Spicy Creole Cauliflower Salad
This recipe is about as close as I have ever gotten to venturing into the realm of Cajun Cuisine. With barley, black-eyed peas and cauliflower, it’s a complete protein meal with enough fiber to use a whole roll of toilet paper.
Ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower, chopped in bite-sized pieces
½ large red onion, thinly sliced
1 large bell pepper, chopped (any color, I used a combination of red, orange, yellow and green)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 ½ teaspoon salt
2 cups black-eyed peas, pre-cooked
2 cups barley, pre-cooked (can use faro or brown rice)
1 tablespoon sweetener, either agave or maple syrup
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons paprika
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon celery salt
1-2 links of sautéed vegan sausage
Garnish (optional)
Fresh tomatoes
Green onion
Melted vegan cheese and/or vegan ranch dressing
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
2. In a large bowl, toss cauliflower, red onion, bell pepper, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and 1 ½ teaspoon salt. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, stirring half way through.
3. In the meantime, place the black-eyed peas and the barley in a large bowl, add all of the remaining spices, sweetener and 1 tablespoon olive oil, once the veggies are done cooking, add to the bowl and toss until the spices are well distributed. At this point, you can play around with the seasonings and adjust to your liking. You can also add sauteed vegan sausage.
4. Garnish with fresh tomatoes, green onion, and vegan cheese (optional). It is also good with vegan ranch drizzled over the top, the combination of the warm salad with the cool ranch…yum.
