This Spicy BBQ Cauliflower Salad Bowl is a medley of exciting textures and bold flavors!, Oven-roasted sweet, spicy and smokey cauliflower on a bed of iceberg, apples pecans, drizzled with creamy Vegan Ranch. A vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free salad recipe that is healthy.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 38 minutes
  • Total time: 48 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the BBQ Cauliflower

  • 1 medium cauliflower head (chopped into florets)
  • 2 tsp oil
  • 1 tsp paprika (half smoked, half sweet)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup or more bbq sauce
  • 2 tsp or more hot sauce

For the Salad

  • 1 small head of iceberg lettuce (chopped)
  • 1 apple (peeled, and chopped small or sliced thin)
  • 1/3 cup chopped pecans (or use toasted sunflower seeds/pumpkin seeds for nut free)
  • 1/4 cup Vegan ranch (or use my basil cream dressing)
  • 1/3 cup thinly sliced carrots
  • Chives for garnish

Method

  1. Chop your cauliflower, and set aside.
  2. In a bowl, mix all your dry spices, and set aside.
  3. Add the oil to the cauliflower, toss well, and rub in so that all the florets are coated well.
  4. Add in the spice mixture and toss well to coat.
  5. Transfer this to a greased or parchment lined baking dish.
  6. Bake at 400 degrees F (C) for 17-18 minutes, then remove from the oven.
  7. Let the cauliflower cool for a few minutes, then drizzle the bbq sauce and hot sauce, and mix well. If you'd like more bbq sauce coating the cauliflower, add some more, and toss within the baking dish, spread the cauliflower out again, and bake again at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is cooked to preference.
  8. Meanwhile, prep your salad by chopping up the lettuce, apples, and carrots. Add them to a bowl, and mix well.
  9. Top the bowl with your baked cauliflower, and a generous drizzle of ranch, and some garnishes like chives or black pepper, and serve! As salad dressing I recommend my vegan ranch(this celery ranch minus celery seeds) ! you can also use my chipotle ranch or basil cream dressing

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.