Roasted Curried Cauliflower Chickpea Salad

The week before Christmas. Cody is on day three hundred and forty-seven of his sentence. Christmas Eve is Sunday December twenty-fourth. The unicorn cake for the five-year-old’s birthday went out last Saturday. The Frozen-themed cake for the four-year-old is in the fridge, the Elsa figure piped onto the side in pale blue and silver buttercream. The cake goes out Saturday December twenty-third. After that I am off the catering schedule until the new year.

The household’s own Christmas planning at home is small. A small ham from the Walmart sale ($4.99 a half-ham), scratch dinner rolls (which I am making Saturday and freezing), mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, the Averie Cooks lemon-butter-Dijon skillet chicken from last Christmas Eve as the centerpiece. Mama and me at the table this year on Christmas Eve, because Mr. Briggs and Linda are at her sister’s in Wichita and Mrs. Tilford is at her son’s in Stillwater and the table is back to two. Aunt Tammy is driving down Christmas Day for lunch. The Tilford and Henderson and Briggs Christmas gifts — a small tin of macaroons each, with handwritten cards — are wrapped on top of the dresser in my room.

And the recipe Sunday was roasted curried cauliflower chickpea salad. The trigger was the Aldi sale on cauliflower — whole heads at $1.49, the lowest I had seen all winter. I bought two heads. The recipe was a Cookie and Kate one I had been holding for the right Sunday. Sunday was the right Sunday.

The math: a head of cauliflower $1.49, a 15-oz can of chickpeas drained $0.79, half a red onion $0.20, fresh parsley $0.99, tahini from the small jar I bought for the chipotle-lime crema in October $0.40 worth, a lemon $0.49, two cloves of garlic free, curry powder from the rack, salt, pepper. Total: about $4.36 for a big bowl that fed Mama and me for three lunches and a small container that went up the street to Mrs. Henderson.

The technique is the curry roast and the warm-toss. You cut the cauliflower into florets. You drain and rinse the chickpeas, pat them dry on a paper towel. You toss the cauliflower and chickpeas together on a sheet pan with two tablespoons of olive oil, two teaspoons of curry powder, salt, and pepper. You roast at 425 for twenty-five minutes, until the cauliflower is tender and the chickpeas are slightly crisped at the edges.

While the vegetables roast, you whisk the dressing in a small bowl: three tablespoons of tahini, the juice of one lemon, two cloves of minced garlic, a tablespoon of olive oil, three tablespoons of warm water (the warm water thins the tahini, which would otherwise seize), salt, pepper, a pinch of curry powder. Whisk until smooth.

You toss the warm roasted cauliflower and chickpeas with the diced red onion, the chopped parsley, and the dressing. The dressing coats the warm vegetables and the flavors meld in the bowl. You serve warm or room temperature.

Mama said, when she ate this Sunday night with a bowl of the chicken-and-rice we have been having on weeknights, baby, this is healthy food I would actually pay for at a restaurant. The cauliflower is the upgrade. The curry-and-tahini combination is a flavor profile I had not used before this year, and I have decided is going on the rotation list for the next four months at least.

The recipe is below. The trick is the dry-the-chickpeas step before roasting — wet chickpeas steam, dry chickpeas crisp. The tahini-lemon dressing wants warm water to thin properly; do not skip the warm water.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small florets (about 5 cups)
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
5 cups baby spinach or mixed greens
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons plain yogurt (or dairy-free alternative)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon olive oil (for dressing)
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon honey

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Set oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Season the vegetables. In a large bowl, toss cauliflower florets and chickpeas with 3 tablespoons olive oil, curry powder, cumin, turmeric, paprika, salt, and pepper until everything is evenly coated.
Roast. Spread the cauliflower and chickpeas in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet — don’t crowd them or they’ll steam instead of roast. Roast for 28–32 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the cauliflower is golden at the edges and the chickpeas are crispy.
Make the dressing. While the vegetables roast, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, minced garlic, honey, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Assemble the salad. Spread the greens across a large serving platter or divide among four bowls. Top with the warm roasted cauliflower and chickpeas, red onion, golden raisins, and cilantro.
Dress and serve. Drizzle the yogurt-lemon dressing over the top just before serving. Serve immediately while the roasted vegetables are still warm — the contrast with the cool greens is the whole point.

Nutrition (per serving)

Roasted Curried Cauliflower Chickpea Salad — The Pre-Christmas Lunch from a $1.49 Cauliflower