BBQ Cauliflower + Jalapeno Ranch Veggie Salad

I sometimes look through my Pinterest boards and have like weird anxiety over when I’m going to make all this shit. Probably a combination of knowing I’ve spent a lot of time scrolling through Pinterest to find + save these photos (too much time) + having the best intentions in wanting to make some of this stuff vs just scroll through. Point being that sometimes I get in this mod of “must make what’s on Pinterest boards”, and it was this exact sentiment in conjunction with needing to use up some leftover items in the fridge that lead to this BBQ Cauliflower + Jalapeno Ranch Veggie Salad.

 
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This is totally my kind of salad. From the two sauces - cauli tossed in bbq sauce + a homemade ranch dressing - to the generous sprinkling of everything seasoning sprinkled all over the top, it 100% reads clean out the fridge but make it what you want. And of course add cauliflower, because that’s just our mealtime aesthetic. So it’s nothing fancy and it was a truly easy weeknight meal while being a true menagerie of some of my favorite ingredients. But fuck - it was great. And a solid, simple salad to enjoy at the end of a work day.

For the dressing

  • 1/2 c. mayo

  • juice of 1/2 a lemon

  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

  • 1 fresh jalapeno, minced

  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced

  • 1 tsp. Dijon

  • 2-3 tbsp fresh dill, minced

  • 2-3 tbsp fresh parsley or cilantro or a combo of the both

  • Salt + pepper

For the salad

  • 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

  • 1 can of chickpeas, drained + rinsed

  • 1/4 c. BBQ sauce

  • EVOO

  • Salt + pepper

  • 1 bunch of kale, cut into bitesize pieces

  • 1 avocado, halved + thinly sliced

  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 bunch of scallions, thinly sliced

  • Everything seasoning (or any other sesame seasoning blend)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the cauliflower florets with 2 tbsp EVOO and a sprinkle of salt + pepper. Lay them on a foil lined baking sheet + bake for 20 minutes. At that point, toss the cauliflower, add the garbanzo beans (keep them on one side of the baking sheet) to the baking sheet and drizzle them with a tbsp of EVOO and a pinch of seasoning. Continue baking for another 20 minutes. After that time, toss the cauliflower with the bbq sauce, and. continue baking everything for another 5-10 minutes.

While the veggies roast, make the dressing by placing all dressing ingredients in a food processor, pulsing a few times Place in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.

Toss the kale with a few tbsp of the dressing. Lay the avocado + red onion slices on top, and layer on the cauliflower + garbanzo beans on last.

Lesley ZehnerComment