You’ll love this roasted cauliflower and chickpea salad with a creamy garlic tahini dressing! With smoky paprika spiced cauliflower and crispy chickpeas tossed with fresh salad greens, cucumber, avocado and red onion, you’ll have a simple salad that is filling enough to be a meal on its own or as a side to your favourite BBQ dishes.
As we head into Autumn, cauliflower’s prime time in Australia, I am starting to think about different ways I can use this versatile vegetable especially now that I am not eating as much meat.
I want satisfying, delicious and filling vegetarian meals that don’t leave me feeling heavy. That’s exactly what today’s salad is. It’s fresh and vibrant but still hearty and warming. Perfect as we look towards the changing of the seasons.
I am also having a moment with canned beans and legumes (have you tried my black bean burger yet?) as they are a hearty way to bulk out your meals plus even with the rising cost of groceries they remain very affordable.
But really, the highlight of this salad is that creamy, dairy free tahini garlic dressing. It’s so simple to make and really levels up this salad pairing perfectly with the spiced roasted cauliflower and crunchy chickpeas.
So using that can of chickpeas that you have in the back of the pantry, combined with a few other bits and pieces we have a delicious vegetarian salad that holds its own as a main meal but of course you can definitely serve it as a side to a range of dishes as well.
Key Ingredients
Just like your usual salad recipe, there are a few ingredients listed but most of these should be pretty easy to find and inexpensive. Feel free to swap your salad add-ins as well with what you like and have available.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cauliflower – a medium sized, whole head of cauliflower.
- Chickpeas – we just use canned chickpeas here, making sure they are drained and rinsed well. You can also pat the chickpeas dry with a paper towel to ensure maximum crispness when baking but I don’t think it’s essential for this recipe.
- Olive oil – to help the spices stick to the chickpeas and cauliflower and ensure they get nice and crispy and golden while roasting.
- Spices – the cauliflower and chickpeas are roasted with a bold combo of smoked paprika, garlic powder and chilli powder. You can use any paprika but I think the smoked version is best in this salad. Adjust the chilli depending on how spicy you want them!
- Mixed salad greens – I am using a combination of lettuce, rocket, baby spinach and a little parsley. Just baby spinach or rocket (also known as arugula) on its own would also work very well.
- Cucumber – adds crunch and texture.
- Avocado – adds a creaminess to the salad but also bulks up the healthy fats to keep you feeling full.
- Red onion – optional but just adds a little bite and extra crunch.
For the garlic tahini dressing you’ll need, tahini of course, lemon juice, garlic, honey and salt to taste. If you don’t have fresh garlic or would like a more subtle flavour than raw garlic you can substitute with garlic powder.
To keep the dressing vegan, you can also swap the honey for brown sugar, maple syrup or your favourite sweetener. The sweetener acts to remove some of the bitterness from the tahini.
Step-By-Step Instructions
We have two key prep steps for making this roasted cauliflower and chickpea salad. First is roasting the cauliflower and chickpeas and the second is preparing the garlic tahini dressing.
Start by chopping the cauliflower into bite sized pieces and placing into a large mixing bowl with the rinsed and well drained chickpeas. Make sure you’re not adding any extra liquid from the chickpeas into the bowl, you want them to be as dry as possible.
Add in the smoked paprika, garlic powder, chilli powder and salt and pepper and mix well to combine. Place the cauliflower and chickpeas on a lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through, or until golden and cooked through. The chickpeas should have darkened and be crunchy.
While the cauliflower is roasting, make the garlic tahini dressing. In a blender, add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, honey, salt and water and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust lemon juice and salt to taste. Add more water if the dressing is too thick as you want to be able to drizzle it over the salad.
Once the cauliflower and chickpeas have finished roasting, it’s time to assemble! Arrange the salad greens in a large serving bowl and top with the cauliflower and chickpeas and a drizzle of the dressing and toss to combine.
Add in the cucumber slices, avocado and red onion and mix gently. Top with a little more of the tahini dressing and serve with lemon wedges.
Recipe FAQs
Once the salad has been tossed together, I recommend eating it straight away for the best taste and texture.
If you want to prepare the salad in advance, you can roast the cauliflower and chickpeas and store these separately in an airtight container until you’re ready to serve. If you add them in advance, the chickpeas won’t stay crunchy.
The tahini dressing can also be made up to a week in advance. You may just need to add a little more water if it’s become too thick.
The rest of the salad can be made and will be fine for up to 2 days in the fridge, with the exception of the avocado which should also only be added when ready to serve.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More salad recipes:
Pear and Prosciutto Salad
Mango and Avocado Salad
The BEST Dairy Free Potato Salad
Roasted Vegetable Salad
Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 400 gram can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder
- Salt and pepper
- 250 grams mixed salad greens lettuce, rocket, baby spinach
- ½ cucumber sliced
- 1 avocado
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
For the garlic tahini dressing:
- ½ cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice approx 1-2 lemons
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
- Cut the 1 head cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Pat the 1 400 gram can chickpeas dry with paper towel after draining and rinsing.
- Place the cauliflower and chickpeas into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle over the ¼ cup olive oil, then sprinkle over the 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon chilli powder, Salt and pepper. Toss well until everything is evenly coated.
- Spread the cauliflower and chickpeas onto the prepared baking tray in a single layer, ensuring they aren't overcrowded. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through, until the cauliflower is tender and caramelised and the chickpeas are golden and crisp.
- Meanwhile, prepare the garlic tahini dressing. Add the ½ cup tahini, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon honey, ½ teaspoon salt and ⅓ cup water to a blender or small food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. If the dressing is too thick, blend in a little more water, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning or add more lemon juice if needed.
- Arrange the 250 grams mixed salad greens, ½ cucumber and ¼ red onion in a large serving bowl.
- Once the cauliflower and chickpeas have finished roasting, allow them to cool for 5 minutes before adding them to the salad. Add the 1 avocado, drizzle over enough of the garlic tahini dressing to lightly coat the salad, then gently toss everything together.
- Drizzle with extra garlic tahini dressing and serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
confused says
olive oil is listed in the ingredients but not in the recipe…
Sally says
Thanks for noticing that typo! I’ve updated the recipe now. The oil is used to coat the cauliflower and chickpeas for roasting.