Roasted Cauliflower Salad With Halloumi and Lemon

Updated May 3, 2021

Roasted Cauliflower Salad With Halloumi and Lemon
Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Jerrie-Joy Redman-Lloyd.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(3,124)
Comments
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Inspired by Mediterranean and Moroccan dishes, this tangy, earthy roasted cauliflower salad is a satisfying vegetarian meal. Spiced cauliflower, salty halloumi, peppery arugula, buttery avocado and a honey-lemon vinaigrette fill it with contrasting textures, temperatures and flavors. There’s lots of room for substitutions or additions: Swap in orange zest and juice for the preserved lemon, smashed green olives for the avocado or kale for the arugula. If looking to bulk it up, you could toss in some seared shrimp, roasted chicken, pearl couscous or whole grains.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1large head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into 1½-inch wedges
  • ½cup olive oil
  • 1teaspoon Aleppo or ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • teaspoons ground coriander
  • ¾teaspoon ground turmeric
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1small shallot, minced (about ⅓ cup)
  • ¼cup golden raisins
  • 1large preserved lemon, seeded, halved, seeded, then very thinly sliced (about 3 tablespoons)
  • 1tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1teaspoon honey
  • 1(8-ounce) block halloumi
  • 6ounces baby arugula (about 8 packed cups)
  • 1large ripe avocado, halved, pitted and diced
  • 1cup torn fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender sprigs
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

604 calories; 50 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 29 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 33 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 15 grams protein; 1026 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 425 degrees and set a large rimmed baking sheet on the middle rack.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower with 3 tablespoons olive oil, the Aleppo, coriander, turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Transfer to the hot baking sheet, spread in an even layer and roast until browned in spots and crisp-tender, tossing once halfway through, 20 to 25 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, stir together the shallot, raisins, preserved lemon, vinegar and honey with 3 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

  4. Step 4

    Prepare the halloumi: Cut the halloumi into ¾-inch cubes and pat dry using a kitchen towel or paper towels. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high. Add the halloumi cubes and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. (You’ll want to be fairly attentive, flipping frequently, as you want to make sure the cubes toast without burning or melting.) Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season with pepper.

  5. Step 5

    Toss the arugula with half the vinaigrette until lightly coated and divide among plates or shallow bowls. Top with the cauliflower, halloumi and avocado. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Ratings

5 out of 5
3,124 user ratings
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Comments

You can easily add the cubed halloumi to the sheet pan with the cauliflower for the last 10-12 minutes of the cauliflowers cooking time! Just coat it in a bit of oil in the same bowl you tossed the cauliflower and spices in (don’t wipe them out). It crisps up perfectly and then there are no extra pans to clean up! For extra credit add torn pita to the halloumi when you toss it with oil and throw it all in the last 10 mins. Sprinkle with Sumac after you take it out of the oven. Delish and easy!

Any advice on searing the halloumi? Mine instantly started melting. I couldn’t leave it on the heat long enough to get the brown shown in the picture. Should I have coated it first with cornstarch or flour or something?

Very fun to make. Great textures, colorful, and put me out of my comfort zone with new ingredients with the halloumi and preserved lemon. A few tips if you choose to make this dish: use less salt and/or fresh lemon instead of preserved because the preserved lemon adds extra salt. Don't skip out on the raisins, avocado, or couscous for a rounded out dish. Helllooo halloumi :p

Any vegans or vegan-curious cooks out there—tofu is a great substitute for the cheese. I marinated pressed firm tofu with a tablespoon each of olive oil, tamari, & cornstarch (I borrowed the marinade recipe from another note-leaver on a different vegan NYT recipe) & then air-fried the pressed & marinated tofu at 425 degrees for around 15 minutes. Be sure to top the whole delicious mixture of flavors with fresh toasted pumpkin seeds!

Delicious!

The preserved lemon was far too overpowering for me. I would drop it to 1/2 lemon. To stretch leftovers, have with couscous.

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