Parmesan Cauliflower & Lentil Salad
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This Parmesan Cauliflower & Lentil Salad is 100% vegan. The cauliflower is coated in vegan parmesan & roasted until crispy. Served over a fresh lentil salad!
This Parmesan Cauliflower & Lentil Salad has so many delicious flavors and textures going on. The cauliflower is tossed in vegan parmesan and roasted until super crispy. The lentil salad has a tart dressing and plenty of fresh herbs. And when you bring it all together, you have the perfect bite of food. Serve this as a main dish or a side.
Step One: Roast the Parmesan Cauliflower
This roasted parmesan cauliflower is so freaking good! Make this for your non-vegan friends…they will love it!
For the coating you’ll need:
- olive oil
- grated vegan parmesan – I used Follow Your Heart
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- smoked paprika
- pepper
Add the oil, parmesan and dry seasonings to a large bowl and mix to combine. Add a head of cauliflower (cut in florets) and toss until coated. Transfer to a baking sheet and spread in an even layer.
Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Flip and cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is nice and crispy. I like mine extra crispy, so I let mine cook the full 35 minutes.
Step Two: Make the Lentil Salad
The lentil salad is the perfect contrast to the crispy cauliflower. It has some tang and fresh flavors from the herbs.
Here is what you need:
- cooked lentils – I get mine pre-cooked & can usually find them in the produce section of the store.
- shallot
- garlic
- sun-dried tomatoes
- flat leaf parsley
- fresh basil
- red wine vinegar
- lemon juice
- dried basil
- salt & pepper
Add all of the lentil salad ingredients to a large bowl and mix to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Place in the fridge until ready to use.
Step Three: Assemble & Serve
To serve, add the lentil salad to a large platter and top it with the crispy cauliflower. You can eat this as a main or serve it as a side.
This is great for a party! The cauliflower tastes great even at room temperature. So this can be made ahead of time and served later.
You are going to love this crunchy, tangy, delicious dish!
Need more recipe inspo? Check these out:
Parmesan Cauliflower & Lentil Salad
Ingredients
FOR THE CAULIFLOWER
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup grated vegan parmesan I used Follow Your Heart
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 large head cauliflower cut in florets
- flakey salt for serving
FOR THE LENTIL SALAD
- 2.5 cups cooked lentils chilled
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes roughly chopped
- 1 bunch flat leaf parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- salt to taste
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the oil, parmesan and dry seasonings to a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the cauliflower and toss until the florets are coated. Transfer to the baking sheet and spread in an even layer. Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Flip and cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is nice and crispy.
- Meanwhile, add all of the lentil salad ingredients to a large bowl and mix to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Place in the fridge until ready to use.
- To serve, add the lentil salad to a platter and top with the cauliflower. Sprinkle with flakey salt and serve.
Video
Notes
- This will make 6-8 side dish portions.
- I buy my lentils pre-cooked from the produce section of the grocery store. If making the lentils from scratch, be sure to let them cool before adding them to the salad.
The cauliflower was so delicious, I had to eat it separate from the lentils. The lentils were too lemony and would have overwhelmed the flavor of the cauliflower.
This was easy to make and so delicious! I prepared it as a side dish for my extended family of meat eaters. They all commented how tasty and flavorful the salad was. It’s a keeper! My husband and I can enjoy it as a main course. Thank you for your recipes. I am enjoying them all.
So good! Really easy too!
Thanks Hilary! So glad you liked it!
This is so good! I will be making this regularly for lunch!
Thanks so much Melissa!