Have you ever tried a grated cauliflower salad? No cooking required! Serve this as a vegan dinner or a side dish. 270 calories and 3 Weight Watchers SP for entree portion.

Mediterranean Grated Cauliflower Salad Recipe {Vegan}

This Mediterranean greated cauliflower salad just might surprise you. It's perhaps the bane of the humble cauliflower's existence that it rarely tops anyone's list of favorite vegetables. Corn, tomato, carrots. For me, mushrooms. Those are the favored children of the vegetable family, while cauliflower fights it out with turnips and mustard greens to avoid sitting on the chair of shame in the corner.

But I am here to stand up for this neglected veggie and to convince you to grab a head of cauliflower or a bag of cauliflower rice the next time you're at the grocery store. If you want to just steam the cauliflower florets and serve them with butter, knock yourself out. But there are so many other ways to enjoy cauliflower that just may elevate it into your top five.

To start, you can roast cauliflower with rosemary or with Indian spices. Serve it in an easy homemade puttanesca sauce, a hearty vegan soup or my all-time favorite slow cooker vegetable curry. So many options!

I first tried a grated cauliflower salad a couple of years and was shocked at how good it was. The raw, grated cauliflower stays crispy, but has a really pleasant texture because the pieces are so small. You can either pulse the cauliflower florets in a food processor, which takes about 30 seconds, grate them on a box grater or use store-bought cauliflower rice. Pair the cauliflower with any other veggie from your top five list (or branch out!) and toss it all with a vinaigrette.

In this grated cauliflower salad recipe, I whisked together a simple lemon vinaigrette and tossed the cauliflower with diced roasted red peppers (see How to Roast a Bell Pepper), chickpeas and capers. The capers definitely make it, but if you're not a fan, you could substitute olives.

Other healthy cauliflower recipes:

Baked Cauliflower Casserole with Goat Cheese {Cookin' Canuck}
Italian Split Pea Stew with Cauliflower {Cookin' Canuck}
Roasted Cauliflower & Edamame Hummus {Runway Chef}
Chicken Vegetable Pizza {My Life Cookbook}

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Mediterranean Grated Cauliflower Salad Recipe with Chickpeas

Mediterranean Grated Cauliflower Salad with Chickpeas…This vegan recipe is surprisingly filling, and every mouthful is full of flavor! Plus, it’s full of nutrients. 270 calories and 3 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Entrees, Salads

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 15

Total Time: 15

Servings: Servings

Calories: 269.9kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds cauliflower florets
3 roasted red bell peppers chopped (see How to Roast a Bell Pepper)
1 14 ounce can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons capers

The Dressing:

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons agave nectar
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
⅛ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Place the cauliflower florets in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the cauliflower is the size of grains of rice. Alternatively, grate the cauliflower on a box grater.
Place the cauliflower, roasted pepper, chickpeas, parsley and capers in a medium bowl.
Toss the cauliflower salad with the dressing. Serve.

The Dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, agave nectar, Italian seasoning and salt.

Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 3 (Freestyle SmartPoints), 7 (Points+)

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

This post was originally published on October 31, 2016 and was updated on September 5, 2019.

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Comments

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)