Say hello to our new favorite salad.
Believe it or not, it was inspired by one we tried in an airport! Of all the places to glean inspiration from…
But no matter the source, the end result is far more delicious than the original we tried (not to brag, but for real), and it’s insanely easy to make! Shall we?
This 30-minute recipe starts with a base of greens, cooked lentils, red grapes, and the star of the show: curry roasted cauliflower.
We tossed one head of cauliflower in a bit of salt, coconut oil (or water), and our DIY Curry Powder* (swoon) and roasted it to perfection. The result is crispy-on-the-edge, tender-in-the-center cauliflower bursting with flavor.
*Note: you can learn more about curry powder and its origin here.
Next comes the Thai and Middle Eastern-inspired dressing, which is a mixture of our go-to Green Curry Paste – that color tho! – and tahini, resulting in a creamy, savory-sweet, punchy dressing that marries this salad together beautifully. You can learn more about the origin of green curry paste here and tahini here.
We hope you LOVE this salad! It’s:
Fresh
Packed with fruit + vegetables
Hearty
Satisfying
SUPER flavorful
& Insanely delicious
This would make the perfect weeknight meal when you need something healthy and satisfying on the table fast! It also keeps well, which makes it ideal to make ahead and pack along for lunches throughout the week (just serve the lentils and cauliflower chilled).
If you’re into salads, also be sure to check out our favorite Garlicky Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas, Roasted Vegetable Salad with Chimichurri, Curry-Roasted Vegetable & Lentil Kale Salad, Loaded Kale Salad, and Abundance Salad with Savory Tahini Dressing!
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a picture @minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
Curried Cauliflower, Grape & Lentil Salad
Ingredients
CAULIFLOWER
- 1 head cauliflower (divided into florets)
- 1 ½ Tbsp melted coconut oil (or water)
- 1 ½ Tbsp curry powder (or store-bought)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
GREEN CURRY TAHINI DRESSING*
- 4 ½ Tbsp green curry paste (or store-bought, though fresh is best)
- 2 Tbsp tahini
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 pinch each salt and black pepper
- Water to thin
SALAD
- 5-6 cups mixed greens, kale, spinach (or other green of choice)
- 1 cup cooked green or brown lentils (rinsed and drained)
- 1 cup red or green grapes (halved)
- Fresh cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C). Line a baking sheet (or more as needed) with parchment paper.
- Add cauliflower to a mixing bowl and toss with coconut oil (or water), curry powder, and sea salt. Transfer to baking sheet and roast cauliflower for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
- Prepare dressing by adding green curry paste, tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, salt, and pepper to a mixing bowl and whisking to combine. If needed, thin with water until pourable.
- Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more green curry paste for a stronger curry flavor, tahini for greater thickness, lemon juice for acidity, or maple syrup for sweetness.
- Assemble salad by adding lettuce to a serving platter or bowl. Top with lentils, grapes, and cooked cauliflower and serve with dressing. Optional: garnish with fresh cilantro.
- Best served fresh. Store leftovers in airtight container for 3-4 days. Store dressing separately for up to 1 week.
Video
Notes
*If you like heavy dressing, multiply the recipe x 1 1/2 or 2.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with homemade green curry paste, without optional ingredients, and with all of the dressing and the oil.
Martha Buttenheim says
I wanted to love this so much and I will make it again with modifications. On the advice of others using prepared curry paste, I reduced the amount to 2 TB, added a bit more lemon juice and used 3 TB water for thinning. It was still really overpowering (we too have a high spicy tolerance and it was way too much) – I’d honestly add only 2 TEASPOONS next time, very much along the lines of the scrumptious harissa tahini dressing found on this site. Also, my red lentils turned to mush after 15 minutes of the 15-20 recommended cook time on the label – so is there a type of lentil you’d recommend that holds its shape? I quickly substituted quinoa and saved the lentils for another purpose. Is there a better big, fat lentil I can try?
Sorry you didn’t enjoy it, Martha! We’d definitely recommend the DIY curry paste for best flavor. Red lentils will get mushy! Green or brown are best, or even black (beluga) lentils. We’ll be sure to specify that in the recipe!
Suzy says
I didn’t have time to make my own curry paste, so decided to use the widely available Thai Kitchen green curry paste. Having used it before, I thought that 4.5 T seemed like a LOT. I used 1 T. + 1 t. Even that was far too much. Fortunately, I tried it first on some of the greens and it was so hot that we could not bear it (and we are spice lovers). So…beware. I ended up throwing it away and using another salad dressing I had on hand.
Maybe your recipe is not so hot, but I think others should be warned about the power of Thai Kitchen!
