Cauliflower Salad with Yogurt & Chickpeas
Serves 4 to 6
In early autumn, when the first cauliflowers arrive at the market and summer cucumbers are still abundant, we put this salad on the menu. Those few weeks when one season straddles another are a time of movement and change, and our minds itch as we’re pulled in different directions. This is a salad based on textures – the dense cauliflower, the crunchy sprouted chickpeas—so whichever way we choose to go, we still hold on to that as the core of the dish.
YOGURT DRESSING
1 cup/240 ml drained yogurt
5 tbsp/75 ml unfiltered sunflower oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp fermented honey, or honey
2 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 Persian or Japanese cucumbers, cut into 1/2-in/12-mm dice
One 12-oz/340 g head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 bunch green onions, white and tender green parts,
cut into 1/4-in/6-mm rounds
1 cup/200 g chickpeas, sprouted,
or 1 cup/625 g drained cooked chickpeas
8 oz/225 g button mushrooms, stems trimmed and quartered
1 bunch radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 or 2 green serrano chiles, stemmed and thinly sliced
1/4 cup/35 g sunflower seeds, lightly toasted
Leaves from 1/2 bunch each fresh dill,
flat-leaf parsley, and tarragon, chopped
Sweet paprika for garnish
TO MAKE THE YOGURT DRESSING: In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sunflower oil, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper to taste. The dressing can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Add the cucumbers to the bowl with the dressing along with the cauliflower, green onions, chickpeas, mushrooms, radishes, serrano(s), sunflower seeds, dill, parsley, and tarragon and let stand for 15 minutes. Toss all the ingredients with the dressing and let stand until the vegetables begin to give off some of their liquid and the cauliflower begins to take on a silky texture, about 15 minutes longer. The salad should be slightly soupy.
Transfer the salad to a serving platter, garnish with the paprika, and serve. Leftover salad will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. |
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