Cauliflower Chopped Salad with Dried Fruit & Nuts

Here's a welcome raw salad, everything you want in a fresh, feel-good side dish — crunchy, chewy, sweet, and nutty, all in every single irresistible bite. No cooking required, just a few quick pulses in a food processor followed by a good toss, this isn't a salad you'll make every day or even every week but you just might finding yourself craving more: it's one to return to again and again.

Memorable Homestyle Whole Food, Made from Scratch. Real Food, Fresh & Inventive. Beautiful Color! Hearty & Filling. Fun Picnic Food. Great for Meal Prep. Potluck & Party Friendly. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real. Naturally Gluten Free. No Added Oil. What're you waiting for?! So Good!!

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COMPLIMENTS!

• "... great recipe!" ~ Songbird
• "... so delicious!!! Thank you! I just loved it." ~ Jan
• "... it's delicious!!! I will definitely make it again." ~ Paula

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What Would You Buy for One Recipe?

"I bought a food processor," my sister announced back in November. "We really like this salad recipe I tried. It's great! But you really can't chop everything fine enough by hand."

So curious, I was! What super-special salad recipe would rouse such serious kitchen appliance-temptation?! Turns out, it was just broccoli and cauliflower, dried fruit, some nuts and seeds, all chopped finely and tossed in a no-oil citrus dressing.

Since I already owned the all-important food processor, there was no waiting on an Amazon delivery. But as luck would have it, I did have everything else on hand – so made my sister's salad on the spot. And another batch the next week. And then a double batch for Thanksgiving. And another double batch for Christmas Eve! And ...

This is such a refreshing salad, so fresh tasting, with excellent crunch. And it's pretty! I happen to like the all-cauliflower version or all-broccoli better in the looks department but that's just me. It's a real crowd pleaser too, an easy one to make ahead to take along to a potluck or party to balance out all the heavy, high-calorie appetizers or snacks. (Hello, Easter?!)

But my sister has nothing on this guy Mike I knew who wanted to make a dessert for a dinner party. He'd had it a a local restaurant, the still much-missed Blue Sky Cafe: chocolate enchiladas stuffed with fruit and whipped cream then drizzled with caramel sauce.

Said Mike came home with a skillet (for the chocolate crepes), a heavy saucepan (for the caramel sauce) and, gracious, a Kitchen Aid mixer (for the whipped cream).

Can you even imagine?! To what extremes will we go when we really-really-really want to make something?!

So here's the question, my fellow home cooks. Who else has bought a kitchen appliance for just one recipe? Would you, ever?

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Recipe Overview: Cauliflower Chopped Salad with Dried Fruit & Nuts

• This salad combines finely chopped cauliflower and other vegetables (about 2/3 of the salad) with dried fruit and nuts (about 1/3) for a balanced mix of tastes and textures. It's all held together by a light lemon vinaigrette sweetened with maple syrup. Its magic is like that of other chopped salads: so many flavors and textures in a single bite.

• When to Serve = since this salad has lots going on, I recommend serving it on the side when the main course is simple, chicken breasts or steaks or plain burgers, say. It also makes a good "under" for a poached egg or a piece of fish.
• Diet Needs & Choices = Vegan + Gluten Free + Dairy Free
• Distinctive Ingredients = Cauliflower + Dried Fruit + Nuts
• Vegetables: cauliflower florets + carrots + arugula
• Dried Fruit: cranberries or cherries + apricots + currants (or raisins)
• Nuts & Seeds: toasted almonds (or pistachios) + sunflower seeds
• Lemon Dressing: lemons + rice vinegar (or another mild, clear vinegar) + maple syrup + salad + pepper
• For Garnish = A dried apricot, cut to splay wide
• Kitchen Tools = A food processor makes quick work of all the chopping
• Hands-On Time = Allow about 25 minutes to make the salad
• Tasting with our Eyes = This is a really pretty salad, especially when made with cauliflower.
• Texture = For a salad, the texture is a little heavy, dense and chewy, there's so much packed into every single bite when all the ingredients are finely chopped.
• Taste = Like other chopped salads, this salad has so many flavors in every bite.
• Techniques = This salad needs a light touch with the food processor, that's why I specify processing the ingredients individually and using the "pulse" action instead of just turning it on.
• Makes = about 8-1/2 cups, that's probably too much for a small household (but the recipe is easily cut in half) and I usually make a double batch for parties.
• So good! I hope you love it!


• This recipe is quite unusual, I don't really have anything that's similar. That said, some might find a comparison to that old church potluck favorite, Broccoli, Bacon & Raisin Salad with Cheddar or to this salad that also mixes vegetables and fruit in an unexpected way, Babe's Naked Fruit & Veggie Salad.
• Not quite what you're looking for? Check out my other salad recipes.

