August 12, 2015
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Crunchy cauliflower, cranberries, kale, and more combine their nutrition powers in this satisfying Cauliflower Cranberry Superfood Salad.
I’m so excited to share this super crunchy, raw CauliflowerCranberry Superfood Salad with you! Before we jump into the recipe though, here’s how this little salad came to be.
This past Saturday, I started the morning off with some outdoor yoga in Germantown with the good people from Steadfast & True Yoga (one of the best yoga studios in Nashville!), followed up by coffee and brunch with a few fellow yoga buds at one of the best new coffee shops in town, Steadfast Coffee. It’s just a weird quinky-dink that both places are top-notch AND have similar names, but I dig it.
For some reason, we started talking about the many ways to use cauliflower. Cauliflower crust. Mashed cauliflower. Cauliflower rice. Cauliflower alfredo sauce.It’s basically taking over the world. I’m a little late to the cauliflower-everything game, but after the intense cruciferous veggie talk this weekend, I was inspired to make use of cauliflower in a different way.
The original intent for this recipe was to roast the cauliflower and then add it with the other salad ingredients after it cooled.
Been there. Done that. Instead, I was ready to go raw. I feel like a whole new person knowing I can now enjoy RAW cauliflower.
This vegan and gluten-free salad is super tasty and super good for you. It’s low in calories, high in fiber, and loaded with antioxidants from the dried cranberries, kale, cauliflower, and red onion.
I love adding dried cranberries to salads for a hint of sweetness. Did you know a 1/2 cup of dried cranberries equals one serving of fruit? Cranberries contain the flavonoid (an antioxidant) proanthocyanidin, which helps to ward off urinary tract infections and may also help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
This recipe featured in my book, Eat To Sleep, for it's sleep-promoting ingredients!
Do you have a favorite way to enjoy cranberries or have you been using cauliflower in new creative ways? I’d love to hear about your kitchen and nutrition adventures!
Hope you enjoy this recipe!
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Servings: 6
Author: Karman Meyer, Dietitian at The Nutrition Adventure
Ingredients
- 1 small head of cauliflower about 3 1/2 cups florets
- 1 cup finely chopped lacinato kale
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
- 1-15 ounce can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 garlic clove minced
- pinch of salt
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Place the cauliflower florets in the bowl of a food processor until 3/4 full. Use the pulse button to process the cauliflower until it is broken down into rice-sized pieces. Using a spatula, remove cauliflower from food processor and place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the kale, dried cranberries, red onion, garbanzo beans, and pumpkin seeds to the cauliflower. Mix well.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic. Pour over the cauliflower salad and mix well.
4. Season the salad with a pinch of salt and add black pepper to desired taste. Serve chilled. Salad will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Tagged As: antioxidants, Cauliflower, cranberries, gluten free, kale, salad, vegan
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You can buy califlower rice, is it better to buy it whole and process it, to save some nutrients?
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See AlsoRecipes For Your Next PotluckHi Judy,
I like to buy a head of cauliflower and process it in my food processor because it’s a little cheaper to do it that way. But you can certainly buy riced cauliflower in the produce section and use that instead! I just recommend NOT using frozen riced cauliflower because then the salad will be a bit soggy.Reply
I am always looking for ideas for really healthy dinners while using up ingredients I already have. This salad was terrific! I served it as a side with Curry chicken. The flavors complimented and blended so well and will make wonderful leftovers. I wound up using frozen Cauliflower instead of fresh and it worked perfectly as I thawed it first. Instead of Craisins I was trying to use up some fresh cranberries so I put those in the food processor with the cauliflower.
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This salad looks amazing!! I can’t wait to try it 🙂
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Thanks for the comment! Enjoy 🙂
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Look delicious. Recently had raw cauliflower rice also. Wasn’t sure if I would like it, but it was really good!
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I had my doubts too but was pleasantly surprised! Thanks for commenting 🙂
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Reminds me of my own cauli-rice recipe that I use pomegranate seeds in! Love the fruity with the cauli 😉 So yum!
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Yum! Another great option!
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