Roasted Cauliflower, Feta, Orzo Salad
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
Roasted Cauliflower and Orzo
- 1 small head cauliflower broken into florets (about 5 cups)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper about 6-10 twists
- 1 cup orzo pasta
Lemony-Dijon Dressing and Salad
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 cup freshly-crumbled feta cheese*
- ⅔ cup dried cherries preferably sour Montmorency cherries
- 4 cups baby spinach or arugula
Instructions
Cauliflower and Orzo
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prep the cauliflower florets and mince the garlic. Toss the cauliflower florets together with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the garlic, salt, and cracked pepper. Spread the florets on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until the edges are charred, about 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, in a pot of salted boiling water, cook the orzo according to the package directions, but for 1 or 2 minutes less than called for (so it’s just a little underdone). Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water, drain well, and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil right in the colander.
Salad and Lemony-Dijon Dressing
- In a big bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add the cooked orzo, roasted cauliflower, onion, feta, and cherries and toss until coated with the dressing. Throw the spinach on top and toss one more time. Taste, and add more salt if you’d like.
Notes
*My favorite is Israeli feta. French feta will be a bit milder and creamier, Greek feta is a little saltier.