I used to use quinoa in so many of salads to help hold them together and for flavour but now I love to use Cauliflower!
There are so many ways to enjoy cauliflower from raw, steamed, baked, in soups or casseroles or fried and here is another wonderful way to add raw cauliflower to your diet and your family’s diet.
Cauliflower is a member of the cruciferous vegetable (or Brassicaceae) family- along with broccoli, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, collard greens and mustard greens… and some other less common varieties.
Brassica vegetables like cauliflower are now highly correlated with preventing chronic diseases including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, neuro degenerative disorders, and various forms of cancers…
The ingredients in this salad are simple and delicious: Cauliflower, Celery, Fennel, Red Pepper and Onion!
What a fun way to include all this nutrition in your diet without even noticing it.
I love using cauliflower in salads instead of rice (which can be heavy) or quinoa which has to be precooked. With cauliflower you just blend quickly in small batches in your food processor and add to any salad. The cauliflower also soaks up the dressing just like quinoa and rice to enhance the flavour of every mouthful.
This salad is especially lovely for those who want more “raw” vegetables in their diet or want a fun way to “hide” cauliflower in a tasty dish for their family.
Fennel
Fennel has a faint flavor of licorice or anise. Not so much that it overwhelms a dish, but just enough that it adds an interesting layer of flavor to the dishes in which it’s used. Cut off the bulb and use the other parts in soups. Remove the outside layer and cut out the hard core. I love adding Fennel to any salad and sometimes I will also add fennel seeds for more flavour – but start slow.
Beans
Of course cooking your own beans is best but I always have tins of beans in my pantry. I like to use darker beans in this dish for flavour, colour and nutrients.
Kidney beans and black beans are wonderful but feel free to use any bean you enjoy the flavour of.
Don’t forget to rinse your beans well then allow them to dry on a towel or paper towel before adding to your salad.
Add all vegetable ingredient to a bowl then make the dressing and slowly turn as to not break the beans. I use a spatula when turning salads.
When I make salad dressing I like to add ingredients to a mason jar and shake. It is a great way to relieve tension! Use one hand and then the other to stay balanced!! 🙂 Many times I will double the dressing recipe just in case I want a richer taste and I then store the remaining salad dressing in the fridge for up to a week.
You can eat immediately or store in your fridge for up to 3 – 4 days. When you store in fridge it allows this recipe to marinate beautifully. I always make far more than I need for one meal!!
You can drizzle this dressing over any raw salad and also any steamed vegetable.
Cauliflower Bean Salad
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1/2 head of cauliflower - shredded in a food processor
- 4 - 5 cups of beans ( I used 3-398 mL cans of beans. My favourite for this dish are kidney and/or black beans)
- 2 - 3 cups organic celery, chopped
- 1 organic red pepper
- 1 whole fennel
- 1 cup onion, sliced
- Dressing
- 3/4 cup of olive oil
- 3/4 cup of (mixture of balsamic and apple cider vinegar)
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup maple syrup (to your taste). Less if you are cutting back on your sugar intake.
- 1/2 tsp. or tarragon (more if you like)
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup of fresh parsley (or fresh cilantro if you prefer). If you do not have fresh parsley feel free to add 1 Tbsp. of ground organic parsley.
- Himalayan salt to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Sometimes I like to add 1 - 2 Tbsp. of fennel seeds for more flavour
Instructions
Wash all of your produce whether organic or not.
Cut your cauliflower into small pieces and gradually add to your food processor - mix for just a few seconds! You don't want it to be mushy.
Cut up celery, red pepper, onion and fennel into small pieces and add to bowl.
Add beans that have been rinsed thoroughly and dried.
Add all to bowl and mix thoroughly.
Slowly drizzle dressing on top and fold into salad.
You can eat right away or allow to marinate for days in the fridge.
Enjoy as a lovely breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack.
I sometime like to dip my Mary's Crackers or Organic Corn chips in this salad for a lovely snack.
Notes
Beans should be part of everyone's diet from those who want more plant-based proteins to those trying to balance their blood sugar or lose weight!. Beans are full of protein, complex carbohydrates and fibre. Be careful to gradually add beans to your diet as they can cause a bit of gas and bloating if you eat too many to fast to soon. Starting slow is best and so worth it! Beans are also full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, such as copper, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium and zinc... Read your tins and make sure to purchase BPA free tins. "Eden" is my favourite company because they are BPA free and beans are cooked in Kombu decreasing gas and increasing their iodine content. Of course soaking and cooking your own organic beans is wonderful!!
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