Cauliflower, Pomegranate & Pistachio Salad

Hello friends! This is my first recipe post in the new 2019, so happy NEW YEAR to each and every one of you lovely people. Thank you all for sticking around, it means the world to me x

There is no time to waste, I have about an hour while Ema is with her father to finally write this down and share with you this amazing Ottolenghi’s cauliflower salad! But first, let’s just have a moment to appreciate chef Yotam and his wonderful, super creative salads and veggie dishes! Are you a fan too? Have you been to any of his restaurants yet? If not, you definitely should if you live near one, but even if you don’t you can all follow his recipes and cook some amazing, healthy dishes at home. Try cooking regular veggies like carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes…in a totally new way, combining spices you’d probably never use on your own. This is just one of his great recipes, and even if you are not the biggest fan of cauliflower (which I’m certainly not haha) the end result is the tastiest cauliflower dish ever! Trust me on this, get all the ingredients from the list and start cooking.

The original recipe is slightly changed to my taste and to serve two people. You can always add more or fewer herbs, more cumin, extra lemon juice etc. This salad works great as a main or as a side dish for lamb, chicken, fish…

INGREDIENTS (for 2)

1 smaller cauliflower
2 shallots
50ml olive oil
10g parsley, roughly chopped
5g mint, roughly chopped
5g tarragon, roughly chopped
80g pomegranate seeds
30g pistachio kernels, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
2 pinches of ground cumin
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
salt

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.

2. Coarsely grate a third of the cauliflower and set aside in a bowl. Break the remaining cauliflower into florets, roughly 3cm wide, and add these to a separate bowl with the cauliflower leaves (these were AMAZING roasted in the oven), if you have any, and shallots. Toss everything together with 2 tablespoons of oil and a few pinches of salt, then spread out on a large parchment-lined baking tray. Roast for about 20 minutes, until cooked through and golden-brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

3. Once cool, put the roasted vegetables into a large bowl with the remaining olive oil, the grated cauliflower and the remaining ingredients, along with a pinch of salt. Toss gently, just to combine, then transfer to a platter and serve.