Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Arugula and Pear
By Lan LamPublished on October 2, 2023
Time
1 hour
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower (2½ pounds)¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided2¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided½ cup cider vinegar 3 tablespoons water, divided1 tablespoon sugar ¼ teaspoon coriander seeds 2 whole cloves 1 shallot, sliced thin1¼ ounces (1¼ cups) arugula, divided2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt 1 ripe Bartlett pear, peeled, halved, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
Before You Begin
If you don't have an immersion blender, use a blender to make the vinaigrette in step 5. This recipe can easily be doubled.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Trim outer leaves of cauliflower and cut stem flush with bottom of head (discard stem). Turn head cut side down and cut cauliflower into 1-inch-thick slices. Cut around core to remove florets. Cut large florets into 2-inch pieces; reserve core. (You should have about 6 cups florets.)
- Arrange florets in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Cover sheet tightly with aluminum foil and roast for 10 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook until sides touching sheet are well browned, about 10 minutes.
- Using thin metal spatula, flip cauliflower. Return to oven and cook until sides touching sheet are well browned, about 10 minutes longer. (Cauliflower can be refrigerated for up to 2 days; let come to room temperature before using).
- Meanwhile, use vegetable peeler to shave cauliflower core lengthwise to create ¼ cup shavings. Discard remaining core. In 2-cup liquid measuring cup, combine vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, sugar, coriander seeds, cloves, and 1 teaspoon salt. Microwave until boiling, about 2 minutes. Add shallot and cauliflower shavings, making sure they're submerged, and let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer pickles to medium bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon pickling liquid in measuring cup; discard remaining liquid and spices.
- Add ¾ cup arugula, yogurt, remaining 3 tablespoons oil, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon water to measuring cup. Using immersion blender, blend until well combined, 30 to 60 seconds. (Pickled shavings, shallots, and vinaigrette can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
- Combine roasted cauliflower and vinaigrette in large bowl and toss until cauliflower is evenly coated. Arrange on serving platter in even layer. Add remaining ½ cup arugula to pickles. Scatter pear over arugula and season pear with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine. Mound on top of cauliflower and serve.
Time
1 hourYield
Serves 6Ingredients
1 head cauliflower (2½ pounds)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
½ cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons water, divided
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
2 whole cloves
1 shallot, sliced thin
1¼ ounces (1¼ cups) arugula, divided
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 ripe Bartlett pear, peeled, halved, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower (2½ pounds)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
½ cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons water, divided
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
2 whole cloves
1 shallot, sliced thin
1¼ ounces (1¼ cups) arugula, divided
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 ripe Bartlett pear, peeled, halved, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower (2½ pounds)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
½ cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons water, divided
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
2 whole cloves
1 shallot, sliced thin
1¼ ounces (1¼ cups) arugula, divided
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 ripe Bartlett pear, peeled, halved, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For a hearty, make-ahead salad, we roasted chunks of cauliflower in a 425-degree oven. The cauliflower was covered for the first 10 minutes to cook the interiors and uncovered for another 20 minutes to brown the exteriors. We shaved the leftover core and pickled those shavings along with a thinly sliced shallot to create a tangy element for the salad. We repurposed some of that well-seasoned pickling liquid to make an arugula dressing that was stabilized with Greek yogurt. When it was time to serve, we tossed the cauliflower in the dressing and spread it across the serving platter before combining the arugula and pickled cauliflower stem and shallot with chunks of sweet, juicy Bartlett pear. We tossed until the liquid clinging to the pickles dressed the greens and fruit that we mounded atop the cauliflower.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
If you don't have an immersion blender, use a blender to make the vinaigrette in step 5. This recipe can easily be doubled.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Trim outer leaves of cauliflower and cut stem flush with bottom of head (discard stem). Turn head cut side down and cut cauliflower into 1-inch-thick slices. Cut around core to remove florets. Cut large florets into 2-inch pieces; reserve core. (You should have about 6 cups florets.)
- Arrange florets in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Cover sheet tightly with aluminum foil and roast for 10 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook until sides touching sheet are well browned, about 10 minutes.
- Using thin metal spatula, flip cauliflower. Return to oven and cook until sides touching sheet are well browned, about 10 minutes longer. (Cauliflower can be refrigerated for up to 2 days; let come to room temperature before using).
- Meanwhile, use vegetable peeler to shave cauliflower core lengthwise to create ¼ cup shavings. Discard remaining core. In 2-cup liquid measuring cup, combine vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, sugar, coriander seeds, cloves, and 1 teaspoon salt. Microwave until boiling, about 2 minutes. Add shallot and cauliflower shavings, making sure they're submerged, and let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer pickles to medium bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon pickling liquid in measuring cup; discard remaining liquid and spices.
- Add ¾ cup arugula, yogurt, remaining 3 tablespoons oil, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon water to measuring cup. Using immersion blender, blend until well combined, 30 to 60 seconds. (Pickled shavings, shallots, and vinaigrette can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
- Combine roasted cauliflower and vinaigrette in large bowl and toss until cauliflower is evenly coated. Arrange on serving platter in even layer. Add remaining ½ cup arugula to pickles. Scatter pear over arugula and season pear with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine. Mound on top of cauliflower and serve.
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