Roasted Cauliflower, Feta, and Lentil Salad

Commerce in your conventional greens based mostly salad for this hearty vegetarian roasted cauliflower, feta, and lentil salad with a easy lemon French dressing. This salad is hearty sufficient for a packable lunch for work or a flavorful aspect dish.

Colder days are right here and it’s time to swap up your salad recreation. Belief me, I really like an excellent lettuce-based salad however as of late I’m craving one thing heartier. This roasted cauliflower, feta, and lentil salad is simply the factor!

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Easy substances – cauliflower, lentils, feta, recent herbs, and some pantry spices make this a salad price making time and again.
• Nice for meal prep. Not like lettuce based mostly salads, this roasted cauliflower salad holds up nicely within the fridge for as much as 3-4 days. In actual fact, it typically tastes even higher the following day!
• Excellent for lunch – both within the workplace or at dwelling. In the course of the fall and winter, that is considered one of my favourite salads for packing.
• This recipe is nice for anybody with allergic reactions or restrictions since it’s: vegetarian, gluten-free, and egg-free. Skip the feta or use a non-dairy crumbled cheese to simply make this recipe vegan and dairy-free!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Cauliflower: Cauliflower makes the right base for this scrumptious salad because it has a gentle taste that pairs nicely with the mediterranean spices on this recipe. For enjoyable, use a colourful cauliflower like inexperienced, yellow, or purple so as to add extra shade to the dish. (I used a yellow one within the pictures for this submit.)
• Lentils: Embody a protein like lentils in your salad to make them extra filling. In the event you don’t like lentils, you might additionally use canned chickpeas or white beans for this salad.
• Broth: Provides extra taste to the cooked lentils, however you should utilize simply water.
• Parsley & Mint: Love the freshness that herbs like parsley and mint add to salads like this one.
• Spices (Cumin/Garlic/Onion/Smoked Paprika): Add these spices to the cauliflower earlier than roasting to infuse this salad with tons of taste. The cumin pairs particularly nicely with the opposite components of this salad like lemon, mint, and feta.
• Lemon: Use recent lemon juice and zest to infuse the easy dressing for this salad with tons of taste.
• Almonds: I like including some nuts for crunch and almonds have been an awesome choice for this salad. You might additionally use walnuts, pistachios, or pumpkin seeds.
• Feta Cheese: Provides some creaminess and pairs nicely with the cumin and mint. The salad is simply as scrumptious in case you depart it out. You might additionally substitute the feta for a vegan choice like this vegan feta.

How one can Make this Roasted Cauliflower Salad

STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 400 levels Fahrenheit and assemble your entire substances.

STEP 2: Add your chopped cauliflower to a big mixing bowl and add the spices (cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper). Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat the cauliflower. Switch to a baking sheet and unfold into single layer. Bake for 25-Half-hour or till golden brown and tender.

STEP 3: Whereas the cauliflower roasts, add the lentils and broth to a small saucepan over medium warmth. Deliver to a simmer and canopy with lid. Simmer for 13-Quarter-hour or till lentils are tender and broth has been absorbed.

STEP 4: Add the salad dressing substances to a mason jar and shake to mix.

STEP 5: Mix the roasted cauliflower, cooked lentils, feta cheese (if utilizing), pomegranate, and chopped herbs (parsley and mint) in a big bowl. Style and season with extra salt and pepper as wanted. Serve heat or chilled.

Why is This Salad Good For You?

• Cauliflower: Although cauliflower isn’t as colourful as different vegetables and fruit doesn’t imply it isn’t as nutrient dense! Cauliflower is an efficient supply of vitamin C, folate, vitamin Ok, and vitamin B6. Additionally, like different cruciferous greens it’s excessive glucosinolates that are sulfur containing compounds that present well being advantages. For instance, increased intakes of cruciferous greens have been linked to decrease threat of many cancers and researchers suspect it could be partly because of the antioxidant properties of the glucosinolates.
• Lentils: Lentils are an awesome supply of plant-based protein. In actual fact, one cup of cooked lentils supplies 14 grams of protein. Legumes are additionally an awesome supply of fiber with about 16 grams per 1 cup serving. Along with fiber and protein, lentils are additionally an awesome supply of iron, vitamin B6 and magnesium. Many People don’t get sufficient magnesium of their food plan which is necessary to notice since magnesium deficiency has been related to heart problems, osteoporosis, hypertension, and diabetes. Recurrently incorporating meals which might be excessive in magnesium in your food plan like lentils will enable you meet the really useful consumption for magnesium.
• Pomegranate: Pomegranate is excessive in anthocyanins, the kind of antioxidants present in crimson vegetables and fruit. Consuming a food plan excessive in antioxidant wealthy meals might assist shield mind cells from harm as you age. A 1/2 cup serving of pomegranate arils has 72 energy, 3.5 grams of fiber, and 1 gram of protein.
• Almonds: Almonds are an excellent supply of fiber, vitamin E, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. Although almonds are calorie-dense, analysis has not related elevated almond/nut consumption with weight achieve. Common consumption of almonds can be related to decreased threat of coronary heart illness thanks partially to the plant sterols present in almonds.

