Buffalo Cauliflower Kale Salad
on Apr 20, 2020, Updated Sep 11, 2024
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This vegan buffalo cauliflower kale salad is easy to make in about 40 minutes and features spicy baked cauliflower mixed with kale, roasted red onions, avocado, tahini, and vegan parmesan.
About the Recipe
- vegan and gluten-free – this recipe is great for those with dietary restrictions
- easy to make – once you prep the cauliflower and get it in the oven, the rest of the salad is quick and easy to throw together in about 40 minutes
- for the hot wing lovers – if you love hot wings, this salad will satisfy a craving while getting in plenty of nutrition, you can also try them in Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos and Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Wraps.
Ingredients
- Cauliflower. You’ll need a whole, medium-sized head of cauliflower. It doesn’t have to be an exact amount.
- Buffalo sauce. I used Frank’s Buffalo Sauce but any kind works.
- Brown rice flour. Can be substituted with wheat or spelt flour.
- Red onion. A medium-sized red onion is great, exact size doesn’t matter.
- Kale. Any kind of kale works! Wash, de-stem and chop it up nice and fine.
- Tahini or tahini sauce. Drizzle the salad with plain tahini or make a quick lemon tahini sauce.
- Avocado. Use 1/4-1/2 an avocado per salad – up to you!
- Vegan parmesan (optional). Use store-bought vegan parmesan or try this Vegan Parmesan Cheese,
This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Wash and chop the cauliflower and place it in a large bowl. Mix up the batter ingredients in a separate bowl them add it to the cauliflower and mix it all up.
After baking for 25 minutes, add the buffalo sauce right onto the baking tray, mix and bake another 10 minutes until tender and browned.
Step 2: Slice up the onion, toss with olive oil, sat and pepper and bake for 20 minutes until tender and starting to brown. It can go into the oven at the same time as the cauliflower, even on the same tray.
Step 3: While the cauliflower and onion are baking, prepare the salad so you’re all ready to go when it’s done. Remove the kale leaves from the tough stem, wash and finely chop.
Drizzle with about 1/2 tsp olive oil and massage with your hands until softened. I like to add a squeeze of lemon juice too.
Why massage the kale? Raw kale is tough and bigger. Massaging it with a dressing or a bit of oil, softens it and improves its taste and digestibility. To massage kale, massage and squeeze it with your hands for 1-2 minutes until it softens and darkens in color.
Top the kale with buffalo cauliflower, roasted red onion, avocado, tahini and vegan parmesan and dig in!
Tips and FAQs
- Serving size. The cauliflower makes enough for 4 salads. Adjust the rest of the ingredients based on how many servings you want. Just making 1 salad? Save the leftover cauliflower for snacking or for making
- Ingredient swaps. No red onion? Any kind of onion works. No cauliflower? Try buffalo or bbq chickpeas instead.
- If you want to add a sauce, try this miso tahini sauce, tofu-based vegan ranch, tahini ranch dressing or vegan tzatziki.
How should I store leftovers?
Leftover baked cauliflower can be stored in the fridge for a few days. It will get a bit soggy but you can reheat it in the oven for a few minutes to crisp it back up and it’s still super tasty! Assembled salads can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Can I make this oil-free?
Yes. You can omit the oil from the buffalo cauliflower recipe and roast the onion without oil. Balsamic vinegar works well for roasting the onion if you want to try it!
Related Recipes
- Vegan Lentil Kale Salad with Roasted Broccoli
- Mediterranean Kale Salad
- Roasted Chickpea Kale Salad
- Avocado Kale Salad
- Carrot Beet Kale Salad with Roasted Potatoes
- Roasted Cauliflower Salad
For more buffalo recipes, try my vegan buffalo dip, buffalo chickpea stuffed sweet potatoes or buffalo cauliflower wraps.
Buffalo Cauliflower Kale Salad
Ingredients
For the Buffalo Cauliflower
For the Roasted Red Onions
- 1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1/4 tsp olive oil
- pinch of sea salt and pepper
For the Kale Salad
- 6 cups of de-stemmed and finely chopped kale, about 1.5 cups per salad
- 8 tbsp tahini, lemon tahini sauce or ranch tahini sauce (about 2 tbsp per salad)
- squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- 2 avocados, peeled and diced (1/2 an avocado per salad)
- 6 scallions, finely chopped (a few tbsp per salad)
- 8 tbsp vegan parmesan, optional (make your own with cashews or almonds and nutrition yeast)
Instructions
- To Make the Buffalo Cauliflower
- Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.
- Place the chopped cauliflower in a large bowl.
- Mix the flour, water, garlic and salt and pepper in a bowl then add to the cauliflower and mix to coat.
- Place the cauliflower in a single layer on a parchment or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. While that’s baking, mix the buffalo sauce and olive oil in a small dish.
- After 20 minutes or so, coat the cauliflower with the buffalo sauce mixture then bake for another 10 minutes until starting to brown. You can broil for the last few minutes for a little extra crisp. Be careful not to burn it though.
To Make the Roasted Red Onion
- Slice the red onion, drizzle it with a tiny bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place on a parchment or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet and add to the oven with the cauliflower.
- Bake for about 20 minutes until starting to brown.
To Make the Kale Salad
- While the cauliflower and onions are baking, tear the amount of kale you want into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl. Drizzle with tahini, add a spritz of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of sea salt and then rub it all in with your hands until all the kale is coated. If you’re making more than a single serving, add all the kale to a large bowl and massage with the tahini, lemon and salt before dividing it into serving bowls. Set aside.
- Once the cauliflower and onions are ready, you can assemble the salads.
- For each salad, start with a base of kale, then top with cauliflower, red onion, avocado, green onions and a generous sprinkling of vegan parmesan.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published September 12, 2017.
This salad is simple and fast to make and is so full of flavor, super delicious and oh so good for you. Thank you for this recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it!
All I can say about this recipe is YES!!!
I have made buffalo cauliflower many times but I have never used rice flour. I like the texture.
I added cayenne and onion powder and fresh garlic to the flour. YUM
Perfect weeknight dinner
Awesome, Stacy, so glad you liked it!!
Love buffalo cauliflower as a side. We make it all the time. But haven’t thought to include in a salad. Good idea. Thanks!
Yes, give it a try! It’s so good!!
What an interesting dish! Have never seen anything like it.
I’ve been addicted to this salad! Ate it every day for lunch last week!
Amazing!! Haha, I need to make it again! So happy to hear you’re enjoying it.
Can you please save me a plate? I wish I could reach through the PC and grab this delicious looking meal. Avocado is a must in a controlled diet b/c it’s healthy fat and a natural source of Testosterone for Men. 🙂