This Vegan Roasted Cauliflower and Hazelnut Salad is a festive winter salad. Made with whole food ingredients this gluten-free salad is both healthy and delicious! Make this Vegan Cauliflower Salad in just 35 minutes.
I'm going to be honest with you: I made this salad because it's festive. Honestly, who doesn't want a beautiful red and green salad on their Christmas dinner table?!
This Cauliflower and Hazelnut Salad is more than festive though. It's healthy and delicious!
There's veggies: cauliflower and celery. And fruit: pomegranate. And some crunch: hazelnuts. Plus a delicious mustard dressing for some tang. What's not to love?
Jump to:
Why I love this Roasted Cauliflower and Hazelnut Salad
- Dietary needs - this recipe is dairy-free, plant-based, oil-free, gluten-free, and sugar-free
- Delicious and festive side dish - this salad is full of fresh ingredients that are colorful and bright
- Not a salad - okay so I'm calling it a salad, but there's no lettuce or spinach or kale. It's like a secret salad - for people who hate salads!
Ingredient Notes
- Cauliflower
- Celery: I love a pop of fresh flavor with celery
- Pomegranate Arils: You can buy pomegranate arils that have already been seeded or buy a fresh pomegranate and seed it yourself
- Hazelnuts: I used hazelnuts without skins, but leaving the skins on is fine
- Parsley: fresh is best, but if you're in a pinch I think freeze dried parsley would be perfect
Dressing Ingredients
- Dijon Mustard: a mild yellow mustard could be subbed for the Dijon
- Water
- Tahini: you could sub almond butter
- Red Pepper Flakes: you could sub another spicy pepper like cayenne
- Salt & Pepper
How to make this Vegan Cauliflower and Hazelnut Salad
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Step 2. Rinse the cauliflower, then spread it on the baking pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cauliflower is nicely browned. When the cauliflower is cooked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature.
Step 3. Meanwhile, prepare the dressing. In a small bowl combine the mustard, water, tahini, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir until evenly mixed. Set aside.
Step 4. In a large bowl, mix the cooled cauliflower with the celery, pomegranate arils, hazelnuts, parsley, and dressing. Serve and enjoy!
FAQ & Expert Tips
Yes!
The secret to roasting cauliflower without oil is to rinse it before you roast it. (Which you'll notice that I've instructed in the recipe steps.)
You should rinse your produce anyway, to remove unwanted chemicals. But the rinsing serves an extra purpose when you roast without oil. Having just a bit of moisture on the surface of the cauliflower prevents it from burning before it is fully cooked.
Instead, you end up with a soft yet browned cauliflower. No oil required!
My cheeky answer: you don't. Just buy the arils already seeded. It's quicker and easier.
My real answer: check out this video.
Recipe Prayer
Thank you God for this cauliflower salad. Thank you for giving us healthy and delicious foods to enjoy. Amen.
More winter vegetable sides
Tried this recipe?
Please leave a review in the comments section below. You can also stay in touch with me on social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok or by subscribing to my newsletter.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Roasted Cauliflower and Hazelnut Salad
Ingredients
- 2 Medium Heads Cauliflower chopped
- 3 Stalks Celery sliced
- 1 Cup Pomegranate Arils
- ½ Cup Roughly Chopped Hazelnuts
- ½ Cup Roughly Chopped Parsley
Dressing
- ¼ Cup Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tablespoons Water
- 1 Tablespoon Tahini
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- ½ Teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Rinse the cauliflower, then spread it on the baking pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cauliflower is nicely browned. When the cauliflower is cooked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, prepare the dressing. In a small bowl combine the mustard, water, tahini, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir until evenly mixed. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the cooled cauliflower with the celery, pomegranate arils, hazelnuts, parsley, and dressing. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Comments
No Comments