With many people making resolutions to hit the gym, eat healthier, and just be overall kinder to themselves and their bodies, salads have a moment in January. This roasted cauliflower baby kale salad with lemon brown butter dressing is jumping on the healthy salad train while still offering flavors that feel rich and indulgent.
Cauliflower and carrots get tossed in sumac and smoked paprika, then roasted until they’re golden brown and bursting of nutty candied notes. Brown butter is swirled up with honey, lemon juice, shallots, and garlic and tossed over delicate baby kale. Then the whole salad is topped with toasted sunflower seeds and crispy capers for texture and tangy umami notes. Served with a simple roasted chicken breast or pan-fried fish, it stands out as the star of the table, bringing enough interest to be a main course even.
I peeled and roasted the veggies in advance, chilled them until dinner, then tossed the whole salad together quickly just before serving. For the dressing, add pressed garlic and chopped shallots to browning butter and once nutty and aromatic, swirl in lemon juice and honey to stop the cooking. Wash and dry your baby kale in an OXO Salad Spinner and rub the leaves with a bit of dressing before throwing the veggies, seeds, and fried capers on top to serve.
This cauliflower baby kale salad is what I think of as a centerpiece salad. It’s big, colorful, and bursting with flavor. Since the large salad spinner lets you wash enough greens to make a large salad in just a few seconds without much effort at all, why not make enough to throw a healthy January kickoff dinner party while you’re at it?
Head over to Snixy Kitchen (Opens in a new window)to see more pictures of the roasted cauliflower kale salad and get the recipe!