Roast Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad
I’m a big fan of Diana Henry – I have four of her books, all of which are in heavy use in my kitchen. I love her books first and foremost because she is a whiz with flavors, and I love her food, period. But I also love that all the books have the same clean, appealing design and colorful, casual photography. The books are inviting – they remind me what it is I love about food.
The first recipe I made is an adaptation of Diana’s Roast Cauliflower with Pomegranates, Green Olives, and Chickpea Puree. I love crunchy roasted chickpeas, so rather than blending the chickpeas into a hummus, I roasted them with the cauliflower and used the other hummus ingredients to make an addictive tahini dressing. I tossed everything together with a generous amount of fresh parsley leaves and juicy pomegranate seeds and it was amazing, exactly what I want to be eating in Spring. And bonus: about halfway through the bowl, I realized that this recipe was naturally gluten free and vegan. This is not a very frequent occurence in my house – we love cheese and we love bread. So when I don’t even realize a recipe has neither? That’s a win.
- 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas
- 6 TBS olive oil, divided
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp sea salt
- black pepper
- 1/3 cup walnut halves and pieces
- 1/2 cup pitted, chopped green olives
- seeds from 1 pomegranate
- 3 TBS minced fresh parsley
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled and finely minced or crushed
- 3 TBS tahini paste
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin