Spiced Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Celery, Toasted Almonds & Pomegranate Seeds

I first made this salad in Switzerland. (or some version of it) I was visiting my brother, dinner time was nearing and I was rummaging through his ingredients to see what I could pull together for a veg option. A recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi popped up. Cauliflower, Celery, Pomegranate and Hazelnut Salad. I loosely followed it and what a delicious combination of flavours! That was two years ago and it was always in the back of my mind to make again. 

For my salad I tossed the cauliflower in cinnamon, cumin & coriander before roasting. Toasted almonds instead of hazelnuts because I always have them on hand. Olive Oil, Lemon Juice and Maple mixed together for the dressing. Lots of fresh parsley and fresh mint tossed in at the end. What I didn't add at first, and aren't in the photograph, are a handful of chopped dates. I was munching away and decided to toss some in to see what that would be like...SO GOOD. I highly recommend simply chopping up a handful and them in. I'm a fan of the sweet bite as a contrast to the spice from the cauliflower.  

This salad has Middle Eastern inspired flavours. While I had it for dinner just by itself, it would be so delicious as side dish next to any of your favourite Middle Eastern inspired dishes. 

Serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower cut into florets
• 1 celery stalk, sliced diagonally
• 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds (less than 1 pomegranate)
• 1/2 cup toasted chopped almonds
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint 
• 4-6 tbsp EVOO divided (some for roasting cauliflower and some for dressing)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8th tsp cumin
• 1/8th tsp coriander
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Toss cauliflower with 2-3 tbsp of the olive oil, cinnamon, cumin, coriander and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. 
2. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 425F for approximately 25 min, tossing halfway through. Cauliflower is done when there are golden roasted parts and it has softened. 
3. Cool cauliflower to room temp, and add to a large bowl along with celery, pomegranate seeds and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. 
4. Mix together the other 2 tbsp of olive oil, lemon juice and maple. Pour over the salad and toss to combine.
5. Now toss in toasted almonds, parsley and mint. 
6. Adjust ingredients to taste. Season to taste with S & P. You also might want to add a bit more of the dressing ingredients to taste, or more fresh mint. I like it to taste bright, with a nice crunch from the almonds and a good mint/parsley factor. 
7. If you wanted to add a handful of chopped fresh dates for sweetness and texture, it's delicious.