This cauliflower salad isn’t just a salad! It’s a crispy, no-lettuce-allowed salad of dreams.

Combing roasted cauliflower and Zereshk (dried Branberry; used A LOT in Persian dishes) leaves you with an amazing burst of flavours in one bite. It’s unlike anything I’ve tried before yet still tastes like comfort food and goes down really well on a table to feast!

If you want to cut down on prep time, roast the cauliflower up to six hours in advance, keep it at room temperature and combine it with the remaining ingredients when you’re ready to eat.

Ingredients:

1 large cauliflower

1 large onion, thinly sliced

3 tbsp olive oil

1 cup tarragon, chopped

1 cup Zereshk/Branberries, soaked in hot water

1 cup lentils, boiled

2 spring onions, sliced

Dressing:

2 heaped tbsp creme fraiche, I used Oatly

1 tbsp tahini

1 lemon, juice

Salt to taste

2 tbsp water

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Coarsely chop the cauliflower into small florets and set aside in a bowl to wash.

Toss everything together with 1 tbsp of olive oil and salt, then spread on a baking tray. Roast for about 20 minutes, until cooked through and golden-brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

In a pan, heat oil to a medium heat and fry the onions until golden.

Once cool, put the roasted cauliflower into a large bowl with the remaining oil, the zereshk, onion (both the fried and spring), and cooked lentils.

Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a medium sized bowl and whisk. Pour the dressing over the cauliflower mix.

Toss gently, just to combine, then transfer to a plate. Serve and enjoy!