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This super flavorful salad features cooked cauliflower, salad greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, and a simple olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing.
The cauliflower is sizzled in olive oil, and spiced with cinnamon and coriander, before being tossed into the salad.
Once you have your cauliflower cooked, this salad comes together quickly with the addition of simple ingredients you likely have on hand, such as salad greens, cucumber, tomato, feta cheese, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.
Ayurvedic health benefits of cauliflower
Many health-conscious people view cauliflower favorably as a low-calorie, low-carb vegetable option, and they don’t know the Ayurvedic point of view.
As an Ayurvedic nutritionist, I look at the qualities of the food to understand how to use food as medicine.
Ayurvedically, cauliflower’s primary qualities are light, cold, and dry.
Due to these qualities, cauliflower can be difficult for some people to digest, especially for Vata dosha, since Vata is already light, cold, and dry. (Don’t know your dosha? Take the quiz to find out.)
What this means is that if your digestion is weak—such as you have low metabolism, low enzymes, or low stomach acid—then cauliflower is going to be difficult to digest.
This is where the magic of Ayurvedic comes in. With an Ayurvedic approach to cooking, you can prepare this cauliflower in a way that mitigates its difficult qualities.
The addition of spices, as well as cooking the cauliflower in olive oil, balances the cold with warmth, the dry with demulcency, and light with heavy.
Of course the addition of olive oil and spices also adds plenty of flavor to this salad.
Ayurvedic health benefits of coriander
Coriander powder has a warm, spicy, and nutty flavor. It is mostly sweet, but also pungent and bitter.
It is a digestive aid, and slightly diuretic.
It is very supportive for detox and cleansing the blood.
Coriander is the perfect spice for spring when we tend to retain water weight.
Ayurvedic health benefits of cinnamon
Cinnamon is warming and supports circulation.
It is anti-inflammatory, demulcent, and also a digestive.
Cinnamon helps to regulate blood sugar and supports fat metabolism.
Enjoy this salad with …
- Warm pita bread as a light meal on its own
- Ayurvedic spiced millet and brown rice or wild rice pilaf
- Topped with nuts
- Lightly grilled chicken
- Freshly chopped parsley, cilantro, basil, etc.
Recipe for Mediterranean Cauliflower & Greens Salad
Equipment
- 10-inch skillet with lid
Ingredients
for the cauliflower
- 3 cups cauliflower chopped into 1/2-inch thick pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder (sub with 1/2 teaspoon turmeric)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon mineral salt
for the salad
- 4 cups mixed salad greens loosely packed
- 1/2 cup cucumber chopped
- 1 tomato chopped
- 1/3 cup feta cheese crumbled (optional)
for the dressing
- drizzle extra virgin olive oil to taste
- drizzle balsamic vinegar to taste
- sprinkle salt and black pepper
Instructions
for the cauliflower
- Wash cauliflower, and chop into 1/2-inch slabs (flat pieces).
- Measure out the required coriander, cinnamon, and black pepper in a small dish. Keep cauliflower and spice mix ready by the stove.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. Add powdered spices and sizzle for no more than 30 seconds to release their flavor and aroma.
- Add prepared cauliflower and salt. Toss (or stir) to evenly coat with spices, then arrange the cauliflower in an even layer on the skillet. Add 1 tablespoon water, cover, and leave it to cook for 5-10 minutes, until the cauliflower starts to soften, and the first side starts to brown underneath.
- Turn each piece of cauliflower individually using a fork or a spatula (or both). Cook until the the second side is nicely browned. If the skillet dries out and things starts to get too dark, add a little more water. Cover if needed to soften the cauliflower further. Once the cauliflower is cooked, allow the water to evaporate and continue cooking until lightly browned. Turn off the heat when the cauliflower is fully cooked. Watch closely throughout the process.
for the salad
- Meanwhile, place washed salad greens in a serving bowl. Chop cucumbers and tomatoes and arrange over the top. Crumble on the feta cheese, then drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- Sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper, then top with the slightly cooled, spiced cauliflower.
Video
Notes
Enjoy Mediterranean cauliflower salad with …
- Warm pita bread as a light meal on it’s own
- Brown rice or wild rice pilaf
- Topped with nuts
- Lightly grilled chicken
- Freshly chopped parsley, cilantro, basil, etc.
Very good…looks yummy
So flavorful!