make the dressing, whisk the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt until creamy and emulsified. 4Add the chickpeas, herbs, pickled onions, and the dressing to the cauliflower. Toss until everything is evenly coated. 5Taste, and then season with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice. 6This cauliflower salad tastes best when given some time to marinate. Let the salad marinate covered in the fridge, stirring occasionally. (I think this tastes better the next day, but you can enjoy after 30 minutes). It will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
