Roasted Cauliflower and Spiced Chickpea Salad

This may sound weird, but one of my son’s favorite, go-to snacks are chickpeas. Sauteed in a splash of olive oil and add salt, pepper, cumin, paprika and turmeric. And I say weird because that’s not exactly what you would expect from a 15 year old, super-active-always-hungry teenage boy. Especially considering most kids his age don’t even know what an avocado is, or have ever seen potato unless it’s in French fry form!

I’ve mentioned before how he has developed a pretty sophisticated palate and won’t eat just anything anymore. He has even started to cook on his own a little bit, and he’s quite good at it!

Together we came up with this salad, using some of his favorite ingredients: caramelized, tender roasted cauliflower, peppery arugula, sweet and sour pomegranate seeds and, of course, spiced chickpeas. And to bring it all together, a creamy, slightly spicy tahini dressing.

Do you have a healthy go-to meal that your kids love? Share it with us! Post a comment or  take a picture and tag us @mayihavethatrecipe on Instagram. We would love to hear about it!

Roasted Cauliflower and Spiced Chickpea Salad

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★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews

• Author: https://mayihavethatrecipe.com
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Yield: 2-4
• Category: Salad
• Cuisine: Kosher / Vegan

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Ingredients

• For the roasted cauliflower:
• 1 medium cauliflower head, washed and cut into small florets
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• For the spiced chickpeas:
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1- 15oz can chickpeas, drained
• 5 oz baby arugula or any other salad of your choice, thoroughly washed and dried
• 1 1/2 cups pomegranates seeds ( about 1 small pomegranate)
• 2 tbsp roasted and salted almonds, chopped
• For the dressing:
• ½ cup + 2 tbsp tahini
• ¼ cup + 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ cup + 2 tbsp lukewarm water
• ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp green dragon sauce (optional)

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven at 400F
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place cauliflower on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss well until well coated. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender. Set aside
3. In a small bowl, combine sweet paprika, cumin, turmeric, salt and black pepper. Heat olive oil in a large non stick skillet. Add chickpeas and spices and toss gently, so the chickpeas are well coated with oil and spices. Cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Set aside
4. To prepare the dressing, whisk together tahini and lemon juice ( the mix will thicken). Slowly whisk in water and salt, until well incorporated. Add rice vinegar, maple syrup and green dragon sauce (if using) and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use
5. Divide baby arugula into 2 large salad plates or bowls ( or 1 if you’re sharing the salad). Top each plate with warm cauliflower and chickpeas. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and almonds
6. Add Tahini dressing to taste.

Notes

Extra dressing can be kept in the fridge for up to a week