Vegan “Roasted” Cauliflower Salad with Orange Miso Dressing
The winner of the book, “How Not to Die” is Deb Davis! Congratulations!
Last week, we had a thunderstorm. That might not sound too exciting to most, but in the bay area, a real, honest to goodness thunderstorm (meaning one that lasts more than 2 lightening strikes) is a very rare thing. To have a rainstorm roll in, stay for over an hour and give us more than 15 bolts of lightening, thunder included was pure bliss. Even at 2 am.
We are high on top of a ridge which gives us a stunning view of the area around us. For this storm, it didn’t disappoint. I laid in bed, remembering the wonderful thunderstorms from my native Minnesota, feeling the power that nature holds. It is a good reminder that we are guests on this planet and Mother Nature really has the upper hand. A dose of respect is always a good thing.
With the skies turning grey, and the temperature dropping, my desire for cooked food increases. But I have this strange quirk. I don’t like warm, food for lunch. I want something hearty, just not warm. Warm means it’s time to put work away and relax for the night. I know…it’s a bit weird.
So I set out to create a raw food recipe for a hearty salad that would be make a good winter lunch. I had a head of cauliflower in the fridge that was going to go bad if I didn’t do something with it. I decided to send it to the dehydrator with a little soy sauce for marinade (you can use coconut aminos if you don’t use soy) and dehydrate it down a little. Have you ever had cauliflower that has spent some time in the dehydrator? Let me tell you, a little magic happens in there. The flavors concentrate, it sweetens up and becomes a little slice of heaven. You can, and I did caramelize some onions in the dehydrator, too. It takes the edge off of a pure raw onion, sweetens it up a bit and makes for a delicious addition to a recipe.
I actually threw the onions and the cauliflower in the dehydrator a couple of days before I ended up using them. That is the beauty of this recipe. They were just waiting in the refrigerator for me. Today was the day and as I pulled them out, I spotted some sweet peppers. They were sliced up and added. I used a bed of arugula and topped it off with an oil-free orange miso dressing. Just for fun I threw some coconut “bacon” on the top and the flavors really became happy campers.
What is Coconut Nectar
While Coconut Nectar is still a sweetener, it is full of nutrients unlike processed white sugar. Here are a few reasons why we like coconut nectar.
- You can find organic, raw, non-gmo coconut nectar.
- It’s a low glycemic sweetener (GI 35)
- It has an interesting, heartier taste. It does not taste like coconuts.
- It’s vegan.
- It is loaded with minerals, amino acids, and other nutrients.
- It is sucrose based which is easier to digest.
Vegan "Roasted" Cauliflower Salad with Orange Miso Dressing
SERVES 4
“Roasted” Cauliflower
- 2 heads cauliflower
- nama shoyu, tamari or coconut aminos
- Slice the cauliflower heads in 1/4 inch slices.
- Brush nama shoyu (or alternative) over the slices.
- Dehydrate at 115 for 8-6 hours.
- Alternative: bake at 375 for 30 minutes. (not raw)
“Caramelized” Onions
- 1 onion
- Thinly slice (1/8-inch) onion.
- Toss with nama shoyu (or alternative as above)
- Dehydrate at 115 for 5 hours
- Alternative: Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. (not raw)
Orange Miso Dressing
- 2 teaspoons red miso
- 1 tablespoon coconut nectar or liquid sweetener of choice
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon dried chili peppers
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 orange, juice from
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
- Let sit for 10 minutes so chia seeds can thicken up a bit. Stir before serving.
Salad
- roasted cauliflower
- caramelized onions
- 1 cup thinly sliced sweet red peppers
- orange miso dressing
- coconut bacon (recipe here: Coconut Bacon)
- Toss cauliflower, onions, and red peppers together.
- Dress with orange miso dressing.
- Top with coconut bacon.
masala girl wrote on December 22, 2015
i love roasted cauliflower & wow this sounds amazing!! i’ve thought about dehydrating it, but now i definitely will 🙂
about how much dressing does the recipe make?
Susan wrote on December 29, 2015
Hi, Masala Girl! It should make somewhere around 3/4 cup. Cheers!
masala girl wrote on January 1, 2016
thank you!
Peter wrote on December 21, 2015
What a delicious recipe. I can’t wait to try it!