Buffalo Cauliflower Salad

Recipe from https://www.blissfulbasil.com

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 4

What a fantastic salad!  My husband couldn’t get enough of the delicious dressing. This salad has everything going for it.  It’s beautiful, great tasting and good for you. 

Cool Cashew Ranch Dressing Ingredients

½ cup raw cashews

1 cup boiling water

2 scallions, trimmed and cut in half

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar

½ cup fresh water

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon Kosher or sea salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Salad Ingredients

1 medium-large head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 1-inch florets

¼-½ cup vegan buffalo sauce (I used ¼ cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce.)

4 cups baby kale or baby spinach

4 cups shredded purple cabbage (This was ¼ of a head of cabbage.)

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

3 mini cucumbers, thinly sliced

1/3 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)* (I toasted mine.  Recipe follows.)

Place the cashews in a heat proof bowl.  Add 1 cup boiling water.  Allow to soak for a few hours or overnight. (The original recipe did not call for soaking the cashews, so you could skip this step.  However, I think the dressing has a smoother texture if the cashews soak awhile before using them.)

Drain the cashews.  Add them to a high speed blender.  Add the scallions, the garlic, the vinegar, the ½ cup water, the onion powder, the salt and pepper. Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy.  Chill, covered, until ready to serve the salad.

Preheat the oven to 425F.  Place the cauliflower on a large baking sheet.  Pour the buffalo sauce over the cauliflower and toss to coat.  Roast for 20-30 minutes, tossing halfway through roasting time.  Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the veggies. (Shred the cabbage, slice the celery and cucumbers, etc.)

To assemble the salad, layer the baby kale, the cabbage, the celery, the cucumbers, and the pepitas.  Top with the buffalo cauliflower and drizzle generously with the dressing.  Serve immediately.

**Spicy Pepitas: Recipe from Cowgirl Cuisine (Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen) Place 1 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds) with 1 teaspoon oil, 1 teaspoon chili powder, and ½ teaspoon Kosher salt on a rimmed baking sheet.  Toss to coat the seeds.  Slightly shake the baking sheet to evenly spread the seeds on the baking sheet. Roast at 375 until golden and fragrant, 6-8 minutes.  (You’ll hear them popping.)  Cool completely on the baking sheet.  (Can be made ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.)

Nutritional Information:  By my calculations, 1 of 4 servings = 314 calories; 8.1 grams fiber