Cauliflower Crunch Salad Recipe - Pamela Salzman (2024)

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I originally had this raw cauliflower salad at Scopa Italian Roots restaurant in Venice, California. It’s one of my favorite restaurants if you’re ever in the area! For whatever reason, they took it off the menu so I was inspired to recreate it at home and I definitely think I nailed it. Crunchy bits of cauliflower, toasted nuts, herbs, lots of lemon and a little sweet from dried fruit. It’s a refreshing salad that can be a side dish with almost anything or top it with your favorite basic protein and call it a meal!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Easy, no-cook, no-fuss recipe;
• Budget-friendly ingredients;
• Holds well for lunch the next day;
• Flexible! Add protein like chickpeas or chicken or feta;
• Great recipe for late summer, fall or even winter!

Cauliflower Crunch Salad Ingredients

• Cauliflower – is one of my favorite vegetables to use raw or cooked. This salad is unbelievably simple and delicious with raw cauliflower, which adds a nice crunch. You can use different colors of cauliflower for a more vibrant look. I used 3 different colors in this recipe – 1/3 of each head.
• Nuts – I like to add toasted and salted nuts for extra crunch and protein. Almonds, pine nuts, and pistachios are nice or use seeds, such as toasted pumpkin or hemp seeds for a nut-free option or omit.
• Currants – are smaller than raisins and have a similar texture. Either of these add a nice sweetness to this salad. I prefer to get unsulfured raisins. You can use another dried fruit as well.
• Fresh herbs – add a nice freshness and pop of color to any salad. I used flat-leaf parsley.
• Scallions – are milder than regular onions. If a recipe doesn’t specify to use the white or green parts only, it implies to use the entire scallion.
• Lemon – Acid is key in this recipe and I love combining different acids for a more interesting flavor. I used the zest and juice of lemon here. Remember to always zest before you juice.
• White balsamic vinegar – is sweeter than a white wine vinegar. I like using a white balsamic vinegar in this recipe so it doesn’t stain the cauliflower. Trader Joes has one labeled “White Modena.”
• Olive oil – use an unrefined olive oil for best flavor.

How to Make Cauliflower Crunch Salad

1. Place finely chopped cauliflower, nuts, raisins, parsley, and scallions in a large serving bowl.
2. Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a glass jar fitted with a screw top lid. Shake until emulsified. Pour all of the dressing over the salad. Toss to coat, taste for seasoning, and serve.

Tips for Making Cauliflower Crunch Salad

• You can shave the cauliflower on a mandoline or slicing disc of the food processor to prep this more quickly. The size of the cauliflower is larger than cauliflower rice though.
• If your cauliflower is huge, either don’t use all of it or make 1 ½ x the dressing. If the salad sits for a few days in the fridge, the cauliflower absorbs a lot of dressing and you might need a little extra to punch up the flavor.

Substitutions for Cauliflower Crunch Salad

• White balsamic vinegar – use white wine vinegar + a little maple syrup, honey or agave to taste.
• You can swap some other vegetable for some of the cauliflower like shaved fennel.
• Raw cauliflower – if you struggle digesting raw crucifers, try lightly steaming the cauliflower florets for a few minutes and then dicing them up.
• Currants – another dried fruit such as dried cherries, diced dates, dried blueberries. (I’ve actually used all of these with success.)
• Nuts – use another toasted nut or swap in seeds, such as hemp or pumpkin seeds.
• Scallions – use shallot

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