Cauliflower, Pomegranate and Pistachio Salad

You know that feeling in those first days of Spring, when the temperature barely cracks 60F but the sun is shining and the future of warm, sunny, summer days are before you? When after months of snow and ice and cold you feel so hot that you venture out in shorts and a t-shirt and declare ‘at last’! That is what it feels like to host people for dinner again after a quarantine. The pandemic may not be over, we may not be allowed indoors together, but damn it we can sit on the back porch with barbequed ribs, nice wine, and a mountain of salads and talk the night away. How I have missed hosting!

I have become interested in the combination of both cooked and raw vegetables in the same dish, and how they complement each other. A portion of the cauliflower in this salad is roasted, and the rest is shredded and left raw. What was once one ingredient takes on such different characteristics when prepared in different fashions. Combined together, they result in a very interesting, nuanced dish.

This salad is a study in texture. The crunch from the raw cauliflower and the nuts, the sharp bite from the lemon juice and pomegranate seeds, and the rich, soft, caramelized roasted cauliflower make this salad surprising.

This dish can be prepared a few hours in advance. Roast the vegetables and set aside. Combine the grated cauliflower, herbs, and pomegranate in a separate bowl. Just before you are ready to serve, combine everything. If you have trouble finding pomegranate, you can substitute dried cherries, barberries, or even cranberries. If you don’t have tarragon, feel free to substitute basil, or just increase the parsley and mint.

Cauliflower, Pomegranate and Pistachio Salad

From Yotam Ottolenghi, Simple

Serves 6-8 as a side, 4 as a main

1 extra-large cauliflower
1 small onion, roughly sliced
1/3 cup olive oil
salt
1 1/4 cups parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 cup mint, roughly chopped
1/2 cup tarragon, roughly chopped
seeds from 1/2 medium pomegranate
1/3 cup shelled pistachios, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Coarsely grate a third of the cauliflower and set aside in a bowl. Break the remaining cauliflower into florets, roughly 1 1/4 inches (3 cm) wide, and add these to a separate bowl with the cauliflower leaves, if you have any, and the onion. Toss the florets, leaves and onion with 2 Tbsp of oil and 1/4 tsp of salt, then spread out on a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for about 20 minutes until cooked through and golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Once cool, put the roasted vegetable into a large bowl with 3 Tbsp oil, the grated cauliflower, parsley, mint, tarragon, pomegranate seeds, pistachio, cumin, and lemon juice, along with 1/4 tsp of salt. Toss gently to combine, then transfer to a platter and serve.