Cauliflower Lentil Salad - a vegan protein and vegetable-packed salad with a creamy and sweet dressing. Ideal for meal prep!
I have been making this salad for a while now and it has become quite the staple in my diet.
Why have I taken so long to share it here? I was dragging my feet because lentils aren't the most photogenic of pantry staples. Since we eat with our eyes first, I put off sharing it.
I finally had some sense knocked into me and realized this salad is just too darn tasty to ignore. What it is lacking in visual appeal, it makes up for a few times over in taste.
Lentils make up the base of this salad and add tons of protein while they're at it. Carrots and onions help to flavor the lentils as they cook. The cauliflower lightens things up and adds a deep roasted flavor.
The Tahini Honey Mustard dressing is both nutty, bright, and sweet all at the same time. It works perfectly to bring this salad together, and I have to keep myself from eating it straight from the jar by the spoonful.
Reasons to love this recipe:
- It's flexible! You can swap in another roasted veggie in place of the cauliflower and even try different dressings!
- The flavors get even better as it sits in the fridge, making it perfect for meal prep.
- It's vegan, gluten free, and healthy-to-boot but tastes hearty, rich and satisfying.
- There's a whopping 15 grams of protein and 17 grams of fiber in each modest serving.
What Ingredients are in Cauliflower Lentil Salad?
- A head of cauliflower
- Olive oil
- Carrots
- Cumin seeds - we leave them whole for a pop of flavor
- Paprika
- Garlic
- Brown lentils - sometimes also called green lentils
- Bay leaves - fresh of dry will work!
- Green onions
- Parsley
- A batch of Maple Tahini Dressing
How do you make Cauliflower Lentil Salad?
There are three main components in this salad recipe, each with their own steps.
First component: The cauliflower.
Toss it with a little olive oil, salt ,and pepper. Spread it out on a sheet tray and let it roast. First component conquered.
Second component: The lentils.
Our lentils start with a quick sauté of carrots, cumin seeds, paprika and garlic in a little olive oil. This brings out the flavors of the spices and builds a sturdy flavor base for the lentils.
Lentils, water, and bay leaves go in. The pot's lid goes on and they simmer until tender. Remove the bay leaves. Toss in some fresh parsley and scallions. Lentils DONE.
Third component: The dressing.
The last and simplest. Grab a bowl and stir together all the dressing ingredients. Make sure to use ice cold water since room temperature water may cause the dressing to thicken up and seize. More on that here.
Then all thats left to do is add the cauliflower to the pot of lentils. Drizzle in half the dressing and toss! Serve and tip with an extra drizzle of dressing, if desired.
PrintCauliflower Lentil Salad + Tahini Honey Mustard
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Cauliflower Lentil Salad - a vegan protein and vegetable-packed salad with a creamy and sweet dressing. Ideal for meal prep! This salad might be humble in appearance, but it is jam-packed with flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 carrots, diced
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Large garlic clove, minced
- 1 ½ cups brown lentils
- 3 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup sliced green onions
- ¼ cup minced parsley
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 batch Easy Maple Tahini Dressing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss cauliflower with 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper. Spread out on a sheet tray and roast for 20-25 minutes or until tender and beginning to brown.
- While the cauliflower is cooking, add the last tablespoon of oil to a large pot. Add the carrots, cumin seeds, and paprika and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once the seeds become fragrant, 2-3 minutes, add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Add the lentils, bay leaves, and water. Simmer, covered, until the water is absorbed and the carrots and lentils are tender. Remove from the heat. If the lentils are cooked and there is remaining water, drain off the excess water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the roasted cauliflower, parsley, and scallions to the lentils.
- Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients and drizzle over the vegetables. Serve warm or cold.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅙th recipe
- Calories: 275
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 293mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 17g
- Protein: 15g
Stephanie | The Foodie and The Fix says
Oh my goodness, this sounds amazing! I absolutely love using whole cumin seeds and you had me at tahini with that dressing! Can't wait to try it :-)
Laurel says
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you! Cumin seeds and tahini are two of my favorite flavors right now! Great minds think alike ;)
Liora @ Allthingsloveli says
This looks so delicious, I love the combination of the lentils and cauliflower with tahini!
Laurel says
Liora, I am with you! Although I love the combination of Tahini and pretty much anything these days!
Lisa says
Hi! When do the bay leaves go in?
Laurel says
Hi Lisa! I apologize for overlooking that! Toss them in when you add the water :) I will be updating the recipe now to reflect the change.
Abby says
I did this in my Instant Pot, which would've been fine, but I'm a dummy and used red lentils. Which of course turned to mush. :\ But I charged ahead anyway because the flavor profile of everything is fantastic, I didn't change a thing. Will be delish over some spinach, rice, or straight up with crusty bread! Can't wait to make again with the Right legume. :)
Kelly says
This salad is AMAZING. Thank you so much Laurel!
Laurel says
Thank you so much for the review, Kelly!
Brianne says
Great recipe! This is the first time I’ve tried making lentils. Commenting for the people like me who don’t care for super soft textures but want to try: I added texture where I could so I added roasted potatoes and toasted walnuts on top. I didn’t have cauliflower so I used frozen broccoli and seasoned with salt garlic and onion powders. Squeezed a lemon over top and it really brought out all of the flavors! Next time, I would probably double the seasonings for the lentils for my taste.
jessica says
Very, very yummy! Thanks for the recipe. I did add a whole lemon, cilantro instead of parsley and 1/2 chopped onion. Would also add more seasoning next time. Thank you!
Laurel says
Thank you for your review Jessica!
Toots says
This was ok. It really isn't any fault of the recipe. I am newer to eating lentils and have only eaten them with a lot of Indian spices which give them an insane amount of flavor so this seemed a bit lacking to me. The dressing was absolutely delicious. I couldn't taste it as much as I'd hoped on the lentils but it really came through on the cauliflower. I would use the dressing in other recipes. I wouldn't make again myself, but if you really love lentils and cauliflower then you would love this!