Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Lentils, Dates, and Tahini Sauce

Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Lentils and Dates flavored with tahini dressing. A meal-worthy vegan salad recipe that is perfect for a wholesome and flavorful weeknight dinner. With bright and earthy flavors, this cauliflower lentil salad will become a regular part of your weekly menu planning once you give it a try.

Course Salad

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 597kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

For the salad:

1 cup uncooked green lentils picked over and washed
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper optional
1 medium-sized head of cauliflower cut into small florets
3/4 cup sliced almonds
10-12 Medjool dates pitted and chopped
1 small red onion sliced thinly into half moon slices
2-3 cups of mixed greens or chopped green lettuce rinsed

For the tahini dressing:

3 tablespoons tahini
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
juice of a lemon freshly squeezed
2 tablespoons of water thin or more based on the consistency you prefer

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a sheet of parchment paper in a baking sheet.
Place lentils in a small pot and cover it with 2 cups of water. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes. Drain and discard the water. Set lentils aside to cool.
Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl. Whisk together the oil and spices. Pour over the florets. Give it a large stir (preferably using your hands) making sure that most of the florets are covered with the mixture. Distribute them evenly on the baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes. Take them out of the oven and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Spread the sliced almonds on the same baking sheet and toast for 8-10 minutes in the oven, gently tossing them hallway through. Keep an eye on them as they can burn easily. Take them out of the oven and let them cool on the kitchen counter.

To make the Tahini dressing:

Make the tahini dressing by whisking all the tahini dressing ingredients in a bowl.

To assemble:

Place the greens in a large salad bowl. Add in the roasted cauliflower, lentils, almonds, dates, and red onion slices. Drizzle it with the tahini dressing. Gently toss it while making sure that the dressing is distributed evenly within the salad.
Serve immediately.

Notes

Serves 4

Nutrition