This Curried Cauliflower Salad is fresh and flavorful! It’s the perfect side dish to balance out all the heavier side dishes at your holiday table this year.

I have one more holiday recipe for you before Thanksgiving! This Curried Cauliflower Salad is packed with fresh ingredients and topped off with a curry vinaigrette, giving it so much flavor! It’s light and refreshing and the perfect way to balance out all those other heavy side dishes.

I had the idea for this Curried Cauliflower Salad a few weeks ago and then when I actually started putting it together I was worried the flavor profile was going to be a little too out there. But, once I had everything mixed together it really worked!

What You’ll Need For This Curried Cauliflower Salad Recipe

Cauliflower – I used regular old white cauliflower but you could also use purple, yellow or a mix of all three!
Chickpeas – I love adding chickpeas into my salads for some protein. I usually just use canned chickpeas but you could also cook your own.
Fruit, Nuts and Veggies – I wanted to add some sweetness and crunch so I added in green apple, dried cranberries and toasted walnuts. It think that combo is so great together in fall/winter salads. I also added in some red onion and parsley for freshness.

How To Make Curried Cauliflower Salad

I went back and forth about whether I should steam or roast the cauliflower. Roasting it gives it such a nice flavor but I also wanted it to be able to stand up well to a dressing and being served cold, so ultimately I steamed my cauliflower. You could definitely roast it instead though! I steamed my cauliflower florets in a large pot with a steam basket on the stove.
The Curry Vinaigrette is what gives this cauliflower salad so much flavor. I made a basic lemon vinaigrette and then added in curry powder and cumin. I also sprinkled a little bit of curry powder on top just before serving to really get that great curry flavor. You make the dressing by adding all ingredients together and whisking until combined.
I small diced the apples and onions and chopped the fresh parsley. I then added all ingredients to a large bowl and poured dressing over. The great thing about this cauliflower salad is that it can be served warm or cold.

There are so many holiday side dishes that are heavy; mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, and biscuits so I wanted to make a hearty salad that was also light and refreshing. I think this Curried Cauliflower Salad definitely fits that bill and I’ve even been enjoying it for lunch all week!

Curried Cauliflower Salad

Author: She Likes Food
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 8 1x
Category: Salad, Vegan
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Description

This Curried Cauliflower Salad is healthy, hearty and refreshing!

Ingredients

1 large head cauliflower
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 medium green apple, diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Curry Vinaigrette

1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon pure maple syrup
Salt, to taste

Instructions

Cut the head of cauliflower into florets and place in a steamer basket in a large pot with about 1/2 inch of water. Place over medium heat with the lid on and let cauliflower steam until just fork tender. Transfer cauliflower to a large bowl and let cool for a few minutes.
Add the remaining salad ingredients to the bowl. Add all vinaigrette ingredients to a jar and whisk until combined. Pour desired amount of salad dressing over the top and mix until everything is combined. Salad can be served warm or refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Notes

The vinaigrette recipe makes a lot and you may not want to use all of it. I would suggest pouring a little bit on at first and seeing if you need more.

The fat in the recipe is so high because of the dressing, so if you don’t use it all it will be much lower.