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How to Make a Cauliflower Chopped Salad

The detailed recipe is written in traditional recipe form below but here are the highlights in three steps. You can do this!

• CHOP-CHOP the dried fruit and nuts first, each one by itself, in a food processor. (Some ingredients are small enough, they don't need the food processor.)
• CHOP-CHOP the cauliflower, carrot, arugula and parsley.
• MIX THE LEMON DRESSING in a separate bowl and stir well into the salad.

Here's What's NOT In This Recipe

Sometimes, what's left out of a recipe is just as important as what's put in. That's definitely the case here.

• No added oil or fat!
• No onion!
• No mayo!
• No cheese!

For Best Results

For my weekly column in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, I interviewed chefs and translated their restaurant recipes for home kitchens. The most illuminating question? "How can a home cook ensure the same results?" So now I ask that question of myself, too, for my own recipes. Have another question? Ask away, I'll do my best to answer!

"Pulse" Don't Process With a food processor, it's always tempting to just press "on" and let 'er rip. But here, be sure to just use the pulse button for each ingredient individually, this avoids over processing. You definitely want good crunch not a mushy mess.

I've suggested the number of pulses that work for me but please, watch what's happening in the food processor bowl, gauging for yourself when it's time to quit.

Pull Out a BIG Bowl The ingredients really need several good stirs to mix well, it helps to have lots of room to work in without worrying about anything spilling out.

What About a Broccoli Chopped Salad?

In many recipes, this quick soup say, cauliflower and broccoli are interchangeable.

And at first, I found that true for this chopped salad too. But when you make something often, and pay attention, you begin to realize that the two are not 100% interchangeable.

So know this:

• A broccoli version is just as fun, just as inventive, just as unusual.
• Its green color is quite pretty! (And most people will recognize the color as broccoli.)
• To my eyes, the cauliflower version is slightly prettier, there's more contrast in color.
• In addition, the cauliflower version stays fresher a little longer. That matters since the recipe makes a big batch. In addition, the salad is filling, so you're more likely to stick to a smaller serving.

So in the end, I've come to prefer the cauliflower version.

But let's say I were planning to make it for a family dinner but at the grocery, found lackluster cauliflower (it happens) but pretty broccoli. I'd completely be happy to make the broccoli version.

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Hungry Yet?
A Spring Menu

Easy-Easy Marinated Flank Steak
~ or ~
Herb-Coated Broiled Fish

Cauliflower Chopped Salad
(recipe below)

White Rice

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Why I Love This Recipe & You Might Too

• ... it's an unusual combination of familiar ingredients
• ... it's way more than the sum of its parts
• ... like other chopped salads, it has so many flavors and textures in a single bite
• ... it's pretty!
• ... it's both easy to make ahead and carry elsewhere
• Ready to get started? Here's your recipe!

Bookmark! PIN! Share!

How do you save and share favorite recipes? recipes that fit your personal cooking style? a particular recipe your mom or daughter or best friend would just love? If this recipe inspires you, please do save and share! I'd be honored ...

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CAULIFLOWER CHOPPED SALAD

Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Time-to-table: 25 minutes
Makes 8-1/2 cups

For the ingredients which need chopping (not all will), chop each one separately in the food processor and use the "pulse" button rather than the "on" button. Aim for small but distinct bites of each ingredient. You really want to avoid one big, over-processed mushy mess.

FRUIT & NUTS
• 1/2 cup (95g) toasted almonds or pistachios (about 15 pulses in food processor)
• 1/2 cup (55g) dried cranberries or or dried cherries (about 15 pulses)
• 1/2 cup (75g) dried apricot (about 15 pulses)
• 1/2 cup (65g) dried currants (no food processor) or raisins (about 15 pulses)
• 1/2 cup (60g) sunflower seeds (no food processor)

VEGETABLES & GREENS
• 1/2 large head of cauliflower (about 1lb/450g after trimming), mostly tender florets (about 15 pulses)
• 2 - 3 carrots (about 100g), trimmed and peeled (about 15 pulses)
• Big handful arugula (about 50g) (about 25 pulses, arugula and parsley together)
• Big handful parsley or dill (about 30g), leaves and stems both okay

LEMON DRESSING
• 4 tablespoons (50g) fresh lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons (55g) unseasoned rice vinegar
• 4 tablespoons (78g) maple syrup
• 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (assumes Morton's Kosher Salt, use a scant 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal)
• Pepper to taste

PREP Yes, get out the food processor! Find a very large bowl, one with lots of room for stirring well. I'm not usually a "mise en place" cook but for this salad, I do find it efficient to gather the ingredients together before beginning to chop. I also put out a soup bowl and my kitchen scale, for measuring each ingredient by weight instead of volume.

