Moroccan Roasted Cauliflower Salad

One of my most favorite salads is this exotically spiced salad I learned from Native Foods founder, Chef Tanya, at one of her cooking demos. She opened my world to roasted cauliflower. Because there are lots of sugars in cauliflower, it caramelizes beautifully during the roasting process. But it just gets better with savory-salty bites of olives, sweet dried apricots/currants, and crunchy almonds. Despite this salad's vegan nature, I brought it to a 4th of July Party filled with BBQing meat lovers and it was enthusiastically received. I still can't get over how much I love this salad. It would make a lovely Fall dish because of the cinnamon spiced dressing and roasted flavors. You must make it! 

Low and behold below the righteous salad close up!

Moroccan Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Original recipe here

Serves 4

1 Cauliflower

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup chopped Italian parsley

½ cup diced red onion

½ cup pitted olives (I used kalamata)

½ cup dried fruit of choice (currants, raisins, dates, apricots, cranberries...)

1 recipe Moroccan Dressing *

1 cup Roasted Cinnamon Almonds (I used plain ol un-spiced roasted almonds) **

1.   Preheat oven to 450°.

2.   Cut  cauliflower into  about 1 ½ inch pieces

3.   Toss with olive oil and bake for 30 min.

4.   Remove and toss in bowl with parsley, red onion, olives, Moroccan Dressing.

5.   Garnish with Roasted Cinnamon Almonds.

Moroccan Dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

3 Tbsp. orange juice

1 tsp. orange zest

½ tsp. finely chopped ginger

½ tsp. paprika

¼ tsp. cumin

¼ tsp. coriander

¼ tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. turmeric


Whisk all together in bowl or shake in jar well.

*Roasted Cinnamon Almonds 

1 cup raw whole almonds

¼ cup warm water

¼ tsp. salt

½ tsp. cinnamon

1.   Pre-heat oven to 400°.

2.   In small bowl dissolve salt in warm water and whisk in cinnamon.

3.   Toss in almonds, place on baking tray and bake for about  7 minutes.

One of my most favorite salads is this exotically spiced salad I learned from Native Foods founder, Chef Tanya, at one of her cooking demos. She opened my world to roasted cauliflower. Because there are lots of sugars in cauliflower, it caramelizes beautifully during the roasting process. But it just gets better with savory-salty bites of olives, sweet dried apricots/currants, and crunchy almonds. Despite this salad's vegan nature, I brought it to a 4th of July Party filled with BBQing meat lovers and it was enthusiastically received. I still can't get over how much I love this salad. It would make a lovely Fall dish because of the cinnamon spiced dressing and roasted flavors. You must make it! 

Low and behold below the righteous salad close up!

Moroccan Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Original recipe here

Serves 4

1 Cauliflower

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup chopped Italian parsley

½ cup diced red onion

½ cup pitted olives (I used kalamata)

½ cup dried fruit of choice (currants, raisins, dates, apricots, cranberries...)

1 recipe Moroccan Dressing *

1 cup Roasted Cinnamon Almonds (I used plain ol un-spiced roasted almonds) **

1.   Preheat oven to 450°.

2.   Cut  cauliflower into  about 1 ½ inch pieces

3.   Toss with olive oil and bake for 30 min.

4.   Remove and toss in bowl with parsley, red onion, olives, Moroccan Dressing.

5.   Garnish with Roasted Cinnamon Almonds.

Moroccan Dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

3 Tbsp. orange juice

1 tsp. orange zest

½ tsp. finely chopped ginger

½ tsp. paprika

¼ tsp. cumin

¼ tsp. coriander

¼ tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. turmeric


Whisk all together in bowl or shake in jar well.

*Roasted Cinnamon Almonds 

1 cup raw whole almonds

¼ cup warm water

¼ tsp. salt

½ tsp. cinnamon

1.   Pre-heat oven to 400°.

2.   In small bowl dissolve salt in warm water and whisk in cinnamon.

3.   Toss in almonds, place on baking tray and bake for about  7 minutes.