Greek Cauliflower Salad – Detoxinista

Cauliflower Salad is tossed with an easy Greek dressing and loads of crunchy veggies. It’s the perfect make-ahead lunch, and a crowd-pleasing salad that you could serve at a party or potluck.

Why You’ll Love It

Roasted cauliflower has a comforting texture and neutral flavor that lends itself to a variety of recipes. Hence the popularity of cauliflower pizza, cauliflower tacos, and cauliflower soup!

In this recipe, you’ll roast the cauliflower to give it a more pleasant taste and texture. While that’s cooking, you can chop the other veggies you’ll use and stir together an easy Greek salad dressing.

By the time the cauliflower is done, you can toss it all together for a fast & easy meal.

Ingredients You’ll Need

What’s in Cauliflower Salad?

• Cauliflower
• Red onion
• Tomato
• Cucumber
• Red wine vinegar
• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Spices

From there, you can add in any optional toppings you love. I realize that olives can be a polarizing ingredient, so add them if you love them, and I also love to add a sprinkling of feta cheese to give this salad some creaminess and extra tang. Leave off the cheese for a dairy-free option!

Tip: You can add a tablespoon or two of tahini to this salad dressing, for some dairy-free creaminess.

How to Make the Best Cauliflower Salad

1. Roast the Cauliflower. Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces, then toss it with olive oil. Spread it out on a large rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle it with a 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Roast until the cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes at 400ºF. Keep in mind that the cauliflower won’t be as crispy if it’s packed together on a baking sheet, so for extra-crispy cauliflower, feel free to use 2 large baking sheets for this amount of cauliflower, instead.

I don’t mind the steamed texture for this recipe, and I prefer not to wash another baking sheet later, but the choice is yours!

2. Make the dressing. While the cauliflower is roasting, add the vinegar, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper to the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Whisk it together, and then you can chop the veggies and add them to the dressing as you go.

I like to start with the red onions, so they can sit in the dressing the longest and mellow in flavor. Next, you’ll add in the chopped tomatoes and cucumber, and stir well.

3. Toss it all together! When the cauliflower is done roasting, let it cool briefly on the pan, about 10 minutes. Then transfer it to the bowl of dressing and veggies, and toss well.

Adjust the seasoning to taste, adding more salt, as needed, as well as any optional toppings you love, such as sliced olives and crumbled feta cheese. You can serve this salad right away, or let it chill in the fridge before serving.

Seasoning note: When you add the olives and feta cheese, I like to add an extra 1/4 teaspoon of salt to this recipe at the end, but if you omit either of these ingredients, you may want to use a little more than that to help punch-up the flavor. If you ever find that your salad tastes bland, it’s probably because you didn’t use enough salt yet! But when you add other salty things, like olives and feta, you won’t need as much, so be sure to taste and adjust as you go.

Storage Tips

Cauliflower salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, so feel free to make this in advance for a party or packed lunch idea.

I don’t recommend freezing it, however, as the veggies will be mushy and watery when they thaw later.

Expert Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use raw cauliflower in salad? If you prefer to make a raw cauliflower salad, I would recommend making cauliflower rice in a food processor or blender, so the pieces will be very small and easy to chew. This texture will allow the cauliflower to be more easily coated in dressing, and will give the salad a more pleasant mouthfeel.

Can I use a different vinegar? Of course! Apple cider vinegar will give you somewhat similar results, and if you prefer to use lemon juice, you could use 3 to 4 tablespoons of lemon juice to replace the vinegar.

Can I omit the oil? The oil helps the dressing “stick” to the veggies, but you could swap it for a couple tablespoons of tahini or almond butter, instead. Be sure to use a nut or seed butter that has no added oil, if you’re trying to achieve an oil-free recipe. You can dry-roast the cauliflower to keep it oil-free, or simply steam it on the stove top instead.

How to make it more filling? You can add a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas to this recipe, for extra protein and fiber in each bite! Or, feel free to top it with your favorite cooked protein, like chicken, fish, or baked tofu.

Can I make it oil-free? Yes. You can dry-roast the cauliflower instead of tossing it in olive oil, or you can steam it on the stove top instead. For the dressing, replace the oil with 2 tablespoons of tahini or almond butter, instead. Be sure to use a nut or seed butter with no added oil, to keep it oil-free.

I hope you’ll enjoy this cauliflower salad as much as I do!

If you try this Cauliflower Salad, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how you like it!

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