I do love a salad. No matter what time of year it is, there is always a wonderful combination of ingredients available to create a tasty, satisfying dish. Whenever I have run events like my Eat Well Live Well course, the feedback on the salads served was always glowing.
The trio of success
Flavour, texture and colour are the trio of success for a salad in my humble opinion. Gone are the days of limp lettuce and flavourless tomatoes!
- Flavour – fresh, seasonal produce is always going to win when it comes to choosing raw salad ingredients. Mid-winter kale packs a seasonal punch as much as delicate baby leaves in mid summer. Adding a zesty punch to the dressing makes a huge different to the flavour (as well as nutrient availability); that could be citrus or vinegar and even fresh, zingy berries when they’re at their peak.
- Texture – combining cooked with crunchy raw vegetables creates interesting textures in the mouth plus it encourages you to chew for longer. Chewing is an important part of the digestive process, breaking down cellular structures and allowing time for salivary enzymes to start releasing the nutrients contained inside. Modern food products, particularly ultra processed foods, require less chewing. This can lead to jaw issues and overeating; gulping food down doesn’t give your body time to send the ‘full’ signals to your brain. Plus, food with texture tends to include fibre, which helps you feel full for longer. A salad may take longer to munch, but it comes with many added benefits.
Colour – it’s been said that we eat with our eyes so a colourful salad, no matter how simple, is a gourmet dish to your brain. Colour and vibrancy is enticing and stimulating – we just love pretty things! And of course, colour indicates the presence of powerful phytonutrients tucked up inside.
Colour – it’s been said that we eat with our eyes so a colourful salad, no matter how simple, is a gourmet dish to your brain. Colour and vibrancy is enticing and stimulating – we just love pretty things! And of course, colour indicates the presence of powerful phytonutrients tucked up inside.Cauliflower and chickpea – a great combination
Does this salad fit the trio of success? Yes! The sprinkle of green from the cucumber, parsley and spring onions make up for the somewhat beige contributions of cauliflower and chickpea! What those two lack in colour they by far make up in nutrients though.
- As a member of the cruciferous family, cauliflower is packed with pungent sulphur compounds, known to have powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. These compounds are why it smells a bit farty when cooked!
- Chickpeas contain plant protein, tons of fibre along with minerals such as iron, magnesium and zinc. They’re also chewy and super filling, keeping you satisfied for longer and less likely to dive for the biscuit tin mid afternoon/evening. Readily available in supermarkets, you can go one step further and buy UK grown chickpeas now via Hodmedods – I’ve tried them and they are delicious!
Cauliflower and chickpea is a combo found in many cuisines, particularly Indian style dishes like this yummy chickpea jalfrezi. They pair wonderfully with tahini, ground sesame paste, a valuable source of calcium. As protein and calcium are essential for bone health, it’s a nutritiously sound partnership. The lemon in the dressing helps with nutrient absorption as well as a zingy kick. Every ingredient plays it’s part, working together as a team. It’s a bit of plant magic!
This salad can be prepared in advance without any of the ingredients going soggy, so perfect for lunchboxes or entertaining. Or just a tasty lunch or evening meal. It’s also gluten free, nut free and soya free, so suitable for a range of sensitive eaters. If you’re only feeding one or two people, it will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days so there’s plenty of leftovers to use for another meal.
If you are looking for more tasty salads, like this 
gorgeous green bean salad or this super summer plate of 
melon, mint and lime, then have a look at the salads tab on the recipe tag in the navigation bar here.
I hope you enjoy this tasty cauliflower and chickpea salad with tahini dressing – our guests this week certainly did! Let me know how you get in the comments below. Enjoy
Cauliflower and chickpea salad with zesty tahini dressing
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180℃
- Remove the outer leaves of the cauliflower, trim and cut into bite-sized pieces. Wash in a colander under running water.
- Tip the cauliflower pieces into a baking tin and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the top (optional). Roast in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes or so until the cauliflower is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Cut into smaller pieces if needed.
- If using tinned chickpeas, drain off the brine and rinse under a running tap. Leave to dry a little before popping them into a large bowl. Alternatively, if you are using home cooked chickpeas, these should be cooled and drained before adding to the large bowl.
- Wash and trim the cucumber as needed then chop into small dice. Wash and trim the spring onions then slice into small pieces. Remove the stems of the parsley and roughly chop the leaves.
- Tip the cucumber, spring onion and parsley into the chickpea along with the roasted cauliflower.
- Make the dressing by adding all the ingredients except the water to the small blender pot. Whizz for a few seconds to combine and make a thick paste. Add half the water and blend again. Keep adding water a little at a time to get a thick but pourable dressing.
- Pour the dressing into the bowl and stir to coat all the ingredients. Finely chop the remaining parsley leaves and sprinkle over the top. Cover and chill in the fridge until you're ready to eat.
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