Can I make the salad ahead of time?

Yes! Every element of the salad can be made beforehand. The parmesan roasted cauliflower can be cooked 5 days in advance, the Caesar sauce will keep well for at least 5 days, and the crispy parmesan and prosciutto will keep for at least 1 week, stored in an airtight container. If you're arranging it ahead of time, just leave the crispy parmesan and prosciutto off until the last minute so they don't go soft.

What can I serve with the salad?

This salad is lovely as a light meal in itself, but it works wonderfully as part of a larger spread. Serve with spiced lamb koftas , miso grilled chicken , harissa honey grilled chicken or maple glazed salmon . It also pairs well with salads like a crunchy Asian slaw , grilled peach and burrata salad , sesame soba noodle salad , miso roasted sweet potatoes or pesto potatoes .

How can I make the salad vegetarian?

Just leave out the crispy prosciutto (and skip the fish sauce in the Caesar sauce). You can use more crispy parmesan, or add some fresh basil pesto .

Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Name: Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 large cauliflower; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 cup grated parmesan; 3 slices prosciutto (or use streaky bacon); A handful of fresh basil leaves; 1/2 cup aioli (or use mayonnaise); 2 tablespoons grated parmesan; 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce; 1 teaspoon miso paste; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Description

Charred, golden cauliflower roasted with parmesan, piled onto Caesar sauce and topped with crispy parmesan and prosciutto makes a very luxurious salad the whole family will love. And the best part? It takes just 30 minutes to make.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the salad –

1 large cauliflower
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated parmesan
3 slices prosciutto (or use streaky bacon)
A handful of fresh basil leaves

For the Caesar aioli sauce –

1/2 cup aioli (or use mayonnaise)
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon miso paste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

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Instructions

Prepare the cauliflower. Heat your oven to 220C/430F fan and line two oven trays with baking paper. Chop the cauliflower into bite-sized florets. I find the easiest, mess-free way to do this is to tear the florets off by hand – but chopping is fine too. Lay them out on one of the oven trays, then drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt on top. Toss to coat the cauliflower well, then transfer to the oven for 10 minutes.
Scatter with parmesan. After 10 minutes, remove the tray from the oven and scatter 1/2 cup of grated parmesan on the cauliflower. Toss to combine well with the cauliflower, then put the tray back in the oven for another 10 minutes, until charred and lovely.
Make the crispy parmesan and prosciutto. Lay the prosciutto pieces onto the bottom half of the other lined oven tray, then scatter the other 1/2 cup of grated parmesan on the top half of the tray, spreading it out onto a thin layer. Transfer it to the oven with the cauliflower for 8 minutes, until the prosciutto is dark and crispy, and the parmesan is deep gold.
Make the Caesar sauce. In a small bowl, mix ½ cup of aioli with 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of miso paste and 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard.
Assemble the salad. Spread the Caesar sauce out on a serving plate. Pile the parmesan roasted cauliflower on top, then break up the crispy parmesan and prosciutto with your hands, and scatter them on top. Finish by topping the salad with fresh basil leaves, and enjoy.

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES: Try to grate the parmesan yourself here, rather than use pre-grated. Pre-grated parmesan won’t melt as well so you’ll find the parmesan crisps have a strange texture.

SUBSTITUTIONS: Swap the prosciutto for streaky bacon, or leave it out and add extra crispy parmesan for a vegetarian version. You could use another strong cheese like pecorino, manchego or cheddar in place of the parmesan if you like. If you can’t find miso paste, use more Dijon mustard in the Caesar sauce.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The salad will keep well for 5 days, stored in the fridge in an airtight container. If you want to prepare it ahead of time, just leave the crispy prosciutto and parmesan off until you’re ready to serve, so they don’t get soft.

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 20
Category: salads
Method: oven
Cuisine: mediterranean

Keywords: cauliflower salad, roasted cauliflower