Cauliflower Chickpea Salad with Shallot Dijon Vinaigrette
8 colorsTHE WHY BEHIND THIS RECIPE
I didn’t mean to make this recipe - it was a happy accident. You know sometimes you make a salad and then you think, “that was pretty good” but you never think about it again? And then there are other times you make a salad and you think “wow, I need to make this again.” That was this salad. It’s simple but flavorful.
I think another reason this salad was so good is because I made the garbanzo beans from dried vs canned. There is nothing wrong with canned beans and they are highly efficient sometimes, but below are some of my reasons for trying to cook more with dried beans:
Better flavor and texture: Dried beans, when cooked, tend to have a more robust and nuanced flavor compared to canned beans, which can taste a bit flat or metallic (that’s the best word I could find to describe it) due to the preservation process and storage in cans. Cooking beans from dried allows you to control their texture based on your preferences. You can make them firmer for salads or softer for soups, hummus, and dips. Canned beans often have a mushier texture because they've been pressure-cooked and sit in liquid for extended periods.
No additives or preservatives: Canned beans sometimes contain preservatives, stabilizers, or additives to extend shelf life or maintain texture. Cooking dried beans means you're starting with a pure ingredient, free from unnecessary chemicals! Many cans in the US are lined with Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical we know is linked to potential health issues (PMID: 25813067). Since dried beans usually comes in bags, this is less of a concern!
More nutrient-dense: Cooking dried beans preserves more of their natural nutrients. Canned beans often lose some vitamins and minerals during the high-heat canning process. Now the research is mixed on this next point, but generally, it is thought that dried beans retain more fiber and protein compared to canned, particularly if you discard the canned bean liquid which contains some of these nutrients. I don’t know about you, but I always discard the canned bean liquid because I wash my canned beans!
Cost! Dried beans cost less per serving than canned beans at most grocery stores.
It just takes a little more time to prepare dried beans, but if you soak the overnight, it reduces the cooking time in half and it’s easy to throw them on the stove to simmer while you do other stuff, or prepare the rest of this salad! Read on for the best way to do this.
Lastly, you can also easily add some rotisserie chicken, or another protein to make this a main event! I brought this to the beach with friends where there were a number of other items so I didn’t add any more protein. It has about ~15g of protein per serving as is, so adding a little chicken or tofu would make this the perfect meal.
Yields: 2-3 servings for a main, 4-5 servings for a side dish
Total time: ~30 minutes (varies depending on your beans!)
WHAT YOU NEED
SALAD
1 whole cauliflower, roasted
1 large english cucumber or 3-4 small baby cucumbers, chopped
2 cups garbanzo beans (or any other white bean), cooked
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 cup scallions, diced
1/2 cup parsley, diced
Large handful of greens - arugula, kale, butter lettuce - pick your fave!
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 tbsp za’atar
DRESSING
1 large shallot, diced
1 tbsp + 1 tsp dijon mustard
1 lemon juiced and zested (or ~1/4 cup lemon juice)
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp fennel seeds (I like to grind these with my pestle before throwing them in)
1 tsp kosher salt
HOW TO DO IT
START HERE IF MAKING FROM DRIED BEANSIf you are making the garbanzo beans from dried, here is the approach I’ve found works best:
Soak 2 cups of chickpeas in water overnight.
This reduces the cooking time, improves digestibility, and helps actually enhance nutrient availability. Beans contain certain compounds like phytic acid and oligosaccharides that can cause gas and bloating. 🙋🏼Soaking helps to break down these anti-nutrients, making the beans easier to digest! Also, phytic acid binds minerals like iron, zinc, and calcium and so when you lower the phytic acid levels, it actually helps those essential minerals be more bioavailable for absorption in the body. The more you know!!
Drain and rinse the soaked beans.
Add to a stockpot with enough water that you are covering the beans by about 2 inches. Add a pinch of kosher salt to the water.
Simmer the beans for 20-60 minutes. Cook time will depend on how long you soaked them and the size of the beans. Check them at about 20 minutes for a taste test!
For a salad like this, I think firmer beans taste best. To get firmer beans, simmer them with the lid off. If you want softer beans, simmer with the lid on!
When the beans are done to your liking, strain them. You’ll want at least 2 cups for this salad, but you can either add more or save the rest for salads or to toss onto other bowls throughout the week.
ROAST CAULIFLOWER1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Chop up cauliflower into florets. Put into a mixing bowl. Toss with 2 tbsp za’atar seasoning, 2 tsbp olive oil, and a pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Mix well.
3. Spread onto a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes (or until your desired done-ness)
PREPARE EVERYTHING ELSE AND MAKE THE DRESSING4. Dice the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, scallions and parsley.
5. Toast pine nuts in a small sauce pan. Over medium heat without any oil, add the pine nuts. Stir frequently and watch them closely because they will go from toasted to burned quickly! It should take about 3-5 minutes to get them golden brown.
6. In a small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients and stir well.
7. Once the cauliflower and the beans are done, combine everything into a bowl and toss with the dressing. Sprinkle a little flakey sea salt on top!
SWAPS, TIPS & TRICKS
Make it a main event: You can easily add some rotisserie chicken, or another protein to make this a main event!
Other add-ins: Feta or halloumi would be a great addition to this salad if you are not dairy-free!
Don’t have garbanzo beans? You can use any white bean instead of garbanzo beans!
Don’t have parsley? Mint or basil would be delicious in this salad too. Or, you can use dried parsley or dried herbs!
Nutritional Info
Per serving, makes ~3 servings
Calories: 490g
Carbohydrates: 44g
Fiber: 15g
Net carbs: 29g
Protein: 15g
Fat: 30g
Sodium: 834mg
Sugar: 12g
Added Sugar: 0g
