winter cauliflower salad

Winter cauliflower salad

This cauliflower salad is a simple, light side dish packed with health benefits, thanks to the vegetable itself and the fat-free cooking method. Boiled cauliflower salad is one of the salads I replicate the most, especially when I want to eat something flavorful yet light, taking advantage of seasonal ingredients. Try it for both lunch and dinner, as a side to light dishes or heartier ones—this recipe will always impress!

This winter salad is inspired by a Neapolitan tradition of a similar dish typical of the Christmas holidays. The most traditional version features cauliflower florets, olives, pickled peppers, capers, anchovies, and pickled eggplant and cucumbers. A dressing of salt, pepper, extra-virgin olive oil, and vinegar ties the ingredients together. Likewise, you can add escarole, though it’s best to add these leafy greens just before serving to retain their crispness.

Take it as a versatile dish: you can include a variety of other ingredients: carrots, mushrooms, onions, artichokes, fennel, zucchini, radicchio. The possibilities are endless, but the foundation of cauliflower remains a constant. Let’s say you can check what’s left in your fridge and decide!

To enhance the flavors, it’s best to prepare the salad several hours before serving, allowing the ingredients to melt together. Since you can prepare it well in advance, it is a perfect idea for a dinner with friends. It’s a gluten-free, dairy-free option that everyone will love. And it can be easily vegan if you omit the anchovies. It’s also a very good option in meal prepping your school or office lunch.

Cauliflower salad

0.0 from 0 votes
Course: SidesCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

2

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Total time

20

minutes
Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

  • 1 whole cauliflower

  • ¼ cup pickled cucumbers

  • ¼ cup green olives

  • 2 whole oil-preseerved artichokes

  • 2 anchovies

  • 1 tbsp vinegar

  • salt, olive oil

  • a bunch fresh parsley

How to

  • Start by cleaning the cauliflower. Remove the outer leaves and cut it into florets, making sure they are not too large. Rinse thoroughly with cold water, then drain it well.
  • Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once it reaches a rolling boil, add a tablespoon of vinegar and a tsp of salt and immerse the cauliflower florets. Cook the florets for about ten minutes, checking to ensure they are tender yet slightly crisp. When ready, drain the cauliflower using a slotted spoon and transfer it directly into a bowl of very cold water. This step will stop the cooking process and help retain the cauliflower’s slight crunch.
  • Prepare the other ingredients: cut the olives in two, the artichokes, anchovies and cucumbers in small pieces.
  • Now you can move on to seasoning your salad. Transfer the cauliflower florets into a large bowl- Add the pickles, freshly chopped parsley, a pinch of salt, and a drizzle of olive oil. Mix everything well to combine.
  • Your cauliflower salad is ready to be served.

Write me on Instagram for real time support!

Follow me @martainthejar

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*