Spiced Cauliflower and Chickpea Rice Salad

There’s nothing quite like a salad hearty enough to have as a meal and this one is loaded up to the max!

Sometimes it’s hard to get the family on board when it comes to salads but when you load them up with a variety of cooked and raw vegetables, spices, flavour, protein and carbs they become an exciting meal that everyone will actually want to eat.

The leftovers are perfect for kids lunchboxes the next day too.

If you’re looking for more recipe inspiration take a look at my ebook, Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes.

It’s packed with 40 delicious nut-free, refined sugar free sweet and savoury recipes which have all been kid-tested and approved and take the guess work out of what delicious, healthy food to make your kids for lunch!

Many of the ingredients in this recipe can be sourced from my one-stop-favourite, organic wholefoods online store, The Wholefood Collective. They go to great lengths to ensure everything they source is amazing quality, they stock all my favorite products and I don’t even have to leave the house! Oh and the cherry on the cake is they donate profits to improve food security for vulnerable Aussies.

Here are some of the ingredients you’ll need:

Basmati Rice
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Ground Cumin
Turmeric
Coriander
Onion Powder
Chilli Flakes
Chickpeas
Sea salt
Cracked Black Pepper

Spiced Cauliflower and Chickpea Rice Salad

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1/2 medium cauliflower
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp each ground cumin, turmeric, coriander, onion powder (onion powder optional)
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 red capsicum, sliced
• 1 tin chick peas, rinsed well
• 1 block Greek or Danish feta, cubed
• handful olives
• 2 large mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 handfuls baby spinach

Dressing

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp mustard
• pinch sea salt and cracked black pepper

Instructions

 

• Heat the oven to 180 C and prepare a large tray with baking paper.
• Cut the cauliflower into small florets and place in a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, add all the spice, stir well and place on the large tray to one side.
• Put the sliced onion, capsicum and garlic into the bowl, drizzle with olive oil, stir, then place on same tray as the cauliflower and pop into the oven for 10 minutes. Check and put back into the oven for another 10 minutes.
• While vegetables are cooking in the oven, cook the rice as per packet instructions.
• Once rice and vegetables are cooked add them to a large salad bowl and mix together.
• Stir through the chickpeas, mushrooms, olives, baby spinach and finally gently toss through the feta.
• Mix together the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad and serve.

Notes

This salad can be served warm or cold and is great for lunchboxes. 

If you make this recipe and share on instagram, remember to tag me @brendajanschek.

Otherwise feel free to pm me your photos via Facebook.

Other rice based dinner recipes you might like are Easy Paella, Middle Eastern Spiced Chickpea Rice and Garlic Prawns and Coconut Rice.