Cauliflower Salad with Pickled Grapes, Cheddar and Almonds

i wish i could make people care. there are some friendships where i found myself instigating all of the time. one friendship in particular: we’d get dinner or food, and then i’d suggest something else - an activity, or dessert, or something. and they’d say no.

every. single. time.

i’d understand if you were tired one day or if you had a midterm to study for once in a while. but do you not care about spending time with me? i can’t see myself keeping up this friendship post college, especially since there’s a good chance we won’t be geographically close to each other.

same goes for finding the new board for the club i'm president of. my term ends in a month, and we were looking for a new president and vp amongst the current board members who aren’t graduating. no one was willing to become president, and they were all waiting for someone else to do it. do you not care about how this club fares? (i’m also in general annoyed about the lack of initiative).

ugh.

anyways, how about some cauliflower salad with pickled grapes, cheddar and almonds?

my family was a little bit weary of this one (i grew up eating vegetables sauteed with a bit of garlic and salt and that's about it), but i convinced them to care. or you know, the tender cauliflower, juicy sweet grapes, salty sharp cheese, creamy olive oil and yogurt, and crunchy raw cauliflower and almonds convinced them. same thing.

if you for some reason have too much cauliflower languishing in your kitchen, how about this whole roasted cauliflower (it has crispy potatoes!!)?

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Cauliflower Salad with Pickled Grapes, Cheddar and Almonds

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

1 hr 10 mins

 

This cauliflower salad with pickled grapes, cheddar and almonds is a delicious warm side dish that hits all the sweet, tangy, nutty, cheesy notes you're craving.

Course: Lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 410 kcal

Ingredients

Pickled Raisins and Grapes

• ½ cup raisins
• ¾ cup white wine vinegar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 ½ tsps kosher salt
• 2 cups halved green grapes

Roasted Cauliflower

• 2 heads cauliflower
• 2 T lemon juice
• ¾ cup crumbled sharp white cheddar cheese

Vinaigrette

• 1 T white wine vinegar
• 2 T lemon juice
• 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ cup walnut or olive oil
• 1 teaspoon crème fraîche, sour cream, or Greek yogurt

Assembly

• ¾ cup crumbled sharp white cheddar cheese
• ½ cup toasted slivered almonds

Instructions

Pickled Grapes and Raisins

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the raisins, vinegar, bay leaf and salt. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until the brine has reduced slightly.

2. Place half of the grapes in a heatproof bowl. Add the hot brine and raisins. Cool completely to room temperature.

Roasted Cauliflower

1. Cut 1 ½ heads of cauliflower into small-ish florets. Toss the florets, oil and plenty of salt. Spread on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Roast at 425F for about 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the cauliflower is crispy-skinned and browned. Alternatively, you can pan-sear the cauliflower (this works well if you're running short on time).

2. Add 2 T lemon juice to the cauliflower on the baking sheets and half of the cheese, distributing among both pans. Bake for 5 to 7 more minutes, until cheese has melted.
3. Remove cauliflower from the oven and immediately stir it with the cheese so that the florets are coated and almost no cheese streaks remain on the parchment (don't allow the cheese to congeal!).

Vinaigrette

1. Mix 2 T lemon juice with 1 T vinegar. Whisk in mustard. While whisking constantly, slowly pour in the oil. When your mixture is creamy and emulsified, whisk in the crème fraîche. Season with salt.

Assembly

1. To a large serving bowl, add the remaining grapes and cheese. Shave the remaining cauliflower on a mandoline into the bowl. Add the roasted cauliflower. Strain the pickled raisins and grapes (you can reserve the liquid to make salad dressing in the future!) and add them to the bowl. Add the almonds and mix it all together. Dress the salad with the vinaigrette, going slowly as to not overdress. Serve warm.

Recipe Notes

Adapted slightly from Sarah Jampel via Food52.