Easy Cauliflower Salad

Easy Cauliflower Salad is a deliciously light-tasting salad made with tender cauliflower florets and served with a zesty vinaigrette, fresh parsley, and black olives.  An old family recipe, and one we have been making for years!  This is a true and tried family recipe that is super easy to make and deliciously tasty!!

 

This vegetable salad is super quick and effortless to make once you prep and chop the cauliflower.  A quick boil to them until they are tender, then drain and toss with a zesty vinaigrette.  

It’s the perfect low-calorie, low-carb, healthy side to serve your family and friends!  And one they will absolutely love!

 

 

 

The key flavor in this easy cauliflower salad is the marinade.  For this recipe, our simple vinaigrette is made with 3 main ingredients, fresh lemon juice, a touch of garlic, and extra-virgin olive oil.

Then we allow it to marinate for a while in the fridge and let the magic do its thing.  All these fresh ingredients and great flavors infuse into the cauliflower, making this salad taste amazing and refreshing.  (It’s the best!)

This salad, loaded with a healthy vegetable, is SO incredibly light, tangy, and lemony delicious – it’s even addicting!

Easy cauliflower salad is even better when it’s served the next day.   So go ahead and make it ahead! 

It makes the perfect side dish for a buffet table, or to serve at a barbecue!

 

Cauliflower is a vegetable known to be among the super-foods.  

Another bonus to cauliflower is the fact that it’s extremely low in fat, high in fiber, and high in Vitamin C and folate, making this an ideal salad to promote good health!  It even helps fight disease and cancer.  

It’s a great way to get your family to eat more cauliflower. 

Easy. Delicious. Healthy.  … need I say more? 

We hope you’ll give this one a try!  Have a great day!

 

Here’s a Quick Tip: 

• It’s best to keep an eye on it while you boil and steam the cauliflower and not overcook it.  It can get mushy very quickly and change the texture, and ruin the salad. 

• You can make this salad 2 days ahead.

• Best to always serve it chilled.

 

* Full Recipe Below!

Ingredients Needed for this Easy Cauliflower Salad:

• 1 cauliflower, small or medium size- cored and chopped

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 garlic clove- minced

• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

• 1 + 1/2 fresh lemons- squeezed

• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

• pinch crushed red pepper flakes

• 3/4 cup pitted ripe black olives -sliced

• salt and pepper to taste

 

How to make Cauliflower Salad?

1.  Rinse cauliflower, cored, and break off the florets. 

2.  Pour 1 inch of water into a pot, toss in one bay leaf, then add the cauliflower florets and cover.  Bring the water to a full boil and boil the cauliflower for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they are fork-tender.

 

3.  Drain the cauliflower and return to the pot, cover it once again, and place it back on the stove. Leave it covered and allow the cauliflower to sit in the pot to steam for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they are tender. Poke with a fork to check for a desired tenderness.

4.  Transfer the steamed cauliflower directly into a salad bowl.   Add all the ingredients and gently toss to mix well.

5.   Cover and chill it for 1 to 2 hours.   

ENJOY!!

 

 

… thanks for PINNING!

More Tasty Cauliflower Recipes!

• Roasted Cauliflower Au Gratin

• Italian Cauliflower Salad

• Cauliflower Wings with Buffalo Sauce

• Cauliflower Kale Soup with Crunchy Kale

• Mashed Cauli-Potatoes

• Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower with Wine & Cheese

• Mashed Cauliflower

Yield: 6 to 8

Easy Cauliflower Salad

Print

Easy Cauliflower Salad is a deliciously light-tasting salad made with tender cauliflower florets and served with a lemon vinaigrette, fresh parsley, and black olives. Make-ahead this simple salad and wow everyone who tries it!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cauliflower, small or medium size- cored and chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 + 1/2 fresh lemons- squeezed
• 1 garlic clove- minced
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 or 2 Tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
• 3/4 cup pitted ripe black olives -sliced
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse cauliflower, cored, and break off the florets. If some of the florets are large, cut those into halves.
2. In a medium-size pot with 1 inch of water, toss in one bay leaf, then add the cauliflower florets and cover. Bring the water to a full boil. Boil the cauliflower for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they are fork-tender.
3. Turn off the heat. Drain the cauliflower in a colander. Return the cauliflower to the pot, cover it once again, and place it back on the stove. Leave it covered and allow the cauliflower to sit in the pot to steam for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they are tender. Poke with a fork to check for a desired tenderness.
4. Then transfer the steamed cauliflower directly into a salad bowl. Add all the ingredients and gently toss to mix well.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set the salad bowl on your counter to rest. Allow the dressing to marinate as the cauliflower continues to cool. The salad will need to cool completely before you cover and chill it.
6. Cover with clear wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, allowing to marinate before serving.
7. Best chilled overnight. Gently toss cauliflower before serving. As always with vegetable salads, the cauliflower will absorb some of the vinaigrette. So TASTE again and adjust the dressing, adding additional olive oil and lemon juice as needed. Best served chilled.
8. Serves 6 to 8

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6 to 8 servings

Serving Size:

1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 87Total Fat: 7.7gCarbohydrates: 4.7gFiber: 2.2gSugar: 1.7gProtein: 1.5g

 

That’s it friends!  Any questions?  Ask away! 

If you try our Easy Cauliflower Salad, let us know and leave a comment with a star rating.  It’s so helpful to other readers to read your results, adaptations, and ideas for variations. 

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Happy and Healthy Cooking!!  🙂

Thanks for stopping by! 

xo Anna and Liz