Claudia says
Delish & flavorful. I used dinosaur kale for the greens. Thanks Dana for another winning recipe.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for the lovely review, Claudia! xo
Abby says
I forgot to get cauliflower so I roasted carrots instead. Turned out delicious. The grapes really make this salad. Next time I’ll add some crunch like crispy chickpeas!
Yum! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Abby!
Annie F says
Has any one made it with red curry? I have red and never remember to use it so I hate to go buy green. Thanks Ann
Jori says
I can’t get fresh cauliflower where I am. Would frozen work for this recipe?
Hi Jori! We haven’t tried it but we think it should work, yes! Let us know how it goes!
T says
We liked the dressing (I halved the tahini) and thought the sweet/savoury combo was really good. We omitted the lentils and had a lentil curry soup with the salad instead.
I found the cauliflower to be a bit too bitter for me though. Unfortunately the bitterness took over the entire salad. I added some lime juice and that seemed to help the cauliflower a bit.
I will try this salad again but with some modifications.
Thank you for the recipe
Thank you for sharing your experience, Tina! xo
Amy says
Whoa. This was so good. I made it as written using store bought green curry paste. Will absolutely make this again and again. Thanks!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Amy =) Thanks for the lovely review!
Hanna says
I truly love your recipes. I am always excited when I google a recipe and you show up! Yours is 9 times outta 10 the first website I click on when searching for a recipe or for food inspo!
BUT. but. buuuuuuuuut…..
whyyyyyyy can’t we have ingredients in weights?
I wouldn’t even have an issue over metric or imperial, I can convert, that’s what google is for!! I know that cooking is different from baking, in that you have a lot more wiggle room. But in an attempt to cut down on plastic waste and to disengage from the food industry that forces us to buy food that is produced so very far away from us, I get a lot of food from farmers, and from non-standard grocery avenues (direct from warehouse/producer etc). This means I often am not interacting with food that is standard containers, and that the vegetables I purchase are often smaller than grocery store vegetables. This puts a lot of guess work into what a “small” beet is (as in your roasted beet hummus). Does she mean small compared to all the other beets at the grocery store, that look the size of an apple, and if so, is my average sized beet more equivalent to her small beet?
Is the head of cauliflower used in this recipe one of those ones as big as your head that you can get from the wal-mart produce section or is it about the size of 3 or 4 fists like the ones I get from the farmstand?
Also, the lazy girl in me doesn’t want to dirty a bunch of measuring cups and table/teaspoons. How awesome would it be to dump things into my bowl on the scale until they read the weight that you had specified?
Or, because I like to go off book (I am almost NEVER able stay on book actually), I can estimate MUCH more accurately what quanitity you used, and then I can riff off of that, if I want more or less.
I find that can be dissuaded from using your recipes because the weights aren’t listed, and this makes me sad.
Hi Hanna, you can find weight measurements by clicking “metric” beneath the ingredients header. There are times when we don’t weigh an ingredient or the size won’t make a huge difference, which is why we might list “1 small” for a vegetable. But we’ll keep this in mind for the future!
Candice says
I never thought curried cauliflower and grapes would taste so good together, but I’ve made this several times and it’s definitely one of my go-to’s as it’s pretty quick and easy to make. I do add a bit of quinoa or couscous for my partner as he needs something a bit more substantial, but perfect for me.
Right?! We’re so glad you enjoy this one, Candice! Thanks so much for sharing!
Mary says
I’m looking for your blueberry quinoa salad recipe from probably about 2015. The only place I can find it is here:
https://www.mastercook.com/app/recipe/WebRecipeDetails?recipeId=3981567
And the link to your website takes me to this salad.
I can probably figure out the recipe from the mastercook website’s list of ingredients but I wanted to let you know that was my favorite salad and I’m not a salad person!
Oh interesting! I think we removed that one because it needed some edits / tweaking. Sorry for the confusion!
Liz says
Is there any other dressing that would work with this salad?
Thanks!
Sure! We think a peanut dressing might also work well.
Ryan says
One of my favorite salads! I wasn’t too sure if the curried cauliflower and green curry paste would work but the layers of flavoring are perfect. This salad could easily work as a main course!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Ryan! Thanks so much for sharing!
Karen says
I made this recipe 3 times last month for all the potlucks I had to go to—and it was fantastic! I just loved it, and I only took a tiny bit home each time. The dressing was delicious, and I’m going to use the recipe for weekday bowls in the future. I made your green curry paste, in part because I can’t handle spicy heat, so I made it nice and mild. Definitely a keeper! ??
