BBQ Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Jalapeño Ranch Salad
— GF — DF — V — VG —
After harvesting an abundance of overwintered cauliflower last week, so I knew this month’s recipe would highlight this versatile vegetable. Roasting transforms cauliflower, bringing out its naturally smoky, nutty, and buttery notes. To lean into the unseasonably summer weather, I amped up the smokiness by smothering it in my favourite BBQ sauce. This vegan recipe hits every note — tangy, crunchy, creamy, and spicy!
INGREDIENTS
Jalapeño Ranch:
½ cup of raw cashews (soaked for at least 4 hours then drained) (or sub mayo)
¼ cup of water (omit if using mayo)
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
4-6 rings of pickled jalapeños, finely chopped
splash of pickled jalapeño brine
1 garlic clove, crushed
4-5 springs of chives, finely chopped
salt & pepper to taste
Roasted Cauliflower:
1 med-lrg cauliflower, broken into bite sized florets
1 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to tase
1 cup of BBQ sauce
Roasted Chickpeas:
2 cup of cooked chickpeas
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
salt & pepper to taste
Salad:
lettuce of choice and/or kale, chopped
other ideas: diced tomatoes, sliced red onion or pickled red onion, cucumbers
INSTRUCTIONS
(1) Preheat oven at 450°F.
(2) Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
(3) Cut or break cauliflower up into bite sized chunks. Toss in olive oil. Evenly distribute the cauliflower over the two lined baking sheets. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.
(4) Make dressing while cauliflower is in the oven. If doing the vegan option with soaked raw cashews, put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add in finely chopped chives.
(5) Put cooked chickpeas (ensure they aren’t too wet - dab with paper towel/kitchen towel to dry) another baking sheet and toss with olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper. Put in oven for 15-20 minutes - depending on desired crispiness.
(5) After cauliflower has been roasting for 20 minutes, take out and toss the cauliflower with BBQ sauce with tongs. You might need to wait a bit for them to cool off. I typically just do this right on the baking sheet, but you can also transfer to a mixing bowl to ensure cauliflower is evenly coated. Put back in the oven for another 15 minutes.
(6) In a large bowl, add washed and chopped lettuce, tomatoes, red onions and any other desired toppings.
(7) Once the cauliflower and chickpeas have cooled slightly, add to bowl and drizzle with jalapeño ranch dressing. Enjoy!
Adapted from The First Mess’s recipe.