Easy Cauliflower & Chickpeas Salad

This Easy Cauliflower & Chickpeas Salad, dressed with an extra flavoring Mustard Vinaigrette is, in my opinion, a perfect combination of freshness and lightness, with a vegetable protein intake, and a detox effect.

When the warm season begins, to get ready for the bikini test, and – why not – because our need for calories decreases, Salads Meals become my best ally. And it is also an excellent solution for those days when I too lazy to cook for so long.

This salad use cauliflower, that’s in my opinion, it is a wonderful vegetable and an unexpected ally in many basic or refined preparations. With its elegant structure, the leaves at the base and the white or colored inflorescences, is probably the most beautiful vegetable in the fruit and vegetable department.

I prefer to roast the cauliflower for my recipes, to obtain a more intense taste. To do this, simply cut the cauliflower from the center into thin slices, which I place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with oil, salt, pepper and a pinch of sweet paprika and cook until the tops turn brown.

The extra nourishment of this easy Cauliflower & Chickpeas Salad are the vegetable proteins of chickpeas. Rich in iron and potassium, they are also useful for lowering cholesterol and losing weight. Very nutritious, with low calories, chickpeas strengthen bones.

As an extra touch, I add at the end a handful of mixed seeds (mostly flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds that are my favorites) which together with the salad give an exceptional crispy sensation.

Lastly, an honorable mention goes to my “Mustard Vinaigrette Sauce“. I have been using it for years because it adds a sour note to the taste of the cauliflower and chickpea salad. It is a very simple and quick to prepare sauce, which you can enrich with many variations and with the spices you like best, to completely transform your dishes.

This easy cauliflower & chickpeas salad is excellent to be used both as a main dish and as a side dish for a delicious summer dinner.

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Yield: 3

Cauliflower & Chickpeas Easy Salad

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This Easy Cauliflower & Chickpeas Salad, dressed with an extra flavoring Mustard Vinaigrette is, in my opinion, a perfect combination of freshness and lightness, with a vegetable protein intake, and a detox effect.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 5 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 500 g mixed salad
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 1/2 cauliflower
• 300 gr pre-cooked chickpeas
• mixed seeds

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE

• 4 sp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 2 sp mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1 pinch of pepper
• 1 splash of lemon
• 1 sprig of thyme

Instructions

FIRST LET'S PREPARE OUR MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

Take a container with high sides and pour the mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper into it.

With the help of a whisk or with an immersion blender, mix the ingredients.

Squeeze the lemon into the liquid and then, still whipping, slowly pour the oil.

Add the shredded thyme to the final.

AND NOW THE SALAD

1. Wash and dry the salad and pour it into a large bowl.
2. Wash and dry the tomatoes, then cut them into wedges and remove the seeds. Put tomatoes on a plate with a little salt to make them lose the excess of water, then add them to the salad.
3. As for cauliflower, wash it and cut it into thin slices vertically and sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt.
4. You can cook them either in the oven at 170° on an oiled oven plate for about 20 mins, or in an oiled pan for about 4 minutes per side.
5. Once cauliflower is cooked combine them with the salad.
6. Add on the well-drained and rinsed boiled chickpeas.
7. Then sprinkle with a little mixed seeds and season with plenty of mustard vinaigrette.

Notes

For this recipe I like to use honey mustard which gives a bittersweet note. Alternatively, you can use the mustard you prefer, but prefer a not too strong one otherwise it will cover the other flavors

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

3

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 403Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 477mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 14gSugar: 13gProtein: 14g

Nutrition Data is automatically calculated and may be not accurate.

Check out our Salads and Vegetable Dishes recipes if you want to get more inspirations, or visit our Gluten-Free recipes or Diet Dishes if you are interested in.

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