Photo by Scott Suchman and food styling by Carolyn Robb; for The Washington Post
A mix of cooked and raw ingredients in this colorful roasted cauliflower salad play off one another deliciously. Caramelized roasted cauliflower offers a tender, earthy counterpoint to crisp, sweet red bell pepper; fresh greens and hearty beans, all married in a bright, red-wine vinaigrette seasoned with savory roasted garlic and dried oregano. Although it is worth roasting the cauliflower just for this recipe, almost any roasted vegetable will work, making this salad an excellent way to use up leftovers. (If you don’t have roasted garlic, substitute 1/4 teaspoon of granulated garlic in the dressing.)
Serve as a main course with some crusty bread, or as a side with pizza, or roasted poultry, fish or meat.
Roasted Cauliflower Salad With Chickpeas, Red Pepper and Arugula
Ingredients
5 cups (about 1 1/2 pounds) cauliflower florets, about 1 1/2-inches wide
2 medium cloves garlic, unpeeled
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups baby arugula
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup cooked no-salt added chickpeas, drained and rinsed if canned
Directions
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. On a large, rimmed baking sheet, combine the cauliflower and the garlic cloves; drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil, sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and toss to coat. Roast, tossing once or twice, for about 30 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and golden brown in spots. Let the cauliflower and the garlic cool to room temperature. If not using right away, refrigerate until needed.
Squeeze the garlic out of its paper into a medium bowl; discard any tough stem ends. Sprinkle the garlic with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, then mash with a fork until a fairly smooth paste is formed. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the bowl, along with the vinegar, oregano and black pepper and whisk to combine.
In a large bowl, toss together the roasted cauliflower, arugula, bell pepper and chickpeas. Drizzle with the dressing, toss to coat and serve.
Makes 2 main course servings, or 4 side/starter servings
Serving size: 2 ½ cups for a main; 1 ¼ cup for a side/starter
Per Serving for a side/starter portion: Calories: 189; Total Fat: 12g; Saturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 224mg; Carbohydrates: 18g; Dietary Fiber: 6g; Sugar: 6g; Protein: 6g
