Meet my new favorite cauliflower salad recipe. Thanks to a light lemon dressing and lots of fresh herbs, this easy cauliflower salad tastes surprisingly delicious and keeps in the fridge for days. Switch to the Herbed Cauliflower Salad recipe
My new favorite cauliflower salad
Here’s the thing. I love cauliflower, especially when it’s roasted or used in this soup, but to be perfectly honest, I don’t LOVE raw cauliflower. That was until we went to a restaurant and ordered a charcuterie platter. There were a variety of meats and cheeses on the plate, but Adam and I always went back to a raw pickled cauliflower salad. It blew my mind. So, here’s how someone who wasn’t the biggest fan of raw cauliflower is trying to convince you to try this raw cauliflower salad.
Here’s another popular cauliflower recipe to try: Chimichurri Cauliflower Steaks (they’re so good!)
You might sit there and say there’s no way this is going to be as good as she says, but trust me on this one. In fact, here’s a list of why I think you need to make this cauliflower salad ASAP.
- It’s satisfying. We add chickpeas, which adds protein and makes the salad very filling.
- It is delicious. Lots of fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and an almost obnoxious amount of fresh herbs make this cauliflower salad absolutely delicious.
- The cauliflower has less bite and becomes tender. Since the cauliflower is seasoned with salt and in a lemony herb dressing, it will soften a bit. So while it’s raw, after some time in the dressing it will become just enough tender to take the raw bite.
- It’s a great make-ahead salad. The salad will keep for days in the fridge. Last time we made it, it lasted about a week, which makes it perfect for lunch and dinner.
How to make cauliflower salad
I love how easy this salad is. Let me explain how we do it (you can also watch the video to see how we do it).
Step 1: Cut or pluck the cauliflower into small florets or as Heidi calls them from 101 Cookbooks, “tiny trees”. By breaking up the cauliflower into little trees, the salad is much more accessible and the lemon herb dressing has a chance to get into every nook and cranny. This adds an extra minute or two of prep time, but it’s totally worth it! Another option is to use a food processor and make a chunky cauliflower rice. Check out ours Herb Cauliflower Rice to see how we do it.
Step 2, season the cauliflower with salt and pepper. You’re probably used to seasoning meat with salt and pepper, but do you season your salads too? In this case, before adding the dressing, the cauliflower is tossed with a generous amount of salt and pepper to ensure every bite of the salad is flavorful (which means it’s delicious). I also think the salt helps tenderize the cauliflower a little bit too.
Step 3: Make the Lemon Herb Salad Dressing. This dressing is a simpler version of the dressing we use for our Lemon Herb Couscous Salad. To do this, we whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes and a little salt. For this easy bean salad, we use a similar dressing, but swap out the lemon juice for red wine vinegar.
Step 4, mix cauliflower with chickpeas, lots of herbs and the dressing. For the herbs, you can use any fine herbs you have access to. My favorite trio of herbs is parsley, mint, and dill. I would use them all in this salad. In the recipe below we recommend using 1/2 cup of fresh herbs, but honestly when it comes to fresh herbs I’m usually in the camp of the more the better. I don’t think you can overdo it – or at least I haven’t? For another chickpea salad, take a look at our Curried Chickpea Salad Bowls.
Step 5, add pickled onions. Pickled onions are something we keep in our fridge for most weeks. They’re easy to make (here’s our pickled onions recipe to check out). If you don’t have them you can omit them, but know they add a nice pop of sweet pickled flavor. I haven’t tried any other pickles in the salad, but I think chopped pepperoncinis would be a fun and flavorful take on the cauliflower salad.
Step 6: Let the salad marinate before serving. The salad tastes great the first time, but it gets even better if you let it sit and marinate for at least 30 minutes. In fact, I prefer that on the second day! I told you this is the perfect make-ahead salad!
Pro tip: For a roasted cauliflower salad, toss the cauliflower florets with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then mix the warm roasted cauliflower with the salad dressing, herbs and chickpeas. Serve hot or cold. For tips on roasting cauliflower, see our Easy Roasted Cauliflower.
