Cauliflower Lentil Salad Mediterranean Inspired Recipe

Packed with bold flavors and wholesome ingredients, this salad, paired with some pita bread, is excellent for a quick lunch or a healthy dinner. Dietary Note: this recipe is suitable for a vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diet. It’s low in cholesterol and saturated fats.Don’t have time to read the full blog post? JUMP TO RECIPE HERE!

What is Cauliflower Lentil Salad?

Cauliflower lentil salad video

Ingredients and Substitutions for Cauliflower Lentil Salad

How to Make Cauliflower Lentil Salad

Serving Suggestions

Variations

Storage & Make Ahead

More Lentil Recipes

The recipe will remind you of our quinoa lentil salad and sweet potato lentil salad, as it uses the same dressing and fresh herbs, and you can make it in about 30 minutes with simple pantry staples. Also, like our aromatic Moroccan carrot salad and carrot lentil salad, you can serve cauliflower lentil salad warm or at room temperature. It is excellent for making ahead; you can use it for meal prep, a quick lunch, or a healthy dinner, and bring it to potluck gatherings and picnics. As you’ve seen in our easy lentil salad, cauliflower salad, and lentil tabbouleh, both lentils and cauliflower lend themselves well to salads. They are wholesome, packed with fiber and healthy plant protein. They are affordable and keep well for days. Pair them with warm pita bread, a dollop of Greek-style yogurt (also non-dairy) or yogurt tahini sauce, and some quick pickled red onions, and you’ve got yourself a beautiful meal.

Cauliflower

Cut a large cauliflower head into small florets and roast it in the oven or the air fryer with a drizzle of olive oil, a hefty pinch of salt, and a twist of black pepper. Roasted cauliflower is beautifully tender, slightly charred, almost meaty, and delicious! We recommend using fresh cauliflower for this recipe, as frozen cauliflower tends to get too soft for salads.

Lentils

You can use canned lentils or dry lentils that you previously cooked in lightly salted boiling water for 15 to 45 minutes or until tender but with a slight bite. You can use brown lentils, green lentils, black lentils, or French lentils. Avoid split red lentils as they lose their shape quickly and are not ideal in salads. Here’s everything to know about how to cook lentils and how to cook black lentils. Substitute chickpeas, black beans, or white cannellini beans for lentils.

Nuts

Cauliflower and nuts go well together. You can add toasted almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, and pistachios.You can toast the nuts on a pan for a few minutes, moving them around often, or bake them in the oven at 340°F or 170°C for 6 to 8 minutes.

Parsley

Fresh flat-leaf parsley is a staple in Mediterranean cooking and an essential ingredient in this cauliflower lentil salad.Substitute dill, chives, cilantro, and even green onions for the parsley.

Cumin Mustard Dressing

This dressing is bold, tangy, and creamy enough to hug the lentils and cauliflower perfectly and make them super flavorful. You’ll need:

Extra virgin olive oil Fresh lemon juice: substitute apple cider vinegar, lime juice, or red wine vinegar. Ground cumin Paprika American mustard: substitute Dijon mustard. Grated garlic: substitute garlic powder. Red pepper flakes or chili powder Salt Black pepper

1. Roast the cauliflower

Preheat the oven to 400°F or 200°C. Wash the cauliflower head, pat it dry, separate the florets, and transfer them onto a baking tray. Season with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, two pinches of salt, and two twists of black pepper. Toss well and arrange on a single layer without overlapping. Roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until the florets are slightly charred and fork-tender but not overcooked.

2. Make the dressing

In the meantime, make the dressing by whisking extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, mustard, grated garlic, red pepper flakes, ground cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Tip: you can also add everything to a small mason jar, close it, and shake it well.

3. Build the salad

To a large mixing bowl, add the roasted cauliflower, drained and rinsed canned lentils (or cooked lentils), a handful of nuts, chopped parsley, and the dressing. Mix well until the ingredients are combined, taste, and adjust for salt, then serve in the same bowl or on a serving platter with some more parsley and nuts sprinkled on top.

Baba ganoush Hummus Zaalouk (Moroccan eggplant salad) Avocado spread Tomato Bruschetta Tabbouleh Shirazi salad Moroccan carrot salad Tzatziki sauce Pita bread Yogurt tahini sauce

Alternatively, you can have a larger portion of the salad for lunch.

Zaalouk (Moroccan Eggplant Dip)

Baba Ganoush Recipe

Avocado Spread

Bruschetta

We love mixing in some pasta, such as rotini or fusilli, and turning it into a delicious cauliflower and lentil pasta salad. You can make it ahead and bring it in an airtight container for a work lunch, picnic, or potluck. We recommend eating this salad slightly warm or at room temperature. Check out our creamy roasted cauliflower salad recipe.

Quinoa lentil salad

Protein-packed, nutritious, and incredibly flavorful, you’ll love this lentil quinoa salad with roasted sweet potatoes and mustard dressing. Check out our quinoa lentil salad recipe.

Carrot Lentil Salad

This Moroccan-inspired carrot lentil salad has a similar cumin dressing that coats the warm carrots and lentils. Serve it as an appetizer or side dish; this recipe will impress with its simplicity and bold flavors. Check out our carrot salad recipe.

Sweet Potato Lentil Salad

Inspired by our carrot lentil salad, this sweet potato lentil salad recipe is a winner because it’s loaded with nutritious and wholesome ingredients that will make you feel amazing and satiated for hours. Check out our lentil sweet potato salad recipe. Refrigerator: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. After the second day, you might want to add more dressing as the salad will dry up a little. We recommend taking the salad out of the refrigerator 15 to 30 minutes before eating it or warming it in the microwave for a short minute. Freezer: Not suitable for freezing.

More Salad Recipes

Greek chickpea salad Black bean salad Creamy pasta salad Couscous salad Chickpea quinoa salad Fennel and orange salad Tofu salad Green Bean Salad Tomato salad Sweet potato salad