Cauliflower Salad with Tahini
Middle Eastern food is an absolute favourite of mine. I love the concept of mezze, the fresh, robust flavours, the grilled meats, and in days gone by, the flatbread. I recall being introduced to it in the late 1980s, having just arrived in Melbourne, at Alaysa Turkish Restaurant in Coburg and Dunyazad Lebanese Restaurant in Nth Balwyn, both of which are now stalwarts of the Melbourne restaurant scene.
The inspiration for this salad came when I saw a tub of Tahini Neri's Green Tahini in my local deli. I had planned to make a cauliflower salad that night to accompany lamb backstraps, and adding a bed of green tahini was the perfect accompaniment to both. The flavours are fresh and vibrant, and it looks fabulous!
What is Tahini?
Tahini, made from ground sesame seeds, has been a staple of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean diets for centuries and is used in dishes like hummus, baba ghanoush and falafel. Green Tahini is made by adding fresh herbs (basil, coriander or mint), lemon juice, garlic and olive oil to a tahini base. It results in a tangy and vibrant green sauce that can be used as a dip, salad dressing or a topping to grilled meat and roasted vegetables.
Cauliflower Salad with Green Tahini
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, broken into small flowerets
- handful of parsley, roughly chopped
- handful of mint, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup of nuts (I use pistachio and pine nuts)
- 100g feta, crumbled
- juice of ½ lemon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- good pinch of salt
- 1 small tub green tahini dip (I use the Tahini Neri brand)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
- Mix the cauliflower flowerets with olive oil and pinch salt. Place onto a baking tray and roast till golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool.
- Roast nuts either in the oven or on a skillet till golden. Set aside.
- Place a layer of the green tahini dip onto a serving plate.
- Mix the cauliflower, herbs (leave a small portion to dress at the end), lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place on top of the green tahini.
- Scatter the salad with roasted nuts, crumbled feta and remaining herbs.
- Serve and enjoy!
