Cashew Cauliflower Kale Salad

Now that we are in the full swing of summer, I haven’t felt like COOKING-cooking very much - I’m more likely to make a big batch of some sort of hearty salad in the morning, store it in the fridge, and eat it for lunches or dinner sides throughout the week. This week I had a big head of cauliflower to use up and wanted to make a chilled broccoli salad type recipe but with the cauli - it worked out great! If you’re not a big cauliflower person (or if it makes you a lil farty - I have multiple friends with this complaint lol) you could definitely sub in broccoli, or just leave it out and add more kale/sweet potato!

As with most of my salad/bowl recipes, especially during quarantine when we’re trying not to hit up the grocery store every day, you can use what you have - different/additional nuts, other types of hearty greens, etc. But don’t miss out on the tahini dressing (you can also sub in peanut/cashew/almond butter if you can’t have or don’t like sesame seeds) and SOME kind of nut for that tasty crunch!

Cashew Cauliflower Kale Salad

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 lb sweet potato (about one super big or two smaller), peeled and cut into 1/2” chunks
3 cups kale greens
1 tbsp avocado oil
1 tbsp yellow curry powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1/2 tsp paprika
salt & cracked black pepper to taste

Dressing:

2 tbsp tahini
1/3 cup warm water (to help thin the tahini)
juice from 1 lemon
2 tsp turmeric powder
more salt & cracked black pepper to taste

Toppings:

1/2 avocado, diced
1/4 cup cashews
3 green onions, diced

Preheat your oven to 375°. Toss the cauli and sweet potatoes in the oil and spices, then arrange them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast the veg in the oven for 40 minutes total, gently flipping/tossing them on the baking sheet around the 20 minute mark. You want them cooked all the way through and a little browned on the outside without getting mushy or charred!

While the veg are roasting, vigorously shake all the dressing ingredients in a mason jar or your dressing vehicle of choice. Add a bit more warm water if needed - until you reach your desired texture. You don’t want the dressing too runny but you also don’t want it so thick that you can’t easily pour/toss it.

Once the cauli and sweet potato have cooled, place them in a large salad bowl with the kale greens and toss with your dressing! Taste and add additional S&P or cayenne as necessary. This salad can be served room temp, but I prefer to chill it in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors meld, then serve cold. Either way, right before you dish up, garnish with your avocado, cashews, and green onion!

PS: I used Trader Joe’s Chile & Garlic Cashews (I’m obsessed with these things, probably because they taste like Doritos to me) and they were fab in this, but any raw or roasted cashew will do!

This tasty little salad keeps well in the fridge for up to 2-3 more days… as mentioned up top, I like to make a big batch for a dinner side then eat the rest for lunches with some chicken or tofu.