Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Warm Lentil Salad & Creamy Herb Dressing

This dish is a show stopper. It’s super simple although it takes some time to make. It’s beautiful and beautifully delicious. I made this for the Cauliflower cookout in Deuber Table. Needless to say, I won!

Ingredients:

Cauliflower-
1 medium head of cauliflower (around 800g)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp black pepper

Tahini Herb Dressing-
¾ cup chopped chives
½ cup chopped cilantro (coriander)
½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 lemon, juiced
4 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ - 1 garlic clove
¼ tsp sea salt

Warm Lentil Salad –
1 cups of vegetable broth
½ cup of dried brown lentils
¼ cup bulgur
¼ cup roasted red peppers (jarred), finely chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
¼ onion, finely chopped
1 ½ tsp sherry vinegar
1pinch sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Method:

Cauliflower-
Remove leaves and trim cauliflower. Place in large saucepan. Cover with cold water and a nice pinch of salt. Bring to oil and cook for 5 minutes. Carefully remove and let it steam dry for 10 minutes.
Heat the oven to 400f (200c). Place all marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Brush the spice mix all over the cauliflower. Place prepared cauliflower in a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

Tahini Herb Dressing-

Place the herbs, salt, lemon juice in the food processor. While mixing add the tahini and slowly add the olive oil. Keep mixing. Slowly add water 1 Tbsp at a time until it resembles a creamy, spreadable dressing (about 4-5 Tbsp). Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside.

Lentil Salad-

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, salt, pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until onion is transparent. (about 8 minutes)
Add lentils and stir to coat. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cook uncovered in a low simmer until the lentils are just tender (20-30 minutes).
Remove from heat. Stir bulgur and peppers. Cover and set aside until the bulgur is tender. (about 10 minutes).
Drain any excess liquid from the pan. Stir in sherry vinegar and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Plate:

Use a serving platter. Put a generous layer of the dressing as a bed. ˜Spoon warm lentil salad on top. Place the cauliflower on top of the lentils. Drizzle the cauliflower with dressing. Garnish with fresh chopped herbs (parsley, cilantro, chives)

Enjoy!