Mediterranean Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Tomatoes and Feta Cheese

Mediterranean roasted cauliflower salad is bright-tasting with juicy tomatoes, salty feta cheese, and toasted pine nuts. This recipe for roasted cauliflower salad emphasizes the amazing cauliflower flavor while weaving in plenty of complex flavors. Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables! It is easy to prepare and has a mild, sweet, and nutty taste. 

Growing up in the Middle East, cauliflower was a staple in my mom’s kitchen. We often enjoyed it fried and topped with lemon juice and sumac, next to other fried food like eggplant and potatoes, which gave it a tangy and flavorful kick. But as I’ve gotten older and more health-conscious, I’ve gravitated towards roasted cauliflower instead. It’s just as delicious as the fried version but with much less oil and a more complex, nutty flavor. Plus, roasting allows me to experiment with different seasonings and herbs to create new flavor combinations that I would never have considered. Roasted cauliflower has become my go-to dish, and I love sharing it with my friends and family as a healthier alternative to traditional Middle Eastern recipes.

Is Cauliflower Healthy? 

Cauliflower is perfect for your health since it is nutrient-dense and can reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. In just one serving of cauliflower, you can get all your daily recommended vitamin C. Cauliflower is also high in fiber, which helps to prevent digestive issues.

It is also a low-carb and low-calorie vegetable making it a popular vegetable. It is also used in many keto diets as a low-carb substitute for potatoes and flour. Many people on diets make mashed cauliflowers or cauliflower crust pizza. You can add cauliflower to your diet by steaming, roasting, or eating it raw. I’d like you to please read my tips on choosing and preparing cauliflower in the tip section below. 

What To Serve With This Oven-Roasted Cauliflower Salad Recipe

This Mediterranean Cauliflower Salad is a refreshing salad that can be eaten with many different main dishes. For example, you could serve this salad as a side dish to pan-seared rosemary and garlic lamb chops. Also, bake chicken breast or oven-baked Mediterranean chicken drumsticks next to the oven. Or next to Chilean sea bass or my favorite grilled kofta.  You can also eat this salad as a main course and add some grains such as rice or quinoa to make it into a bowl. I love to top this salad with some of my famous tahini dressing. It just completes the Mediterranean flavors in this salad. 

Variations and Adaptations

There are many ways to customize this Mediterranean roasted cauliflower salad to suit your taste preferences or dietary needs. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Vegan Option: Swap out the feta cheese for a vegan cheese alternative, such as crumbled tofu, vegan feta, or nutritional yeast.
• Add Protein: Boost the protein content of the salad by adding chickpeas, grilled chicken, or shrimp. You could also sprinkle on some chopped nuts or seeds for extra crunch.
• Experiment with Herbs and Spices: Feel free to experiment with different herbs and spices to add more depth of flavor to the salad. Fresh herbs like parsley, mint, or cilantro would all work well, as would spices like cumin, smoked paprika, or chili powder.