You’re pretty sure to be the only person to bring this salad to the next potluck.
It’s unusual.
This recipe is adapted from one that appears in Hetty McKinnon’s imaginitive salad cookbook, Neighborhood. I find myself repeatedly going to her cookbooks when I want something out of the ordinary. This particular recipe combines cumin-scented roasted cauliflower with fried lentils and serves the whole thing atop a bed of creamy spinach yogurt. With a good deal of fresh mint involved, the delicious end result leans toward Middle Eastern flavors.
Unusual? What was the last time you put the salad dressing on the bottom of the salad?
Here is my adaptation of McKinnon’s recipe. You can buy her cookbook Neighborhood on Amazon here.
I posted one of McKinnons other great recipes here. It is a recipe for Gorgonzola Baked Fennel With Cannellini Beans, Tomatoes, Olives and Pine Nuts. You might want to give it another look. It, too, is delicious.
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 cauliflower head (cut into florets)
- 1/2 T. ground cumin
- 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 T. extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 C. puy lentils (rinsed)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 garlic clove (finely chopped)
- 1 t. ground coriander
- 1/2 t. paprika
- 1/4 C. cilantro leaves (chopped)
- 1/4 C. mint leaves
- 1 1/2 T. roughly chopped toasted almonds
- Sea Salt and black pepper
- Cherry tomatoes for garnish
- 1/2 C. baby spinach leaves (washed thoroughly and finely chopped)
- 1/2 T. salted capers (rinsed and finely chopped)
- 3/4 C. Greek yogurt
- 1/4 C. mint leaves
- 1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1/4 lemon
- Sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cut the cauliflower head into florets and spread the florets on a large baking tray. Sprinkle the florets with cumin and drizzle with olive oil. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes until the caulifower florets begin to take on a little color. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and cook the lentils and the bay leaf for 20-25 minutes. You want the lentils to be just tender. Drain.
- Make the spinach yogurt by putting spinach, capers, yogurt, mint and olive oil into a food processor. Process until smooth. Season to taste with lemon juice and salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 T. oil in a frying pan and saute the lentils, garlic, coriander, and paprika over a medium-high heat (shaking the pan to move the lentils around as you saute them) until the lentils are slightly crispy and the spices are fragrant. You may need to use extra olive oil (I did). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To assemble the salad, spread the spinach yogurt across the bottom of a large serving plate. Use a white plate. The contrast between the white plate and the green spinach yogurt gives you a pretty presentation. Spoon the fried lentils on top of the spinach yogurt and put the roasted cauliflower florets on top of the lentils. Drizzle with a little more olive oil. Sprinkle mint and cilantro leaves on top of the salad. Sprinkle the almonds on top and garnish with cherry tomatoes.