Is Cauliflower Low Carb?

Yep! A 1 cup serving of cauliflower has solely 5 grams of carbohydrates and a couple of grams of fiber. For these seeking to decrease their carbohydrate consumption, utilizing cauliflower instead of increased carb meals like rice or pasta is a good technique. Will and I make cauliflower “rice” typically and incorporate that in recipes for normal rice. These are a few of my favorites –> cauliflower fried rice with tofu and spicy tempeh stuffed peppers.

What are shallots?

The dressing for this salad requires shallots. It wasn’t till just lately that I began utilizing them and I really like them for salads!Shallots belong in the identical plant household as onions however have a milder taste than common white or crimson onions with a touch of garlic taste.

I like utilizing shallot vs uncooked garlic/onion in salad dressings as a result of it provides nice taste however isn’t as overpowering. Shallots develop in clusters like garlic, however are the scale of a small crimson onion. You may normally discover them within the produce aisle at most grocery shops. In a pinch, simply substitute the identical quantity of finely chopped crimson onion for the dressing on this salad.

Extra Scrumptious Recipes You’ll Love

Roasted Cauliflower, Feta, and Lentil Salad

Created by: Deborah Murphy

Course Primary Dish, Salad, Aspect Dish

Delicacies Gluten-free, Mediterranean-inspired, Vegetarian

Commerce in your conventional greens based mostly salad for this hearty roasted cauliflower, feta, and lentil salad with a easy lemon French dressing. 

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Components  

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For the Cauliflower:

• 1 head cauliflower
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 sprint sea salt and black pepper

For the Lentils:

• 1/2 cup dried brown lentils
• 1 cup vegetable broth

For the Dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon floor black pepper

For the Salad:

• 1/2 cup chopped roasted, unsalted almonds
• 1/4 cup chopped recent mint
• 1/4 cup chopped recent parsley
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta
• 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds

Directions

Make the Cauliflower

• Preheat the oven to 400 levels Fahrenheit.

• Chop cauliflower into chunk sized florets. Toss with olive oil and spices in a big bowl and prepare in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes or till cauliflower is tender and browned. Put aside.

Make the Lentils

• Whereas the cauliflower bakes, add lentils and broth to a small saucepan. Deliver to a boil after which decrease warmth in order that lentils come all the way down to a simmer. Simmer till lentils are tender (~15 min). Drain off any broth if in case you have any left within the pan. Put aside. 

Meeting

• To assemble your salad, add the cauliflower, cooked lentils, almonds, mint, parsley, pomegranate, and feta to a big bowl. Drizzle with dressing. Toss nicely to combine all the pieces collectively. 

• Serve instantly or retailer within the fridge for as much as 3 days. Tastes nice packed as a salad to take to work for lunch!

Notes

• Add extra shade to the salad by utilizing a colourful cauliflower as a substitute of a white one. 
• For optimum browning, don’t line your sheet pan with parchment or a silpat mat. 
• To make this dairy-free, use a vegan feta cheese or serve with out the cheese. 
• To make this nut-free, pass over the almonds. 
• Don’t like almonds? Use chopped walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or pistachios as a substitute.
• Don’t have shallot? Use finely chopped crimson onion as a substitute. 
• Salad will retailer nicely within the fridge for as much as 3-4 days in an hermetic container. 

Vitamin

Serving: 1/4 recipe | Energy: 471kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 16g | Fats: 33g | Saturated Fats: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 5g | Monounsaturated Fats: 21g | Trans Fats: 0.003g | Ldl cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 362mg | Potassium: 913mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 630IU | Vitamin C: 81mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 4mg

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