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Cauliflower Salad with Apricots and Hazelnuts

By Morgan Bolling

Published on January 29, 2019

Time

1 hour

Yield

Serves 4

Cauliflower Salad with Apricots and Hazelnuts

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower (2 pounds)5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided1 ¼ teaspoons table salt, divided1 teaspoon pepper, divided⅓ cup dried chopped apricots 1 shallot, minced1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice½ teaspoon smoked paprika 1 cup fresh parsley leaves ½ cup fresh mint leaves ¼ cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and chopped

Before You Begin

When shopping, look for cauliflower with no leaves attached to the base of the head. Alternatively, if you can find only cauliflower with many leaves still attached, buy a slightly larger head (about 2¼ pounds). Kitchen shears make easy work of cutting the cauliflower florets away from the core, but you can use a paring knife if you prefer. For the best results, be sure to use a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil here. Toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until browned and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Trim outer leaves from cauliflower and cut stem flush with bottom of head. Flip cauliflower stem side up. Using kitchen shears, cut around stem and core to remove large florets. Chop core coarse and set aside. Cut florets through stems into 1-inch pieces (you should have about 6 cups florets).
  2. Toss florets, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet and roast until florets are tender and browned on bottoms, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, combine apricots, shallot, lemon zest and juice, paprika, remaining ¼ cup oil, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper in large bowl; set aside.
  4. Transfer core to food processor and process until finely chopped, 10 to 20 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed; transfer to bowl with dressing. Add parsley and mint to now-empty processor and pulse until coarsely chopped, 5 to 7 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed; transfer to bowl with dressing.
  5. Add florets and hazelnuts to bowl with dressing mixture and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to platter and serve.
Cauliflower Salad with Apricots and Hazelnuts
Photography by Keller + Keller. Styling by Catrine Kelty.

Cauliflower Salad with Apricots and Hazelnuts

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Time

1 hour

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower (2 pounds)
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 ¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
1 teaspoon pepper, divided
⅓ cup dried chopped apricots
1 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
½ cup fresh mint leaves
¼ cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and chopped

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower (2 pounds)
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 ¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
1 teaspoon pepper, divided
⅓ cup dried chopped apricots
1 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
½ cup fresh mint leaves
¼ cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and chopped

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower (2 pounds)
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 ¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
1 teaspoon pepper, divided
⅓ cup dried chopped apricots
1 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
½ cup fresh mint leaves
¼ cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and chopped

Why This Recipe Works

Cauliflower's delicate flavor makes it an ideal canvas for a vibrant, fresh salad. We started by roasting florets from one head of cauliflower until caramelized. Instead of discarding the core, we blitzed it in the food processor and added it to the salad for a contrasting grain-like texture. A quick lemon vinaigrette and lots of chopped parsley and mint made this salad bright. To play up the cauliflower's natural sweetness, we stirred in a sweet and savory mix of minced shallot and chopped apricots. Smoked paprika added complex, earthy flavor, and toasted hazelnuts provided a light crunch.

Before You Begin

When shopping, look for cauliflower with no leaves attached to the base of the head. Alternatively, if you can find only cauliflower with many leaves still attached, buy a slightly larger head (about 2¼ pounds). Kitchen shears make easy work of cutting the cauliflower florets away from the core, but you can use a paring knife if you prefer. For the best results, be sure to use a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil here. Toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until browned and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Trim outer leaves from cauliflower and cut stem flush with bottom of head. Flip cauliflower stem side up. Using kitchen shears, cut around stem and core to remove large florets. Chop core coarse and set aside. Cut florets through stems into 1-inch pieces (you should have about 6 cups florets).
  2. Toss florets, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet and roast until florets are tender and browned on bottoms, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, combine apricots, shallot, lemon zest and juice, paprika, remaining ¼ cup oil, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper in large bowl; set aside.
  4. Transfer core to food processor and process until finely chopped, 10 to 20 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed; transfer to bowl with dressing. Add parsley and mint to now-empty processor and pulse until coarsely chopped, 5 to 7 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed; transfer to bowl with dressing.
  5. Add florets and hazelnuts to bowl with dressing mixture and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to platter and serve.

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