Italian Roasted Cauliflower Salad from Calabria, Italy – Tasty, Vegan, Gluten Free.
As we head into the weekend, I thought we’d explore Southern Italy a bit more as part of my Culinary Staycation series. Last week, we dined on a simple Tuna Salad Caprese on the gorgeous island of Capri. Today, we’ll travel south to the tippy-toe of the Italian boot, to the region known as Calabria.
The Church on the Island – Tropea, Calabria, Italy
Calabria’s geography, with direct access to the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas, made it desirable to a number of conquering nations throughout history. During the 8th century B.C. the Greeks ruled, followed 500 years later by the Romans… then the Teutons, the Goths, the Lombards, the French, the Sicilians, the Spaniards… the list goes on. Each conquering nation made an impression on the local cuisine, giving Calabria a tapestry of amazing flavors to play with.
Calabria, Italy – Tropea la Costa
Some of the most important ingredients in Calabrian cuisine were introduced by the Arabs– eggplant, citrus, artichokes, and raisins are all major players in Calabrian cooking. The Spaniards and French brought their own influences. With all of these colorful countries in the mix, it’s no wonder that Calabrian food has so much flavor… it’s anything but tame. Strong flavors like chili peppers, salty brined capers, and lemon juice abound.
Le Castella, Crotone – Calabria, Italy
I adapted this salad from a wonderful cookbook (now out of print) called “The Food of Southern Italy” by Carlo Middione. This book is a treasure trove of authentic Italian cooking. In this traditional Calabrian salad, cooked cauliflower is drizzled with olive oil and tossed with olives, capers, parsley and chili flakes. I took many liberties with the dish; to start, I roasted the cauliflower rather than boiling it to release the natural sugars and give it some caramelized flavor. I cut the olive oil a bit to make the salad lighter, and added lemon juice to brighten the flavor for summer. The original recipe calls for anchovies, but I didn’t have any on hand so I left them out, choosing to double the amount of olives instead (you can add 8 chopped filets if you like, but cut the amount of olives in half so you’re not overwhelmed with salty flavor). The salad includes a lot of salty ingredients, so I’ve made the salt optional… taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
This salad is super healthy and flavorful. It’s vegan, gluten free, and works for both Mediterranean and low carb diets. Enjoy!
Recommended Products:
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Italian Roasted Cauliflower Salad
Ingredients
- 3 pounds cauliflower
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
- 16 pitted Gaeta or Kalamata olives, chopped
- 3 tablespoons capers
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
NOTES
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easier cleanup, if desired. Pull the leaves off of the cauliflower base. Cut off the lower part of the stem.
- Cut the head of cauliflower into four quarters.
- Slice each quarter into 6-8 pieces. You want as many flat surfaces as possible on each floret-- the flat surfaces caramelize best. Caramelization is the key to giving the roasted cauliflower flavor-- those golden, sugary juices take this veggie from good to amazing.
- Give all the florets a thorough rinse in a colander. Shake them dry.
- Place the florets in a large bowl and drizzle them with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the minced garlic florets to the bowl. Toss the cauliflower florets till they're coated with olive oil and minced garlic.
- Spread the florets out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Reserve any small bits of cauliflower that have fallen away from the florets in a small bowl. Sprinkle the cauliflower florets lightly with pepper.Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven and let the cauliflower roast for 10 minutes. While cauliflower is roasting, prep your other ingredients-- chop the parsley, juice the lemon, etc.
- After 10 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Use tongs to turn over the florets, making sure that the florets with flat surfaces are pressed directly against the baking sheet. This will enhance caramelization. Sprinkle the reserved cauliflower bits onto the baking sheet. Return the baking sheet to the oven. Let the cauliflower roast for 10-20 minutes longer till tender. When it's ready you will be able to pierce it easily with a fork.Remove the cauliflower from the oven. Spread it out on a large plate or platter and allow to cool.
- Throw the room temperature cauliflower into a salad bowl along with the remaining 3 tbsp of olive oil, parsley, chopped olives, capers, lemon juice and red pepper flakes. The red pepper flakes are very spicy, add with care.
- Toss gently to combine all ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I didn't add any salt because the olives and capers are salty, but some might like a touch of salt added to this dish). You can also add more olive oil to taste, if desired.
- Serve salad at room temperature. Italians like to serve this salad with warm freshly baked bread and copious amounts of olive oil. Served on its own the way I've described here, it is gluten free, low carb, and heart healthy.
Kimberley B. says
Amazing every time! My favorite way to eat cauliflower! Sometimes I’ll toss in a bit of brown rice pasta or quinoa for a very filling main dish.
Wimbledon woman says
Oops just to add, the capers are a must ,it’s the combination of the salt/ sour/ citrus / herbs that gives the cauli the umami bang . A classic recipe, this really works .
Wimbledon woman says
we had a street party at the weekend to celebrate the start of the tennis and as a consequence had lots of unused bits of veggie / herbs languishing in the fridge. What on earth do I do with a slightly sad ‘half a cauli’. Well after googling and discovering your site even though I only had half a cauli I was able to produce a fantastic mini side to accompany grilled plaice and a red cabbage salad. The Anchovies and black kalamata olives add a brilliant robust flavour. A salad version of pasta puttanesca . My poor hubbie; tomorrow I am off to Kingston upon Thames street market with my shopper trolley to snap up half a dozen cauli’s ( bulk buy = better negotiating on price) I can see a week ahead of this fantastic dish in various formats
Lee Berger says
Will be making this for Seder on Friday. Looks amazing! Thanks and chag samiech
Susan says
Looks delicious. I usually roast cauliflower with rosemary. Coat pan with a liitle oil first. Roast at 400-delicious and always a hit. Thank you for sharing this treat . Will have to make this week. Happy Purim.
Debbi Samenfeld says
I love to steam cAuliflower, fork mash it, not too soft, season and serve in place of potatoes. Just that easy to amazing.
Kimberley Dominique Bezak says
Loved this recipe! Now I want some!!
Sharon Moucheron-Miller says
That Looks Sooooo Good!
Wendy Epstein says
can’t wait to make this!
Donna Lawrence says
Thank you Torey
Peggy Meskin Zabicki says
this sounds so good. I am definitely going to try it.
RuthLily Sievers Scotcher says
Sounds good, love cauliflower but no capers …
Tina Allen says
Holy CAULIFLOWER Batgirl!!! This looks AH-MAZING!!
Meredith Schneider says
Sounds amazing!! I’m making this tomorrow!!
Linda Beecher says
This sounds fabulous! !
Barbara Ann Vander says
Looks so good I’ve been so hungry lately and no I’m not preggo
Heather Menges says
do not like capers but the rest sounds delish
Elena De Cardenas says
Delish
Havi says
I’m thinking about making this for my seder. Can it be made a day in advance or is it best if it doesn’t sit in the fridge?
Tori Avey says
Hi Havi, no problem making this ahead, but take it out of the fridge an hour before the Seder, as it is best served at room temperature.
Joyce says
I added some slices of Spanish onions, chopped red capsicum & half a can of drained chick peas. Used fresh chilli instead. Awesome salad!! Yum yum!
Tori Avey says
Yummy adjustments Joyce! Thanks for reporting back. 🙂