What to serve it with
The recipe below makes a large batch so Adam and I had the opportunity to enjoy it with a variety of meals. For lunch, I spooned it onto lettuce leaves.
It’s also great as an addition to rice bowls and even as a sprinkle on tacos. I especially love it with these shredded chicken tacos. It would also be the perfect side dish for seared salmon, pork chops and those lemon chicken thighs.
More easy salad recipes
- Seriously Good Quinoa Salad is ultra-flavorful, filling and packed with superfoods.
- Easy Chickpea Salad with Lemon and Dill is quick to make and you can make it ahead of time.
- Quick and easy pasta salad is loaded with crunchy veggies, fresh mozzarella, and a simple homemade dressing.
- Our Avocado Salad couldn’t be easier to make and can be enjoyed on its own, as a side, in a chunky salsa, or spooned onto larger salads.
- Mayo-Free Cilantro Lime Coleslaw Salad is loaded with flavor. We add lots of cilantro, lime, scallions, and a healthy amount of chopped serrano (or jalapeño) pepper.
- Farro Salad with Apple and Arugula is made with cooked farro, sweet apples, greens, and a light-colored salad dressing.
Herb cauliflower salad with chickpeas
Thanks to a light lemon dressing and lots of fresh herbs, this easy raw cauliflower salad recipe tastes surprisingly delicious and keeps in the fridge for days. The pickled onions are an optional ingredient, but they take the salad to the next level. Here’s our pickled onions recipe so you can see how easy they are to make.
We’ll break up the cauliflower into tiny florets, but another option is to use a food processor and make a chunky cauliflower rice. Check out our Cauliflower Rice Recipe to see how we make it.
Makes about 10 cups
Watch us make the recipe
you will need
1 medium cauliflower, about 1 3/4 to 2 pounds (6 to 7 cups small florets)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional for some heat
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or use 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas)
1/2 cup fine fresh herbs, such as parsley, dill, or mint, chopped
1/2 cup pickled red onions, chopped, optional, see our pickled onions recipe
directions
Cut the leaves and stalk from the cauliflower. Then cut or tear the cauliflower into small florets and place in a large bowl. Cut longer stems into small pieces and then add to the bowl with the florets.
Season with 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, then toss the cauliflower in the bowl until all the florets have had a chance to be seasoned.
For the dressing, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, paprika flakes and a pinch of salt until you have a creamy and emulsified mass.
Add the chickpeas, herbs, pickled onions and the dressing to the cauliflower. Stir until everything is evenly coated. Taste and then season with additional salt, pepper or lemon juice.
Cauliflower salad tastes best when given some time to marinate. If possible, let the salad marinate for at least 30 minutes before serving, stirring occasionally. The salad will keep covered in the fridge for up to a week.
Advice from Adam and Joanne
- For the dressing we use both the zest and the juice of a large lemon. Citrus fruits can be peeled quickly with a microplane, but you can also use a vegetable peeler to peel the thin rind (not the white pith) from the lemon and then finely chop it before adding it to the salad dressing.
- Pickled onions take the salad to the next level of flavor. If you omit them, you might find that the salad needs a little more lemon. Other pickles like green beans or pepperoncini peppers would be a different but delicious addition.
- For a low-carb or keto cauliflower salad, omit the chickpeas and substitute diced ham or turkey.
- Roasted Cauliflower Salad Option: Fry the cauliflower with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper until tender and light brown around the edges. Then mix with the remaining salad ingredients.
- Nutritional Information: The nutritional information below is an estimate. We used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
If you make this recipe, take a picture and tag it #inspiredtaste – we love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste
Nutrition per serving: serving size 1 cup / calories 140 / total fat 7.2g / Saturated Fatty Acids 1g / cholesterol 0 mg / sodium 237.7mg / carbohydrate 15.8g / fiber 4.9g / total sugar 2.7g / protein 5.3g