FRUIT & NUTS Chop the ingredients one by one in the order listed, collecting each one in the large bowl. Stir the dried fruit and nuts really well now, before adding anything else, this will break up the sticky fruit a bit.

VEGETABLES & GREENS Chop the cauliflower in about three batches, then the carrots, add to the same large bowl. Process the arugula and parsley together until fine, add to the bowl. Stir really well, distributing all the ingredients throughout.

LEMON DRESSING Mix the dressing ingredients separately, sprinkle over the salad mixture in two batches, stirring really well after each one to wet all the ingredients. FYI, the dressing itself will taste really salty, that's because it's seasoning the entire salad.

TIMING TIP While you can definitely serve this salad as soon as it's made, it also holds well for several days. Just give the container a tip or two before serving to re-distribute the Lemon Dressing.

WHERE TO FIND THESE INGREDIENTS It's a point of pride for me that my recipes don't usually require extra grocery stops. But this recipe does take a little effort, even for me. I tend to make it during/after the holidays to use up dried fruit and nuts used in Christmas baking. But. Here are my shopping tips. If you live near a Trader Joe's, you're in. Buy the dried cranberries and apricots there, also the arugula, pre-toasted almonds, arugula, lemons and maple syrup. (TJ's also sells cauliflower and parsley but it never looks very fresh to me.) At a grocery store with a good produce section, buy the cauliflower, the parsley, rice vinegar and importantly, the currants in the same spot as the raisins. If a Trader Joe's isn't handy, the ingredients are likely found at a good well-stocked grocery store, though, in my experience, at higher cost.

WHAT ABOUT A BROCCOLI CHOPPED SALAD? My sister's inspiring recipe called for a mix of cauliflower and broccoli but I soon found that for appearance's sake, all cauliflower or all broccoli is prettier. But then I realized that to my eyes, a Cauliflower Chopped Salad is not only a little prettier but it also stays fresh longer than the same salad made with broccoli. It's because cauliflower florets are sturdier, where as the very tips of broccoli florets are a little more soft and leafy. That means that the broccoli version can turn a little skunky on the second or third day. In the end, I "like" a Broccoli Chopped Salad but "crave" a Cauliflower Chopped Salad.

ALANNA's TIPS For a smaller household, consider a half batch. For parties, consider a double batch, people really appreciate a good salad, a healthy option. The dried fruit is a bit sticky to chop evenly in a food processor. To make this a bit easier, try two things. First, for the apricots, cut the apricots into quarters with a knife before moving to the food processor. Second, for the apricots, cranberries or cherries, and raisins if using, borrow the salt from the dressing, using a half teaspoon with each one. The salt somehow gives the blade something to grab onto, it really helps. I can't think why but dried cranberries chop a little more easily than dried cherries. It's harder to find big bunches of fresh dill but if you can find enough, fresh dill is especially good with cauliflower.

FOR MORE INFO If you "skipped straight to the recipe," please scroll back to the top of this page for ingredient information, ingredient substitutions, tips and more. Confused about salt, these days? No wonder, it is confusing. Check my FAQs for an explanation. If you print this recipe, you'll want to check the recipe online for even more tips and extra information about ingredient substitutions, best results and more. See https://www.kitchenparade.com/2025/03/cauliflower-chopped-salad.html .

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Half Cup: 111 Calories; 5g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 49mg Sodium; 16g Carb; 3g Fiber; 11g Sugar; 3g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 2 & PointsPlus 3 & SmartPoints 4 & FreeStyle 4 & myWW green 4 & blue 4 & purple 4 & future WW points CALORIE COUNTERS 100-calorie serving = scant half cup (3g protein).

RECIPE HISTORY Back in the day, I was known as the veggie evangelist at A Veggie Venture, my food blog where this recipe was first published back in 2018. Over time, the Cauliflower Chopped Salad became such a staple, so useful, it's now found a home here at Kitchen Parade.

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If you like Kitchen Parade's recipes, you'll love A Veggie Venture, my food blog about vegetables with more from-scratch recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, home to the famous Alphabet of Vegetables and vegetables in every course, seasonal to staples, savory to sweet, salads to sides, soups to supper, simple to special.

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• SO ORGANIZED! By Ingredient, Kitchen Parade recipes listed ingredient by ingredient, so much easier than search.

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, for more scratch cooking recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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