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Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Cilantro-Mint-Almond Dressing

I think you’ll agree when I say that the dressing makes the salad. Yes, of course it’s important to have delicious ingredients and toppings but, again, the dressing makes the salad! This cilantro-mint-almond dressing is out of this world. It is so light and fresh, and packed with herbs so it is is very healthy! I top it on a roasted cauliflower and spinach salad with grape tomatoes, chick peas and sliced almonds. Yum!

Weekday Meal Prep

I usually prepare this salad for my weekly meal prep. A bag of spinach, a head of cauliflower, 1 can of chickpeas and 1 container of grape tomatoes of cauliflower makes enough for at least 4 days worth of salad. The salad is rich in fiber, micronutrients and protein from the almonds and chickpeas. It’s a filling mid-day lunch. Sometimes I’ll also add 1/4 cup of cooked quinoa to the salad if I’m looking for my lunch to be a little more filling.

To Prepare the Salad

  1. The base of the salad is fresh spinach. Baby spinach works best.
  2. Next, top the salad with a handful of chickpeas, and some grape tomatoes (mini san marzanos in mine) sliced in half.
  3. You’ll top the salad with some roasted cauliflower. My recipe for roasted cauliflower can be found here, but quite simply, just drizzle with olive oil, season and roast for 20 minutes at 350°
  4. Finally, top with some sliced almonds and some mint leaves broken up roughly with your hands.
  5. I usually keep the dressing on the side until it is ready to eat!

Preparing the Dressing

Preparing the dressing is as simple as adding all the ingredients into a blender and blending. I use natural unsalted almond butter for a light almond taste. Feel free to add more almond butter for a richer salad dressing. Lemon adds a slight tang, and honey sweetens the dressing and complements the mint. If you are vegan, feel free to use agave, or any sweetener of your choice! This dressing is so light and refreshing and very clean with ingredients you can feel good about!

Print Recipe

Cilantro-Mint-Almond Dressing

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Course: Salad
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • 5-6 sprigs mint
  • 1 tsp honey or agave if vegan
  • 1 tbsp natural unsalted almond butter
  • 3 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

  • First, thoroughly clean the cilantro and cut about 2 inches off the bottom of the stems. Add the entire bunch to the food processor.
  • Add about 5-6 sprigs of mint to the food processor. Pluck the leaves off the stems.
  • Add 1 tsp of honey, the juice of 1/2 a lemon, a healthy tablespoon of almond butter and about 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Add 2 tbsp water, some salt and pepper.
  • Begin to pulse the mixture, adding water or olive oil if it is too thick
  • Once dressing is blended, taste to adjust for seasoning. Add more lemon juice, salt or honey for sweetness depending on taste. The consistency should be slightly runny.

Notes

This recipe is easy to adjust. If it is too runny, add more almond butter or olive oil and blend. If it is too thick, add a little water. It’s hard to go wrong with these flavors! 

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About Karunya