March 29, 2021
When a craving hits, a blog post is born and this buffalo cauliflower salad is no exception. I needed a buffalo sauce fix & cauliflower felt like like a healthy twist on a buffalo chicken classic!
This buffalo cauliflower salad is super addicting, easy to make, and filled with goodies! Crispy oven roasted cauliflower that is tossed in buffalo sauce and topped onto a bed of greens with carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, blue cheese and topped with dairy free ranch dressing. Easy to prep ahead of time and great for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients for the Buffalo Cauliflower Salad with Dairy Free Ranch:
- Cauliflower
- Buffalo Sauce
- Shredded Carrots
- Grape tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Avocado
- Crunchy Romaine or Green leaf lettuce
- Dairy Free Ranch Dressing
- Spices & Seasoning
The only cooking required for this recipe is oven roasting the cauliflower. Prepping the cauliflower only takes about 5 minutes.
To Make In Advance:
The Oven Roasted Cauliflower: Follow the instructions in the recipe to roast the cauliflower. If making in advance, store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The cauliflower can be served on the salad hot, or cold based on your preference.
For the Salad: Wash & Dry all the vegetables. With the exception of the avocado, all the vegetables can be chopped and stored in advance. If making for lunches for the week, the salad can be assembled & stored in individual servings.
For the Ranch: Prepare the ingredients for the dairy free ranch. Ranch can be stored in the fridge for up to 7 days. Even if not making this salad, this ranch is an excellent ranch to keep on hand.
To Serve to Littles:
Serve Cauliflower sans buffalo sauce, but rather naked without any sauce. I serve the salad deconstructed to my toddler, leaving him with a plate of mostly vegetables drizzled in a little bit of ranch.
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment below and rate the recipe! You can also snap a picture and post it on Instagram using the hashtag #eatingataltitude. And of course be sure to follow Eating At Altitude on Instagram. You can also find me on Facebook and Pinterest. xo!
Buffalo Cauliflower Salad with Dairy Free Ranch
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2-3 tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 C clean buffalo sauce or franks red hot
- 6-8 C romaine, chopped about 3 heads
- 1/2 c shredded carrots
- 1/2 C grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 C sliced cucumber
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/4 C blue cheese eliminate for dairy free
- thinly sliced red onion or celery optional
Dairy Free Ranch Dressing
- 1 C paleo or clean mayo
- 1/4 C cilantro sub 2-3 tbsp dill
- 1 clove garlic sub 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp pickle juice
- 2 tbsp water more or less for consistency.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°. Toss the cauliflower florets with the olive oil, making sure they are all coated well. Season with salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder & pepper. Use your hands to toss, making sure all the florets get the seasoning.
- Roast the cauliflower for 10 to 12 minutes, then flip and roast for 10 to 15 more. While the cauliflower is roasting prepare the dressing & salad ingredients.
- Remove the cauliflower and immediately drizzle it with wing sauce.
- For the Ranch: Place all ingredients, except the water, in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add water to reach desired consistency.
- Assemble the salad by building a salad using the salad ingredients. Top with buffalo cauliflower & drizzle with ranch. Enjoy!
