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Cauliflower Salad with Nectarines & Pistachio Dukkah

5 from 3 reader reviews
Servings 4
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Ingredients

Dukkah (makes extra):

  • 2 cups roasted & salted pistachios, shells removed (you should have about ¾ cup of nuts total)
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
  • 1 teaspoon nigella seeds (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)

Salad

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (I used a garlic-infused olive oil, but that’s optional)
  • 1 head of cauliflower, cored and cut into small florets
  • sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1-2 nectarines, pitted and sliced
  • 1 small ripe avocado, peeled and chopped
  • 1 hearty sprig of mint, leaves thinly sliced
  • big handful of the dukkah

Instructions

  • Make the dukkah: grind the shelled pistachios in either a mortar and pestle, a food processor, or a dry-blade blender pitcher. You want a chunky/chopped consistency with a few large bits of pistachio in the mix. Transfer the ground pistachios to a medium bowl. Grind the coriander and cumin seeds in a spice grinder and add them to the bowl with the pistachios. Add the sesame seeds, nigella seeds and chili flakes to the bowl as well. Stir to combine. Store dukkah in a sealable jar and set aside.
  • Make the cauliflower salad: heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil to the skillet. Add the cauliflower florets and spread them out in an even layer. Let the cauliflower florets sear for a good two minutes. Stir the cauliflower up and season it with salt and pepper. Cook until the cauliflower is just tender and evenly browned, about another 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
  • Transfer the cauliflower to a serving platter. Top the cauliflower with the sliced nectarines, avocado, mint, and a hearty handful of the dukkah. Serve the cauliflower salad immediately.

Recipe Notes

  • Roasting the cauliflower in the oven is a more hands-free option. Just toss the cauliflower florets in about 2 teaspoons of olive oil, salt, and some pepper on a baking sheet. Then slide the whole thing into a 400 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until the florets are evenly golden brown.
  • This salad doesn’t have a dressing, and that’s by design because I wanted to go minimal on the effort here (outside of some meditative pistachio shelling). I sauté the cauliflower florets in garlic olive oil and stir them up with lemon juice, so that treatment sort of becomes the “dressing” in a way.
  • Another thing: most dukkah recipes will have you roasting raw nuts and then salting the dukkah at the end.
  • Ways to use extra dukkah: sprinkle it on your avocado toast, over plates of hummus, on roasted vegetables, stirred up into yogurt-based sauces, spooned straight into your face etc.
A quick and flavourful cauliflower salad with juicy nectarine, avocado and pistachio dukkah. Vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, and grain-free.