Stop hiding cauliflower in your smoothies and let it act as the star with this Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Lemon, Pomegranate, and Feta with Tahini Dressing.

Bird's eye view of roasted cauliflower salad on a white platter topped with roasted lemons, pomegranate arils, crumbled feta, parsley, and tahini dressing with recipe title at top

Back in 2014, I claimed it was going to be the year of cauliflower (victoriously stealing the title from kale) and predicted that cauliflower would be everywhere by year's end. I guess it was kind of true?

But I had NO idea that cauliflower would hold on to the title for so long and that here in 2019, its fans would still be crazed and obsessed. But I can't say I blame them.

While I used to think cauliflower was super boring, there came a point when I could no longer ignore the fact that it has much to offer. It's almost like a blank slate that you can mold into healthy versions of the junk food of your dreams, from pizza crust to mashed "potatoes" to rice to smoothies to gnocchi.

Heck, I've even seen cauliflower grilled cheese (please note, a mention on my blog does not equal an endorsement LOL).

But if you roast cauliflower? It actually takes on a life of its own and doesn't need to be morphed into an alternative food. It's proud to be cauliflower and doesn't want to hide under your junk food disguises anymore. Own it, cauliflower!

Once roasted, you can eat that cauliflower all on its own or use it in a variety of simple dishes that let the cauliflower's flavor shine.

In this roasted cauliflower salad, I incorporated just a few other ingredients, including roasted lemons, pomegranate arils, feta cheese, pine nuts, parsley, and a super simple tahini dressing.

How to Make Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Lemons, Pomegranate, and Feta

Cauliflower is packed with nutrients, antioxidants, and fiber and is low in both calories and carbohydrates. Basically, it's the kind of vegetable you really want to be incorporating into your diet.

But you do not have to go the franken-food route! Cauliflower's mild taste makes it great for morphing into other foods or hiding in treats, but roasting it brings out a glorious caramelized nutty flavor and lets it proudly stand on its own.

For this roasted cauliflower salad, I baked the cauliflower with some olive oil, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. I also roasted some lemon slices.

Collage showing roasted cauliflower on a baking sheet and lemon rounds on a baking sheet before being roasted

And then I arranged the cauliflower on a platter with pomegranate arils, feta cheese crumbles, toasted pine nuts, chopped parsley, and a quick tahini dressing.

How to Make Tahini Dressing

This dressing couldn't be easier! In a medium bowl, just whisk together tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic, and salt.

Whisk in 2 tablespoon water. If dressing is too thick, continue whisking in water, 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency.

Oh, and don't forget to add those gorgeous caramelized roasted lemons, of course. Which by the way, you can actually eat. I kept them whole for aesthetic purposes, but if you're going to eat, definitely cut them smaller as you dig in.

Head-on view of roasted cauliflower salad on white platter topped with roasted lemons, feta, pomegranate arils, chopped parsley, pine nuts, and tahini dressing

Though I'm calling it the ultimate side dish, I will proudly admit that I ate this roasted cauliflower salad for dinner one evening when my husband was out of town.

I will also sadly reveal that my husband doesn't love cauliflower. Which I think is a total travesty. Sure, I can hide it in other foods and he'll never know he's eating it (muhahaha), but I also want to make this cauliflower and feta salad for him one evening and have him reevaluate his disdain.

I might have to serve it as a side to something a bit more carnivorous though!

Close-up overhead view of roasted cauliflower salad with pomegranate arils, crumbled feta, parsley, roasted lemons, pine nuts, and tahini dressing on a white platter

But for me, this salad can act as a star and dare I say it, but the roasted cauliflower almost acts like meat. It has a rich caramel flavor with a little bit of kick from the chili powder, which pairs perfectly with the saltiness of the feta cheese, the brightness of the lemons, the sweetness of the pomegranate arils, and the nuttiness of the tahini dressing and pine nuts.

There really isn't one ingredient I would take away or one ingredient I would add to this roasted cauliflower salad. It feels like true harmony!

Bird's eye view of roasted cauliflower salad on a white platter topped with roasted lemons, pomegranate arils, crumbled feta, pine nuts, parsley, and tahini dressing

More Cauliflower Recipes

If you're looking for more delicious ways to enjoy cauliflower (or to convince cauliflower dissenters how amazing it is), try any of these recipes:

Sheet Pan Curry Chicken Thighs
Roasted Cauliflower BLT Salad
Roasted Cauliflower Horseradish Cheddar Soup
Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup (from Nyssa's Kitchen)
Kung Pao Cauliflower (from Woo Heng)
Cauliflower Casserole (from The Cozy Apron)

I recently visited my sister and her family in Chicago (for my regular readers who don't know, yes! They recently moved and I miss them terribly, but am so lucky that Chicago is just a quick trip away) and discovered that my sister regularly eats cauliflower for breakfast.

In an effort to "keep up with the Joneses" during my visit, I partook in this experience and guess what? I liked it! If you start your day with cauliflower, I really think you can only expect good things to come.

And now I feel bad for making fun of my sister for eating broccoli for breakfast during our summer vacation because it really is quite brilliant... Especially with a side of hardboiled egg, avocado, and everything bagel seasoning.

OK, I didn't actually mean to write what feels like my love letter to cauliflower, but it is what it is and I'm proud of it. I hope you love this dish as much as I do!

Do you have any loving words to leave for cauliflower? Do you think it will retain its title of top vegetable trend in 2019 or is there a new veggie in town about to take over?

📖 Recipe