Roasted Cauliflower & Chickpeas Salad

I've just experimented with this great salad, very easy to make in a small-size air fryer. It tasted so good I wanted to share the recipe. And of course to keep it here for myself, for easy access.

What you will need for roasting:

• 1 medium head of cauliflower
• 1 cup of chickpeas
• olive oil and seasoning to taste

What you will need for the dressing:

• 100 grams (4 ounces) of any soft cheese like Feta
• 2 celery stalks, cut into half an inch pieces
• parsley, dill and other fresh herbs you like - stalks only
• half a cup of kefir or plain yogurt

To assemble the salad, you will also need

• top parts of parsley and dill, cut finely
• 6 quail eggs or 2 chicken eggs, hard boiled and cubed

Steps:

1. If you have dry chickpeas, soak them in water for at least a couple of hours before cooking them (I usually soak them overnight). Cook thoroughly. If you use canned chickpeas, strain them really well.

2. Cut cauliflower into bite-size pieces and prepare them for roasting by spreading evenly on the air fryer liner.

3. Add chickpeas on top of cauliflower. Sprinkle them with olive oil and your favorite seasoning. I am in Georgia now, so I used spiced-up Svan salt and paprika.

4. Roast at 165C (330C) for about 15 min, turning and stirring after about 8 min.

5. While your air fryer is roasting, prepare the dressing: Combine all ingredients in the blender and blend thoroughly until smooth consistency. If it becomes too thick, add more kefir or yogurt to it.

• This is a chance for you to use every part of your favorite herbs. I always feel bad about throwing out the fresh parsley and dill stalks as I don't like how hard they are on your teeth in the salads. Like little tree branches. So putting them through the blender gives you an opportunity to enhance the dressing with nutrients and concentrated taste. But if you don't like that idea, you can always throw them into your compost bin.

6. Divide the dressing into two parts - there will be too much of it for one salad and I'll give you another easy salad recipe as a bonus, in which you can use the second half.

7. When cauliflower and chickpeas are done, take them out of the air fryer and put them into your favorite salad bowl.

7. Add parsley, dill, and eggs. This is how it looked before the last step on my prep table, next to the air fryer and the personal travel blender I used, still with half of the dressing in it.

8. Add the dressing, mix well and enjoy!

9. Optional: Top with pumpkin, pine, or sesame seeds as a single enhancer or mix them all together. Don't use the salad toppers with raisins or cranberries, though, as it may add overpowering flavor. But if you like to experiment, why not try them all, right?

***

Oh boy, every time I write a story for the Feast Community it gives me anxiety that I will not be able to write the recipe in 600 word minimum. Vocal should really remove this limit, I believe. I'd publish a lot more short and easy recipes then.

So here's a bonus salad I promised. It's also very easy and has only three main ingredients:

1. Shred or finely cut 1/4 of a medium-sized cabbage.

2. Add half a can of canned sweet corn.

3. Add the remaining portion of your dressing from the previous salad and mix well.

4. Again, as an option, top it off with any seeds you like or have on hand.

I don't have a picture of a cabbage salad - we ate it right away after I made it. But I'm sure you'll enjoy it!