Description
The base of this salad is charred cauliflower and red onions, paired with crispy chickpeas, quinoa, and fresh herbs like cilantro and mint. Plus, instead of using a vinaigrette dressing, I opted to make a spicy tadka with lemon and honey that makes this bowl so flavorful and fun!!
Ingredients
Scale
Quinoa & Herbs
- 3/4 cup dry quinoa (sub with same amount of white rice)
- 1 handful of mint leaves, finely minced
- 1 handful of cilantro leaves, finely minced
Cauliflower & Chickpeas
- 1/2 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
- 1 can (14 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 medium red onion, cut into thick strips
- Kosher salt
- Olive oil
Tadka/Dressing
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (sub with 1 finely minced garlic clove)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Or line two medium trays with parchment paper.
- Make the quinoa. My method for fluffy, perfectly cooked quinoa is a 1:2 ratio of dry quinoa to water. So for 3/4 cup of quinoa, use 1 1/2 cups of water, along with a large pinch of salt. Place the pot on the stove, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and partially cover the pot. Let the quinoa cook undisturbed for 10-12 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. This next step is key; turn the heat off, fully cover the pot with the lid, and let the quinoa sit for 10 minutes. The sit-time helps the quinoa steam and cook off any excess water.
- Roast the cauliflower and chickpeas. Dump the chopped cauliflower onto the sheet pan, along with the chickpeas, and red onion. Drizzle generously with olive oil and kosher salt, toss to combine. Make sure everything is thoroughly coated in olive oil and salt, this will help the veggies and chickpeas brown and char nicely. I like to keep the cauliflower and onions separate from the chickpeas on the tray; just in case I need to remove the chickpeas before the cauliflower is done cooking (does that make sense?). Roast the veggies and chickpeas for 25-30 minutes or until the cauliflower and onion are slightly charred, and the chickpeas are golden brown and crispy (they’ll shrink in size as well).
- Prep the herbs while the quinoa and veggies cook.
- Assemble the salad. Once the quinoa and veggies are done, add them to a large serving bowl, along with the minced cilantro and mint.
- Make the tadka/dressing. In the same pot you cooked the quinoa, add in the olive oil and spices. Heat on medium-high heat until the tadka starts to bubble, and smells fragrant, about 1 minute. Swirl the tadka around the pot as it cooks to ensure the spices don’t burn as they bloom. Take off the heat and gently pour in the lemon juice and honey (away from your face just in case the oil splutters) and swirl around to combine.
- Finish the bowl. Pour the tadka/dressing over the bowl, toss to combine, and adjust salt as needed. Serve immediately while the salad is still warm!