Roasted Cauliflower Kale Salad

Rarely do I stumble upon a recipe that is so easy and delicious I can’t help but post, but this is definitely one of them. As I usually do, I buy ingredients I’d like to work with and then figure out later what I will make with them. This time, I had a giant bag of kale leaves and a head of cauliflower. I stumbled upon a recipe that looked interesting, and modified some of the ingredients based on what I had in my pantry. The result was nothing short of spectacular! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

INGREDIENTS
1 head cauliflower – cut into florets
10 cups kale leaves – torn into small pieces
1/4 c dried tart cherries (you could also try raisins)
1/4 c pepitas (pumpkinseeds, raw or roasted)
3 tbspn lemon juice
1/4 c tahini
4 tbspn olive oil
1 tspn cayenne
2 tspn salt
1 tspn pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss cauliflower in half of the olive oil (2 tablespoons), cayenne, and half of the salt (1 teaspoon). Spread cauliflower evenly on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 20 minutes, turning at least once, till slightly brown.

In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, remaining olive oil (2 tablespoons), remaining salt (1 teaspoon), and pepper. Consistency should be creamy and smooth. Taste prior to serving and add additional lemon, salt, or tahini as needed.

In a large bowl, combine ALL ingredients and toss together so the tahini dressing is spread evenly over the kale. Although the cauliflower will be hot, the kale will actually soften slightly when tossed together. The end result is a slightly warm salad. Enjoy!