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe, Karen! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Cachae says
Sooo yummy! We make this recipe often, it’s such a quick and impressive meal to put together! The dressing is probably one of my favorites I’ve tried! Made it a few days ago but didn’t have grapes, substituted some green apple and it was soo good as well!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Cachae! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Ginny says
Loved it! The dressing was awesome!
Tori Bissell says
I made this tonight and my mom and I loved it. The grapes were such a nice addition… I suggest using red grapes just for the visual… but green works well and were delicious too.
I think you could also make this quinoa and it would taste great too. I also think it would be nice to top with sesame seeds or something like that… But it was still delicious and I totally would reccomend it.
BTW for those who aren’t as farmiliar with lentils… they cook to 2-3x their size… so for a cup of lentils you don’t need to do that much. I totally made that mistake. Whoops.
Lindsey says
This was tasty. I commented earlier on the curry paste that it was a tad too acidic for our tastes, so I left the lemon juice out of this dressing and it was perfect. Our dressing was super spicy (which we love, we didn’t seed or remove the Serrano membranes for the curry paste). Therefore, the sweetness of the grapes were a perfect reprieve from the spiciness. My husband is a little picky and he wants me to make this again!
Alysia says
The dressing makes this recipe! So good.
Anna says
Delicious! But beware of what curry paste you use. 4.5 tbs is a ton if you have a spicy curry paste and I had to dilute it with a ton of coconut milk
Sandy says
This was wonderful! I used the only lentils I had , red but it still worked. Served over spinach and kale. Really had great flavor combinations and looked yummy too.
Thanks so much for sharing, Sandy! So glad you enjoyed it!
Allison says
Another delicious salad. I served it on kale, which I think was ‘hardy’ enough to take the weight of the other ingredients. The dressing was too spicy for me so next time I’ll halve the curry paste (I guess it all depends onto brand, I used store-bought).
Maribeth says
We’ve been making this recipe once a month for a while now. The only thing I’ve ever changed is the grapes. They are not always affordable so I swap them out with whatever fruit is on sale at the time. Everyone I serve it to loves it. My kids devour it! The dressing is where the magic happens.
Kristen says
I made this yesterday to take to a potluck. Modified by leaving out the green curry paste (time factor) and lentils, and substituted sweet potatoes for some of the cauliflower. It tasted fantastic and i got lots of compliments. Thanks for a great recipe. I would have given 5 stars but my mods make the recipe a touch different.
Jennifer says
I made this and it was ok. I feel that the recipe didn’t make enough dressing. It also just tasted like a bunch of random ingredients mixed together on top of spring mix
Julie says
Just wanted to say that I have made this twice over the past month – it is delicious and makes great leftovers for lunch the next day. It also goes well in a wrap with the sauce if you chop the cauliflower in small chunks :)
Yay! We are glad to hear it, Julie!
Rachel says
Absolutely delicious! I added a few tomatoes and thinly sliced red onion on the bed of greens. I love that it’s so versatile and you can add your own twist. I will definitely be cooking the curried cauliflower as an addition to other meals. Thanks.
Great additions, Rachel!
Chelsea Santos says
Just made this last night for dinner. What a unique combination of flavors that blend so nicely! Added an extra squeeze of fresh lemon juice on top to brighten it up. I would highly recommend this. Definitely saving this recipe :)
Alyson says
This salad was phenomenal! I followed the directions with no substitutions (except maybe a little extra lemon juice and I added hemp seeds for crunch), and used store-bought curry powder and green paste in the interest of time (will try the homemade versions soon!). The bold curry with the sweet grapes and the hearty lentils was the perfect combination for a summery salad. Delicious and incredibly filling– highly recommended!
Angela Horn says
Hi Dana
I’m sharing this recipe in a post I’ve written for Care2.com for National Salad Month. I just wanted to check if it’s okay to use one of the photos? I’ll obviously give you credit and link back to Minimalist Baker.
Cheers,
Ang :)
Hi Angela! Thanks for reaching out. For recipe and image sharing guidelines, check this article out!
Ang says
Delicious! really enjoyed this dish, we had rice with it too. Cant wait to make this again! :)
Caryn says
I love this salad! Thank you! I have made it twice, once with raisins (instead of grapes) and kale, the next with grapes and salad greens. Both were great. I definitely recommend using the lemon in the dressing, the lime juice was all I had on hand for the second time I made it, and I preferred the lemon. This is one to make again and again.
-Caryn (tastynfree.com)
Steph says
This salad is awesome! I made the green curry paste as directed in the linked recipe and so glad. It is delicious and will definitely have many other uses. I used cooked black barely I already had instead of cooking lentil and worked out well. I feel like you can you use any grain you have handy and will be great.
delicious spanish food - Marta says
In Spain we loven lentils. I will try this helathy variation.
