Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Crispy Quinoa

When you want a salad that is BIG on flavor, you need to make this Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Crispy Quinoa! Lots of greens, roasted cauliflower, the best vegan honey mustard dressing and crispy quinoa. Perfect salad for lunches or to bring to a party!

Here’s what you need

Ingredients

• Success Boil-in-Bag Tri-Color Quinoa – I love this quinoa because it cooks in just 10 minutes and there is no measuring required!
• cauliflower – cut in florets
• oil – I used avocado oil
• smoked paprika
• chili powder
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• salt & pepper
• dijon mustard
• apple cider vinegar
• agave – or sub maple syrup
• garlic
• kale
• arugula
• flat-leaf parsley
• red onion
• avocado

Equipment

• sheet pan
• small blender or food processor
• skillet

Step 1: Make the Crispy Quinoa

The crispy quinoa in this recipe is sort of like the crouton…but better! it adds the perfect crunch and a pop of flavor.

To prep the quinoa, add 4 cups of water to a pot. Submerge 1 bag of quinoa in the water and bring to a boil (uncovered) for 10 minutes. Remove with a fork or tongs and place in a strainer. Rinse with cold water.

To crisp it up, heat some oil in a skillet. Add the cooled quinoa, smoked paprika, garlic powder & salt. Toss to coat and spread in an even layer. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Step 2: Roast the Cauliflower

The cauliflower and quinoa will actually be cooking simultaneously, so while the quinoa is boiling, we are going to prep the cauliflower.

Cut a large head of cauliflower into florets and place it on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and toss with garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt & pepper.

Pop in the oven for 20 minutes. Toss and cook for another 10 minutes. The cauliflower should be tender and also have a nice char.

Step 3: Make the Dressing

This vegan honey mustard dressing doesn’t actually have honey in it…obviously. We are using my favorite swap. Agave!

You could also use maple syrup, but I think agave has the most similar flavor to honey…at least from how I remember it tasting.

To make the dressing just add oil, agave, dijon mustard, garlic, apple cider vinegar, salt & pepper to a small blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and give it a taste. Adjust the seasonings as needed and set it aside.

Step 4: Assemble & Serve

Now we can bring it all together. For the greens, I like to use a combo of kale & arugula. Add the greens to a large bowl and pour over about 3/4 of the dressing. Toss until everything is coated.

Top the greens off with the cauliflower, thinly sliced red onion, some fresh parsley & avocado slices. Sprinkle on as much of the crispy quinoa as you want and serve the extra dressing on the side.

This salad is crispy, tangy and packed with veggies. This is such a great salad for spring, you’ll want it on repeat!

Tips & Tricks

When cooking the quinoa, keep an eye on the heat and turn it down if the quinoa is browning too quickly. You want it to be dry and crispy, but not burnt!

You can substitute the kale and arugula for other greens – like romaine or spinach. Just use what you have on hand.

You can store any leftover crispy quinoa in an airtight container on the counter for 5-7 days.