Curried Cauliflower Panzanella Salad

Happy Fine Art Friday! Do you ever stare into your refrigerator filled with food, thinking to yourself “there’s nothing to eat”? After about 10 minutes of staring into the cold refrigerator abyss, creativity strikes. Those odds and ends sitting on the shelves suddenly become a fantastic meal. This is one of those meals.

My curried cauliflower panzanella salad is out of this world good. It has several components, but really only uses one pan, so it makes up for the amount of steps in the cooking process. And let me tell you, those steps are totally worth it. Crunchy bread, teetering on the edge of almost burnt, pickled raisins, cauliflower steamed and then caramelized, spiced with golden turmeric and red chili flakes, crispy fried chickpeas, and crunchy vibrant vegetables and herbs tossed in a curry lime dressing. The toasted bread soaks up the tangy dressing giving you maximum flavor with every bite.

My only regret is not having paneer in my fridge the night I made this, because some crispy fried paneer would really set this recipe over the top!

Curried Cauliflower Panzanella Salad

Ingredients:

7 C cubed crusty bread

1/4 C +4 Tbsp olive oil

1 3/4 tsp kosher salt

2 1/2 Tbsp raisins

3 Tbsp sherry vinegar

1/4 C + 2 Tbsp water

1 head of cauliflower, approximately 6 C florets

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 15.5 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/3 C green onions, sliced

1 C purple cabbage, thinly sliced

2 tsp curry powder

1/4 C lime juice

1 tsp honey

mint

basil

In a large bowl toss bread with 2 Tbsp of olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat and add bread. Toast until bread is crispy, brown, and charred in some spots. Remove from skillet and transfer to a large salad bowl.

Next, rehydrate the raisins. In a small saucepan add raisins, sherry vinegar, and 2 Tbsp water to a boil. Remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes until raisins are plump. Drain and add to salad bowl.

In the same cast iron pan, heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil over medium to medium high heat. Add cauliflower, 1/2 tsp salt, turmeric and red pepper flakes, and stir to coat the cauliflower in all the spices and oil. Sauté for a 2-3 minutes, then add 1/4 C water to the pan and cover. Steam cauliflower for 5 minutes. Uncover and finish cooking until the cauliflower is caramelized and browned, approximately 3-5 more minutes. Remove from pan and add to salad bowl.

Add 1/4 C olive oil to the cast iron pan. Heat over medium medium heat, add drained chickpeas, and season with 1/2 tsp salt. Fry chickpeas until crispy, approximately 5-10 minutes. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Add to salad bowl once drained.

Make dressing by combining lime juice, curry powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and honey in a small jar. Shake until well combined and honey is dissolved.

Add sliced purple cabbage and green onions to salad bowl. Toss with dressing and garnish with lots of fresh mint and basil.