Southwest Cauliflower and Kidney Bean Salad
Smoky spices add a southwest flair to this quick and easy cauliflower and kidney bean salad It's a fun change from your traditional summer side dishes.
Roasting Cauliflower
Have you ever roasted cauliflower?
We hadn't until recently. But can I tell you, we are now obsessed!
Something about roasting brings out a sweet and nuttiness in the cauliflower that I never knew was there. And then there's the slightly crisp exterior, followed by a mostly tender floret, with just a hint of raw cauliflower crunch at the end.
So much texture and so much flavor!
Look out, because we're discovering a whole new world of cauliflower over here!
All the cauliflower really needs is a little bit of salt and pepper with a light brushing of oil, but adding additional spices can take the cauliflower into vastly different dimensions.
Our Cauliflower and Kidney Bean Salad
For this southwest take on a cold summer side dish, we've mixed the roasted to perfection cauliflower together with red onions and kidney beans, to add a bit of a kick and an earthy depth.
For the dressing, we season this salad with some warm spices: cumin, cinnamon, ginger and a pinch of cayenne give this kidney bean salad a cowboy, down south flavor.
Right away, this salad will be warm from the roasted cauliflower, but this salad is great warm or cold, making it a perfect way to change up the traditional picnic side dishes.
Smoky Cauliflower and Kidney Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb cauliflower
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pinch cayenne
- 2 c kidney beans, * cooked
- ½ red onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Toss cauliflower with oil, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cayenne. Spread on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, until tender.
- While the cauliflower is cooking, mix beans, diced red onion, and lemon juice. Add roasted cauliflower.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving chilled.
Notes
Nutrition
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
This sounds yummy! I love roasted cauliflower. Great idea to pair with the filling beans.
My true confession is that I've never been a big cauliflower fan but I will eat it roasted and liking it better every time I have it that way - will have to try out your version!
It truly is amazing how much roasting can change the flavor and texture of cauliflower.