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Roasted Tomato Chickpea & Cauliflower Salad {vegan, high protein}

This roasted tomato chickpea & cauliflower salad is a vibrant, mid- winter side dish, made with minimal (and familiar) ingredients. It is vegan, grain-free & high in protein, too.

Lush summer produce is months away, but that doesn’t mean winter vegetables need to be boring. With a bit of ingenuity and (you”ll be happy to know) minimal time and effort, you can fall in love with a plateful of produce, even when bitter winds are blowing and the snow is piled high.

My Cherry Tomato, Chickpea & Cauliflower Salad is a perfect example.

roasted tomato chickpea and cauliflower salad in a white bowl

The ingredients are familiar and readily available, with nary a bag of iceberg lettuce in sight!

ingredients for chickpea tomato and cauliflower salad laid out on a baking sheet

Cauliflower, ground in a food processor to couscous consistency, provides the backbone of the salad. Sauté it in a scant amount of olive oil–punctuated with garlic and rosemary–and you have a delicious side-dish on it own! Even children who (think) they do not like cauliflower will love it. But keep adding on the ingredients to make this salad.

raw cauliflower that has been processed to a couscous consistency

Adding to the salad’s mosaic of colors, flavors and textures are cherry tomatoes and chickpeas.

Cherry tomatoes in winter? I know, bland and hard as rocks. Unless you roast them! A short spell in the oven renders them sweet and unctuous. Yum. Chickpeas roast alongside the tomatoes, becoming crisp-toasty.

roasted grape tomatoes and chickpea on a parchment lined baking sheet

Toss the cauliflower together with the tomatoes and chickpeas, as well as some chopped parsley and fresh lemon (both juice and zest). The latter two ingredients are stealth winter weapons, adding bright, fresh flavor to all varieties of winter vegetables.

Dig in! This glorious salad will add instant cheer to mealtime, whether at the end of a long, cold, day, or as a lunchtime pick-me-up. It is equally delicious warm, room temperature or chilled.

Happy eating!

close up of roasted chickpea roasted tomatoes and cauliflower salad in a white bowl

Roasted Tomato, Chickpea and Cauliflower Salad {grain-free, high-protein}

Roasted Tomato, Chickpea and Cauliflower Salad {grain-free, high-protein}

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 28 minutes
Total Time: 43 minutes

A vibrant, mid-winter vegetable salad--made with roasted cherry tomatoes, crispy chickpeas and cauliflower "couscous"-- that is scrumptious, seasonal and simple to make.

Ingredients

  • 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 small head cauliflower,trimmed, cut into pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1/2 cup chipped fresh parsley leaves
  • 1 medium lemon, juiced and zest grated

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arange the cherry tomatoes on one side of sheet and the chickpeas on the other. Drizzle the tomatoes and chickpeas with 1 teaspoon olive oil each; use your hands to toss and coat. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt.
  3. Roast for 19 to 23 minutes until chickpeas are browned and tomatoes are bursting. Cool slightly or entirely.
  4. Working in batches, process the cauliflower in a food processor until the pieces have the texture of rice or couscous.
  5. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the caulfower, garlic and rosemary. Cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a large bowl.
  6. Add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, tomatoes and chickpeas to the cauliflower, gently tossing to combine. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve slightly warm, room temperature or chilled.

Notes

Storage: Store the cooled salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Rosemary Options: 1 teaspoon of dried, crumbled rosemary or Italian dried herbs can be used in place of the fresh rosemary.

Oil Options: Feel free to substitute the oil of your choice for the olive oil.

Garlic Options: 1 teaspoon of garlic powder can be used in place of the minced garlic.

Nutrition Information
Serving Size 1/4 of recipe
Amount Per Serving Calories 169Total Fat 4.9gSaturated Fat 0.7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 294.3mgCarbohydrates 27.3gFiber 9.6gSugar 4gProtein 9.5g

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Xena

Thursday 14th of February 2019

Thanks so much for your prompt reply and adding the instructions for making the cauli couscous.. Made this and was absolutely delicious and easy to make. In fact, making it again this week! We loved it!!

Camilla

Wednesday 8th of January 2020

Wonderful, Xena!!!

Xena

Friday 8th of February 2019

Hi - this look great but I think the instructions for making the cauliflower couscous are missing. Do you process it first before cooking it in the frying pan with the rosemary and garlic? This wasn't clear in the directions. Please clarify when you get a moment - thanks!

Camilla

Friday 8th of February 2019

Oh my goodness, thank you Xena! Instructions have been added. :)

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