Cornucopia Cauliflower Salad

As I wrote about in my Cranberry Apple Rice post Thanksgiving right around the corner and many people entertaining this time of year or just enjoying dinners together as a family at night I decided to play with more side options. With so many different dietary restrictions out there I wanted to come up with a few dishes that would be great to serve that everyone can enjoy. Whole food side dishes that are full of flavor and healthier alternative to some traditional side dishes while still using the same flavors. One day I played with a couple having a few flavor profiles and ideas in my mind and making a couple options trying to decide which components I like best with each. This salad is actually one I would enjoy as a main dish all by itself! Instead of a side I would add a side to it, like maybe a glass of wine. A mix of riced cauliflower, roasted butternut squash, fresh apples, dried cranberries, onion, and walnuts or pecans. The only thing that I may swap or change out in the future is for those not a fan of onions making it with leeks. Since 3 out of 4 of us are fans of onions I kept the red onions in this one. Whole food goodness this salad is full of flavor and color and you can’t go wrong! Gluten free and vegan this is an option that all can enjoy. Even kids love it! A even took it for lunch the day after since I made a huge batch of it! Lately she has been hit or miss on even her favorite foods and pickier than usual so I was shocked when she asked to take it to school for lunch. This is a cold salad with warm or cooled roasted butternut squash so it can be made ahead and taken to your next family gathering.

Cornucopia Cauliflower Salad
Makes 4 main dish, 12-16 side dish servings
6 c cauliflower rice
1-1.5lb roasted butternut squash, cut into 3/4″ chunks 350 for 30
2 fresh apples, crisp apples such as Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji just not a Red Delicious, Golden Apple, or soft variety
1/2c dried cranberries
1/2c chopped raw unsalted pecans or walnuts (used walnuts)
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1 TBSP lemon juice
sea salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray baking sheet with coconut oil or non stick spray and spread squash out evenly. Roast squash for 20-25 minutes until tender. Rice cauliflower by pulsing in a food processor. Place riced cauliflower in a large bowl. Core and chop apples and toss with lemon juice, discard extra lemon juice. Add roasted butternut squash, warm or cooled, to the rice cauliflower along with apples, cranberries, red onion, and chopped nuts. Toss to mix and season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
This Cornucopia Cauliflower Salad is full of whole food goodness and perfect for Thanksgiving! #vegan #glutenfree #SweatPink Click To Tweet

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