Adapted from Feasting at Home.
This healthy, seasonal salad is packed with quintessential Mediterranean ingredients and flavors and is as delicious as it is beautiful. While the purple cauliflower makes it a striking dish, any color of cauliflower can be used. You can also substitute any grain of your choice. It is especially great with Italian black rice, wild rice, bulgur, farro, or couscous. And if you don’t have pickled onions, some thinly sliced shallots will serve as well.
Ingredients
Total preparation time: 50 minutes. Recipe makes 6 servings.
- 1 head of cauliflower, purple if possible.
- Olive oil to coat
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Zest of 1 lemon
—-
- 2 cups cooked grain (rice, bulgur, farro, couscous…)
- 2 scallions sliced
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1/2 cup parsley chopped
Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Optional
- Pecorino cheese shavings
- Almond slivers
- Chili flakes
Preparation
Preheat oven to 215C.
Set grains to cook on the stove. Cook and cool to room temperature.
Cut cauliflower into bite-sized florets, lightly toss in olive oil, salt and lemon zest. Spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast 25 minutes, or until fork-tender, turning halfway through. Let cool.
Make the dressing, whisking all in a bowl.
Feel free to toss salad ingredients the dressing in a bowl or layer them in a shallow bowl. If layering, start with the grain, add the cauliflower, olives, capers, scallions, parsley, pickled onions, optional almonds/pecorino and sprinkle with chili flakes.