Nicole says
Just made this! Very yummy and healthy. Love your recipes.
andrea says
This is so good! I used apples becasue it’s what I had and it was very tasty! Thank you!
Great sub!
Shannon says
This salad is amazing! I am in love with it’s bold flavors. Of course I am a curry fan anyway. I took the extra step of making the curry powder recipe instead of using a premade mix from store since I had all of the spices on hand. Definitely worth the effort.
I have made quite a few of your recipes and they have all been great. Thank you for helping me keep my family’s meatless meals flavorful and delicious! ?
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Shannon! xo
yulca says
We had this yesterday evening with homemade bread – so fast, so easy, so yummy! Used only 3 Tbsp of curry paste though, was enough for our taste. Thanks for the great recipe!
We’re glad you enjoyed it, Yulca!
Julia says
I have also made this dinner for my boyfriend that had a really bad day. It was really tasty! He thought that the receipt was from a cooking book he offered me, but i corrected him that was Dana’s receipt! <3
Thank you Dana!
Ah, thanks Julia! xo
Kelsey Meyer says
I made this for dinner last night (for my nonvegan/nonGF fiancé) and he loved it. He thought it was so creative. I loved it too!! I added brown Basmati rice to bulk the dish up for him! I would recommend the cilantro on top (I ended up adding more) because it gives it such a wonderful flavor. I also used the Thai Kitchen brand of green curry paste with success. Am definitely going to attempt to make my own paste in the future though as yours looks so vibrant and fresh in comparison to my jarred variety (whomp, whomp). Thanks, Dana! Another incredible recipe!
Yay, thanks Kelsey!
Bridget says
This salad is amazing! While cauliflower roasted I threw the remainder together- quick and easy with ingredients I always have on hand. I have made several of Dana’s recipes this week and loved every one- going to order her cookbook tonight!
Thanks Bridget!!
Chantal Schreiber says
I made this with a thai curry paste that was neither green nor red ;-) and probably too spicy – I mixed in an avocado and some more water to make it milder and I used cashew cream instead of tahini because I don’t like sesame. It turned out amazing and I’m definitely going to make it again. Some soft bread or pitas or so would be nice with it , and I think pineapple would be just as yummie as the grapes or could go in additionally! loved it! Thank you <3!
Thanks for sharing your modifications!
Debbie Larsen says
I just made this and it was absolutely delicious. I followed the recipe pretty much exact except I cut back a bit on the curry paste because I was afraid it would be too spicy for my tastebuds. Even the curry on the cauliflower gave it a bit more zing than I was expecting. The juicy grapes paired with the zing of the curry really give you a mouth full of flavor! Delicious!
Yay!! Thanks for sharing!
MartinDrold says
Hi All im newbie here. Good art! Thx! Love your stories!
lori says
This looks amazing….though I am not a fan of lentil. Could I use quinoa instead or any other suggestions? Thanks so much
Totally! Or crispy chickpeas.
Rochelle says
Delicious! I had some cauliflower I wanted to use for lunch yesterday and the newsletter with this recipe popped up just in time! Next time I make it, I’m going to add a larger portion of grapes because the flavor pop was surprising and tasty! Thanks for another great recipe.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Rochelle.
Cassie Thuvan Tran says
Oh my, I can imagine how mind-blown you were at the airport when you tried this salad! I’ve had incredible airport food before, but nothing worth replicating. Glad you found this recipe because it looks delicious! I want to add some tempeh into this recipe as well for some more protein and iron!
jessica says
If I do not have an oven how else would you suggest to make cauliflower?
I would say sauté on the stove top to brown the exterior, and occasionally cover with a lid to steam the inside. Good luck!
Hannah Ramirez says
I actually have all the ingredients! Woot! I am absolutely making this tonight! Thank you!
Audrey says
Made this with the homemade curry paste (without the bell pepper as I don’t digest it well) and it was delicious, absolutely loved the dressing! Even my partner who doesn’t enjoy cauliflower usually said it was very good. Served it on a bed of brown rice to make it more filling. Thank you!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Audrey! xo
Angie says
I made the cauliflower using Thai curry powder and it came out just as yummy! (It’s what I had at the moment) I would make it again. Thank you!
Angie says
I made the cauliflower using that curry powder and it came out just as yummy! (It’s what I had at the moment) I would make it again. Thank you!
Lovely!
Alexis says
This looks amazing. What type of lentils did you use?
Alexis
We used canned organic brown lentils.
Louise says
This looks amazing! How do you think it would taste with red curry paste instead of green?
hmm, definitely different. I like the lightness / herbal quality of green curry paste (especially our DIY recipe). But if you try it with red let us know how it goes!