Back when I was a kid, I really didn’t like cauliflower. It had zero flavor to me! Looking back, I think I just didn’t give myself enough courage to try different dishes and now I really love it. I make all kinds of things with cauliflower… soups, “rice”, roasted veggies, and I even sometimes blend it into breakfast smoothies! This new salad recipe is quickly becoming a favorite around here because it’s packed with flavor and only takes a few minutes of prep work in the kitchen to throw it all together.
While many white foods (like bleached flour, sugar, and refined pasta) are heavily processed and leached of nutrients, don’t let the fact that cauliflower is white fool you into thinking it’s not good for you… Here’s why you should add it to your diet ASAP if you haven’t already:
- Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable, which helps to prevent cancer.
- It contains an incredible compound called sulforaphane that has been shown to slow cancer cell growth.
- It’s packed with vitamin C, which fights chronic inflammation and strengthens your immune defenses. It’s excellent for your skin because vitamin C helps the body create collagen and rejuvenates aged skin, helping you look younger!
- It’s also an excellent source choline. Choline is mainly found in organ meats and eggs, but cauliflower is a good vegan source of this nutrient, which is essential to good brain health. It’s especially important for pregnant women to get their choline, as it helps with brain and nervous system development in the womb.
- 1 head cauliflower, cored and chopped
- ½ red onion, sliced
- 1 cup sweet potato, cubed
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1-2 tablespoons butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- Sea salt and pepper, to taste
- 4-6 cups leafy greens of your choice
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the cauliflower, onion and sweet potato on a baking sheet and toss with coconut oil. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until fork tender.
- Place the remaining ingredients in a bowl and add the cooked cauliflower mix. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper. Serve over leafy greens and enjoy!
Another great way to use cauliflower is to pulse it in a food processor to make a healthier substitute for rice – so it’s easy to add to your everyday diet. I use cauliflower “rice” to make a light and filling Lemon Asparagus Quinoa Risotto (recipe here) and a delicious taco salad (recipe here). I also love to make these AMAZING Buffalo Cauliflower Bites (recipe here) that taste like buffalo wings without the chicken!
I hope this encourages you to add a bit more cauliflower to your life! Share this recipe with anyone you know who likes healthy and flavorful meals like this.
Xo,
Vani
when do you put the curry powder and butter in??
step 3 🙂
I made this last night for my husband and I and we both loved it. I substituted the butter for vegan butter and added some Cholula sauce and fresh grated ginger. We had the leftovers tonight and it was just as good. Thanks Food Babe!
Looks delicious! Will you please give a kid friendly cauliflower soup recipe? My daughter is vegetarian and I am always trying ways to encourage healthy foods. Thank you Food Babe!!
Can’t print. Could you just put it black and white background. The yellow does not allow me to print. (I think)
Mary
Hi Mary! To print the recipe, click on the “print” button which is located under the picture in the yellow recipe box. I hope that helps!
Hi Vani, great blog. I love cauliflower but don’t eat it often. This is a great reminder to add more of it to my daily food plan
F.Y.I.
Were you aware that you have a typo in your blog? “….don’t let the fact that cauliflower is white fool…”. I’m sure you must mean “food”, right?
Oops….My bad. I reread this and realized I am still not quite awake yet….No typo. Just me not fully awake….Sorry. 🙁
I love, love, love your blog and recipe. Thanks for all your hard work.
Thank you so much for your dedication to make sure we are eating right. It helps me stay on the right road. However, my husband and I find curry to be too strong. Is there another spice I can substitute.
Thank you, again!
Rosemary
One of my favorite ways to use cauliflower is to ferment it in a 50-50 mix with red cabbage. Brain dead easy to make. Just chop up the cauliflower and red cabbage, pack it into a glass jar, fill the jar to the very top with salt water (I mix 1 qt. of purified water with 2 tbsp. of sea salt), screw on the lid not quite tight, put the jar in a bowl or other container (I use an old plastic cottage cheese container) to catch the overflow, place it in the cupboard (checking it to pour out overflow for the first couple of days, then to add more salt water back up to the top of the jar after 4 or 5 days), and after a couple of weeks it’s ready to refrigerate and eat. It turns a uniform pink color, and in addition to providing all the health benefits of both cauliflower and red cabbage, it’s also a good probiotic to add as a pretty side dish to any meal.
Do you melt the butter?
Hi Diane! The butter will melt from the heat of the cooked vegetables when you stir it all together.
Now I know why it is shapped like a brain, It’s brain food!
Just made this recipe exactly as is for lunch and had to post. I have to say, I was surprised at how good this was!! I wasn’t even quite sure if I liked curry, but the taste was amazing! Will definitely make again! Did not expect this to be so tasty! Thanks!
That’s great Lisa! Thanks for the feedback.
Do you serve this hot or cold? Can it be served cold?
Hi FB, I love what I’ve seen so far. I can’t wait to fix them.
Thanks for what you do.
Fabulous yummy recipe! I used organic purple cauliflower. I served it hot without the lettuce.
I’m going to make this today, however I am going to substitute all of the ingredients with a grilled mushroom cheese burger. Nah – I’m going to make this today, as described. I expect to be delighted. I will wash it all down with one to five cans of Whistling Pig Hefeweizen, being the loyal Washingtonian that I am. Happy Birthday, America. Sorry … I forgot to get you a card.
Hi, I hope this is helpful to all: I freeze coconut milk in ice cube trays; you can then transfer the cubes into any freezer recipient of your choice; they’ll be ready to use whenever you need….:)
I tried your recipe. Its delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Recipe is really delicious. Great share.
This is excellent!! I make it at least a few times a month and my family loves it. Actually, I haven’t made any of your recipes we don’t love. You make eating healthy easy and delicious. Thank you for all you do!