Spiced Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad with Crushed Olives

This is such a cozy salad. Have you ever described a salad as cozy? I’m not totally sure I have, save for maybe a hot potato salad. This Spiced Cauliflower & Chickpea Salad with Crushed Olives is warmly, richly spiced with Ras el Hanout, a gorgeous North African spice blend that will make your home smell unbelievable and will help you build a really beautiful warm salad.

This is also a really flexible sort of recipe. You do not need to adhere exactly to the amounts of things I’ve listed. You can use more or less cauliflower, halloumi, olives, and chickpeas. Have some carrots? Throw them on the sheet pan, too! Have some raisins or golden raisins, or even dates? Those would all be wonderful in this salad. Just use what you like, keeping my ideas as an easy guide, and you’ll be well on your way to a wonderful, nourishing meatless meal. 

What is Ras el Hanout?

Ras el hanout or rass el hanout is a spice mix used in varying forms throughout Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. “It plays a similar role in North African cuisine as garam masala does in Indian cuisine.” The name in Arabic means “head of the shop” and implies a mixture of the best spices the seller has to offer.” – source, Wikipedia

Sometimes referred to as mrouzia spice, the blend is often used to intensely flavor Mrouzia, a famed lamb and honey dish that is warmly scented with Ras el Hanout.

A simple and classic Ras el Hanout blend made from pre-ground spices includes:

2 tsp Ginger

2 tsp Cardamom

2 tsp Mace

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Allspice

1 tsp Coriander

1 tsp Nutmeg

1 tsp Turmeric

½ tsp Black pepper

½ tsp White Pepper

½ tsp Cayenne

½ tsp Anise Seeds

¼ tsp Cloves

What you’ll need to make this cauliflower salad:

1 head cauliflower, broken into individual florets (trimmed as needed)

14.5-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1.5 to 2 cups pitted olives (pick your favorite! I use buttery, mild green)

2 tsp Ras el Hanout seasoning (see note for other suggestions)

2 tsp salt, cracked pepper to taste

1 romaine heart, roughly chopped

½ shallot, thinly sliced (see note for how to mellow out the heat/intensity)

¼ lb. halloumi cheese (give or take) sliced into about ¼-inch pieces

Olive oil, for roasting the veggies and toasting the halloumi

For the Tahini Lemon Dressing 

1/4 cup tahini

3 TBSP olive oil

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ garlic clove

Salt and pepper, to taste

How to make this Spiced Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad with Crushed Olives:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Adjust the rack to the top third position of the oven.

Put the cauliflower, olives, and chickpeas onto a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil to coat, a couple of tablespoons should be enough. Season with the Ras el Hanout and the salt and pepper. Tos well to coat everything as best you can. Roast until the cauliflower is browned and tender; about 25 minutes. Crank the heat up to broil (high) and broil for about 1 minute or so, just to get a little char on the cauliflower. 

Meanwhile, in a smallish skillet over medium heat, toast the halloumi slices in a small amount of olive oil (like, a teaspoon or two) until they’re golden brown on one side. Remove from the heat (I like to leave the other side un-toasted and soft).

To assemble, add the romaine to a large bowl or platter (or you can do individual servings). Pile the roasted cauliflower, olives, and chickpeas on top, and scatter the (drained) shallots all around, along with the toasted halloumi. Serve with the Garlicky Tahini Lemon Dressing. 

To make the Tahini Lemon Dressing, combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process/blend until smooth. Taste, and adjust any ingredients to suit your preference.

NOTE 1: If you can’t find Ras el Hanout or don’t care to buy it. You can substitute a blend of cardamom, S&P, cloves, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, and turmeric. See the deets in the post to learn about what a simple Ras el Hanout consists of, and play around with what you’ve got hiding in your spice drawer! This is a GREAT recipe to use up some spices. Or, just use cumin and call it good (I find it adds the perfect warmth to so many things). 

NOTE 2: To mellow out the (often intense) heat and flavor of the fresh shallots, you can put the sliced shallots in some ice water for about 10 to 15 minutes, while you assemble the rest of the salad, and the water will draw out some of the intensity. 

If you like the looks of this Spiced Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad with Crushed Olives, you might also enjoy:

Autumn Harvest Crunch Salad

Pizza Night Salad

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