Bright and beautiful fall cauliflower is roasted with a couple of simple ingredients and served with a kind of pesto sauce that uses winter greens instead of herbs. I love how chunky and nutty the cashews make this pesto, but opt for pine nuts to another variety if you’d prefer. Simple and colorful, this dish brings out the best of fall and winter produce without a lot of kitchen time.
Maple Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Winter Green Pesto Dressing
Prep Time
Cook Time
Total
Servings
Ingredients
- 2 large cauliflower heads, Purple and orange if available
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove, diced
- 1 Tbsp. high quality maple syrup
- 1 tsp. salt + pepper
- Winter Green Pesto Dressing:
- 1 bunch of fresh winter greens, such as Swiss Chard or Kale, stems removed
- 1/3 cup raw cashews
- 1 large lemon, zest and juice
- 2 Tbsp. goat cheese
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil + salt to season
- For Salad:
- Roasted Cauliflower
- 2 Tbsp. Dried Cranberries
- 1 Tbsp. Raw Cashews
Let's go
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut the cauliflower florets off the stock and into even sized pieces. This is important so they all cook at the same rate.
- Mix all of the other ingredients for the cauliflower in a medium sized bowl. Add in cauliflower, coating evenly.
- Place onto a baking cookie pan covered in parchment paper.
- Roast for 15 minutes. Check and turn pan around in oven. Roast for another 15-20 minutes or until the cauliflower is nicely browned evenly.
- Meanwhile, bring a small sauce pan full of water to a boil. Add in the winter green leaves (no stems) and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Squeeze out water.
- Place into a food processor and add in the remaining ingredients except olive oil. Pulse until the mixture has formed a thick paste. Add in the olive oil, until it forms a looser paste, more like a sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Once the cauliflower is done, place onto a platter. Season with a little salt and pepper (but don’t do too much because the pesto gives it more flavor). Top with cranberries and nuts. Serve with the winter green pesto. This can be made ahead of time and reheated at time of serving.