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Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpea, and Golden Beet Salad (served with a choice of no-oil dressing)
Susan
Susan brought this stunningly beautiful as well as delicious salad to the Spring, 2017 potluck in Portland.
Salad Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
2-3 golden beets, diced (If beets are large, use two; if small, three. If the beets had their greens attached, consider chopping and adding them to the salad.)
1½ cup cooked chickpeas or 1 can (14 oz.), drained and rinsed
½ tablespoon olive oil
small handful cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
470 ml2 cups (1½ oz or 45g) arugula, baby greens, or chopped beet greens
½ cup (1 oz or 32g) chopped parsley
garlic powder, to taste
salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
1-2 tablespoons pepitas (pumpkin seeds), for garnish
chopped avocado, for garnish
Sumac* Dressing Ingredients
30 ml2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
15 ml1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 heaping teaspoon sumac, or more as desired
Spicy Chipotle Dressing Ingredients
240 ml1 cup unsweetened non-diary milk
15 ml1 tablespoon chia seeds (or ground flax seeds)
3 sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil) or 2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 small clove garlic
1 date, pitted (or sweetener of choice)
5 ml1 teaspoon miso paste
30 ml2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
15 ml1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon agave nectar
¼ to ½ teaspoon chipotle powder
¼ tsp ground cumin
water, as needed
Salad Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper, or oil lightly.
2. To avoid having the beets bleed onto the cauliflower, place them in two separate bowls and divide the chickpeas evenly between the two. Divide the olive oil between the two bowls and toss with your hands to coat the vegetables.
3. Separate the beets and cauliflower, each on one half of the baking sheet. The cauliflower should be set with the cut side down. Sprinkle with a little garlic salt (or mineral salt and dash or two of garlic powder). Place baking sheet on the middle rack and roast for 40 minutes, stirring half way through.
4. In a large serving bowl, add the greens, roasted vegetables, chickpeas, tomatoes, and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste, top with your choice of dressing, and toss carefully. Garnish with pepitas and sliced avocado.
Sumac Dressing Instructions
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, vinegar, sumac and garlic.
If you cannot find sumac or prefer not to use it, add a few twists of fresh pepper.
Spicy Chipotle Dressing Instructions
1. Pour the non-dairy milk into a high-speed blender and then add the remaining ingredients, but do not process. Let the mixture sit in the blender for about 15 minutes to allow the chia seeds to swell and thicken and the tomatoes to rehydrate.
2. When the chia seeds and tomatoes are fully hydrated, engage the blender and process until smooth. If the dressing is too thick for its intended purpose, add a bit more milk or water. The correct thickness will depend on personal preference and whether it is to be used as a salad dressing or a vegetable dip, which might be thicker than the salad dressing.
The dressing benefits from being refrigerated for a couple of hours before use.
Placed in an air-tight container and refrigerated, it will keep for several days.
Any vegetables not used in the salad can be saved for later use in a wrap, a taco, or simply as a side dish.
*Sumac is a spice ground from the red berries of a shrub that grows wild in Mediterranean climates. It lends a sharp and lemony flavor to many Arabic and Middle Eastern dishes and is also used in the foods of Southern Italy and Sicily.