Cauliflower Salad with Pickled Grapes, Cheddar Cheese and Almonds
- Preparing Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Served Person: 4
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and black pepper for seasoning
- for the pickled raisins and grapes
- 2 cups (generous) halved green grapes (from about 1 pound divided
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar divided
- for the salad and the dressing
- 2 heads cauliflower divided
- 5 tablespoons lemon juice divided
- 1 1/2 cups (generous) crumbled sharp white cheddar cheese divided
- 2 teaspoons mustard (i used a mix: half grainy half dijon)
- 1/2 cup walnut oil (or substitute with olive oil)
- 1 teaspoon (heaping) crã¨me fraã®che sour cream, or greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped smoked almonds (or toasted sliver
- Carbohydrate 24.8118319068145 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.276425000106236 g
- Fiber 1.14746250537569 g
- Protein 0.824772500925864 g
- Saturated Fat 0.066968750034873 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (41g)
- Sodium 657.108812503581 mg
- Sugar 23.6643694014388 g
- Trans Fat 0.0637787500357968 g
- Calories 94 calories
Preheat the oven to 450° F. Put 1 cup of the halved grapes in a heatproof bowl. Set the other cup aside for later. In a medium saucepan, combine the raisins, 3/4 cup of the white wine vinegar, honey, bay leaf, sea salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low and allow mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes, until the mixture has reduced by half. Pour the hot liquid over the grapes in the heatproof bowl. Set aside to allow the liquid to cool completely to room temperature. Cut 1 1/2 heads of cauliflower into small-ish florets (they can vary in size a bit!). Save the other 1/2 head (later, you'll shave it into the salad, to eat raw). Toss the cauliflower florets the olive oil, season with plenty of salt and pepper, and put on two parchment-lined baking sheets, making sure there's plenty of breathing room for the florets. Roast for about 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the cauliflower is crispy-skinned and quite dark. Add 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the cauliflower on the baking sheets and 1/2 of the cheese, distributing among both pans. Put back in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, until cheese has melted into a mess on your parchment-lined baking sheets. Remove cauliflower from the oven and immediately stir it with the melted cheese so that the florets are coated and almost no cheese streaks remain on the parchment paper (don't allow the cheese to congeal!). Set aside. Make your vinaigrette: Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice with remaining 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar. Whisk in mustard. While whisking constantly, slowly pour in the oil. When your mixture is creamy and emulsified, whisk in the crème fraîche. Season with salt and pepper to taste. To a large serving bowl, add the reserved grape halves and reserved crumbled cheese. Then take the remaining 1/2-head of cauliflower and shave it with a mandoline into the bowl. Add in the cheesy roasted cauliflower. Strain the pickled raisins and grapes (you can reserve the liquid to make salad dressing in the future!) and add them to the bowl, too. Add the chopped almonds and mix it all together. Finally, dress the salad with the lemon vinaigrette, going slowly as to not overdress.
