Flavorful Roasted Cauliflower Salad Recipe

This delicious, healthy, flavorful Roasted Cauliflower Salad recipe is packed with vibrant flavors and fresh ingredients. Tender, roasted cauliflower florets dressed in a zesty Lemon-Sumac dressing that gives the salad a great punch of flavor. Easy to prepare and perfect for snacks, side dishes, and meal prep.

Why This Recipe Is Great

Cauliflower is inexpensive and such a healthy vegetable. But sometimes it’s hard to be creative with these types of vegetables.  Roasting cauliflower gives it a completely different flavor and texture. Say goodbye to mushy, bland cauliflower. This delicious cauliflower salad hits just right, with tender roasted cauliflower and a zesty lemon-sumac dressing. Sumac adds a vibrant, lemony punch and is the perfect finishing touch. Fresh herbs like parsley and/or dill add a pop of color and taste.  This salad is perfect for meal prep as it gets better by the day. Perfect for bowls, salads, or a cruciferous snack. 

Ingredients Needed For The Salad

• Large head of cauliflower
• Fresh parsley and/or dill
• Capers
• Lemon-sumac dressing (ingredients below and in the recipe card)
• Za’atar to finish (optional)

Substitutions and variations 

• If you can’t find sumac, use lemon zest, an extra pinch of salt, and some smoked or regular paprika. 
• For fresh herbs, I recommend parsley and/or dill. However, cilantro and mint also work with this recipe. 
• Capers are a must in this salad as they add a perfect salty addition.
• Feel free to use precut cauliflower florets.
• Also, this salad is magnificent when made with purple or orange cauliflower varieties. (I love purple cauliflower and have a super simple way of preparing it here.)
• For extra crunch, feel free to use roasted chickpeas. 
• If you can’t find Za’atar, feel free to finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Preparing and Roasting the Cauliflower: step by step

Preheat oven to 400℉

Start by removing the leaves at the bottom of the cauliflower. Start cutting the florets from the cauliflower stalk, then trim them into approximately 2-inch pieces. I discard the core as it’s the toughest part of the vegetable.

Rinse and dry thoroughly. Cauliflower is ready to roast. 

Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. Add the cauliflower and drizzle with a generous amount of extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Toss with your fingers until the cauliflower is coated with olive oil.

Roast in the oven and roast for 25 minutes, then turn the pieces of cauliflower and roast for another 20 minutes. 

It will be done when the florets are slightly browned and tender. Remove from the oven and immediately place in a bowl to cool. 

Lemon-Sumac Dressing

• Fresh lemon juice
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Garlic cloves
• Cumin ground
• Sumac ground 
• Kosher salt
• Cayenne pepper ground 
• Black pepper
• Honey

Just use a jar with a tight-fitting lid – add all the ingredients and shake thoroughly. Simple. My favorite word in the kitchen. 

Assembling The Salad: Combining Roasted Cauliflower And Other Ingredients

Once the cauliflower has cooled, add the drained capers, fresh herbs, and lemon-sumac dressing. Toss until completely coated and serve at room temperature or chilled.

Serving Suggestions and Storage

I’ve had this salad on repeat this summer. It’s perfect with Yogurt herb chicken skewers, Salmon with garlic lemon sauce, Rosemary lemon rack of lamb, or two-ingredient grilled tri-tip roast.  I usually have leftover rotisserie chicken in my fridge and add some cubed cooked chicken to this salad for a quick lunch.

For storage, I use an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days.  Just make sure to toss the salad before serving. 

More delicious cauliflower recipes

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Flavorful Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Ana Coronado

July 4, 2026

This delicious, healthy, flavorful Roasted Cauliflower Salad recipe is packed with vibrant flavors and fresh ingredients. Tender, roasted cauliflower florets dressed in a zesty Lemon-Sumac dressing that gives the salad a great punch of flavor. Easy to prepare and perfect for snacks, side dishes, and meal prep.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Dinner, Lunch, Salad

Cuisine American, Healthy, Mediterranean

Servings 4

Calories 408 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Roasted Cauliflower

• 1 large Cauliflower head
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Salt kosher
• 2 tablespoons Parsley and/or dill fresh
• 3 tablespoons Capers
• 1 teaspoon Za’atar to finish optional

Lemon-Sumac dressing

• 1/4 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 whole whole garlic cloves finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin ground
• 1 teaspoon sumac ground
• 1/2 teaspoon salt kosher
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper ground
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper ground
• 2 teaspoon honey

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Instructions

 

Roasted cauliflower

• Preheat oven to 400℉
• Start by removing the leaves at the bottom of the cauliflower. Start cutting the florets from the cauliflower stalk, then trim them into approximately 2-inch pieces. I discard the core as it’s the toughest part of the vegetable.
• Rinse and dry thoroughly. Cauliflower is ready to roast.
• Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. Add the cauliflower and drizzle with a generous amount of extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Toss with your fingers until the cauliflower is coated with olive oil.
• Roast in the oven and roast for 25 minutes, then turn the pieces of cauliflower and roast for another 20 minutes. 
• It will be done when the florets are slightly browned and tender. Remove from the oven and immediately place in a bowl to cool.

Lemon-Sumac dressing

• Use a jar with a tight-fitting lid – add all the ingredients and shake thoroughly.

How to assemble the salad

• Once the cauliflower has cooled, add the drained capers, fresh herbs, and lemon-sumac dressing.
• Toss until completely coated and serve at room temperature or chilled.
• Sprinkle Za'atar to garnish. (optional)
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Serving Suggestions and Storage

I’ve had this salad on repeat this summer. It’s perfect with Yogurt herb chicken skewers, Salmon with garlic lemon sauce, Rosemary lemon rack of lamb, or two-ingredient grilled tri-tip roast.

I usually have leftover rotisserie chicken in my fridge and add some cubed cooked chicken to this salad for a quick lunch.

For storage, I use an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days.  Just make sure to toss the salad before serving. 

 

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25recipeCalories: 408kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 4gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 28gSodium: 1104mgPotassium: 676mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 295IUVitamin C: 111mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 2mg

Nutritional information is calculated online and should be used as a guide.

Keyword cauliflower recipes, healthy salad, meal prep, roasted cauliflower, roasted cauliflower salad

All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com

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