If you are looking for a wholesome, healthy lunch option then this is the perfect salad for you. This mildly spiced roasted curried cauliflower is delicious served with bouncy pearl couscous, lentils, toasted almonds, fresh herbs and a creamy lime-tahini dressing. It would make a delicious lunch option for meal prep or a substantial side dish for a BBQ or potluck dinner.
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Why You’ll Love This Salad
- Filling – this is a balanced and hearty salad, with lentils, cauliflower and cous cous to keep you feeling full all afternoon.
- Mildly spiced but lots of flavour: the curried cauliflower brings just a touch of warming heat to this dish without making it too spicy.
- Nutritious – this salad is full of veggies, making it perfect for meal prep lunches.
Ingredients
I’ve put the full recipe card down at the bottom so you can grab all the exact details, but for now, here’s the list of ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Cauliflower florets
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Curry powder
- Ground cumin
- Garlic powder
- Turmeric
- Salt
- Chili powder (optional, if you like a little heat)
- Pearl couscous
- Vegetable broth
- Red onion
- Fresh parsley
- Almonds (toasted for crunch!)
- Canned lentils
- Dried cranberries
- Tahini (hulled for creaminess)
- Lime juice
- Water
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Follow along with this step-by-step guide to make your Curried Cauliflower Salad. You’ll find all the exact times, temperatures, and measurements in the recipe card below:
Step one: Toss cauliflower with olive oil and spices, then roast until golden and tender. The aroma is amazing!
Step two: Cook pearl couscous in veggie broth, then fluff and cool.
Step three: Mix couscous, cauliflower, lentils, red onion, cranberries, and parsley in a big bowl.
Step four: Whisk tahini, lime juice, garlic, cumin, and water into a creamy dressing.
Step five: Pour it over the salad and toss gently.
I hope you give this Curried Cauliflower Salad a go! If you enjoyed it I would be super grateful if you could leave a star rating below and if you added your own little twist on it! You can also tag me on Instagram, and I’ll share your pics on my stories 🙂
Curried Cauliflower Salad with Pearl Couscous & Tahini Dressing
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
Spiced cauliflower and chickpeas
- 1 medium cauliflower cut into florets, 900g
- 3 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin, 42g
- 2 teaspoon curry powder 4g
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1g
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1.5g
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1.5g
- 1/2 teaspoon salt 3g
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder optional, 0.5g
Pearl couscous salad
- 1 cup pearl couscous 180g
- 400 g canned lentils drained and rinsed, 400g
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced, 60g
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries 28g
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley roughly chopped, 30g
- 2 cups vegetable broth 480g or 480ml
- 1/2 cup almonds roughly chopped and toasted, 71g
Creamy tahini dressing
- 1/4 cup tahini hulled, 64g
- 1 lime juiced, 30ml juice
- 2 tablespoon water 30g
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder 3g
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1g
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, curry powder, cumin, garlic powder, turmeric, salt, and chili powder (if using). Spread evenly on the baking sheet and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Roast for 25–30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until tender and golden. Set aside to cool.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Add the pearl couscous and cook according to package instructions (usually 8–10 minutes), until al dente. Drain any excess liquid if needed, then fluff with a fork and let cool.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, lime juice, water, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Add a splash of water if needed to thin to your desired consistency.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked couscous, lentils, roasted cauliflower, red onion, cranberries, and parsley. Pour over the tahini dressing and toss until well coated.
- Sprinkle with toasted almonds just before serving. Enjoy warm or chilled.
Ayesha says
This was amazing. The flavours are perfect together especially the mint. I swapped couscous for bulgar cooked in broth. 10/10
Eva says
I love this recipe! Just make sure to not use a non-stick fryingpan, as it forms more roasty flavors 😋
Liz Douglas says
such a great tip!! so glad you enjoyed the recipe Eva! 🙂
Liza says
Really lovely salad! I made it as a lunch and it was so filling! With the curry, turmeric and cumin, it also gives some Arabic vibes. Really tasty and healthy!
Liz Douglas says
so happy you loved it liza! 🙂 the spices really do bring those cozy middle eastern vibes ha
Tine says
i didn’t expect a salad to be this good!! and that tahini dressing? its so perfect!