Cauliflower Crunch Salad with Honey Jalapeño Dressing
Crunchy, Salty, Sweet, and Delicious
Cauliflower Crunch Salad with Honey Jalapeño Vinaigrette is a dish that combines the crispness of fresh, cauliflower florets with the sweetness of dried apricots, the smokiness of bacon, and the crunch of red bell pepper and red onion.
This Cauliflower Crunch Salad has the prefect balance of flavors and textures, brought together by a zesty Honey Jalapeño Vinaigrette made with a salad dressing shortcut.
This salad is perfect for any occasion. It can be a light lunch or a refreshing side dish at a summer barbecue.
This recipe is super easy to make. I use my favorite garlic vinaigrette with some added ingredients to make it extra special but not time consuming.
The creaminess of this dressing really brings the medley of vegetables together.
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The Garlic Vinaigrette
I love this Garlic Expressions dressing. I use it in many recipes including my fantastic Tomato Bruschetta.
This dressing can be found at lots of grocery stores. Most recently I found a 3 pack on sale at Costco.
You can use any garlic vinaigrette, I just prefer to use one that has chunks of actual garlic cloves. I know that Aldi offers one too.
The addition of the jalapeño and the mayo and honey make this dressing perfect. It is spicy, sweet, and creamy yet light.
You can make this dressing and serve it right away, but I do think it is best to make the dressing a day in advance for optimal flavor.
Honey and Jalapeño
The addition of the honey and jalapeño is what makes the dressing sing. It has different layers of flavors that really work well with the mild taste of the cauliflower.
The jalapeño is not TOO spicy, but you can adjust both the jalapeño and the honey to your taste preferences.
A Perfect Blend Of Crunchy Vegetables
The zesty onions and the sweet red bell pepper really compliment the plain, crisp crunch of the cauliflower. I include measurements for the vegetables in this salad, but you can add more if you like.
If you really like onions, you can add a lot more. I have even added green onions before.
Dried Apricots + Perfection
The dried apricots add the perfect sweetness to this salad. I also love their texture.
The pillowy softness is ideal with the crunch of the other vegetables. You will really enjoy the flavor profile of this ingredient with the combination of the veggies and the dressing.
This salad will be a major upgrade to your typical cook out slaw.
Cauliflower Crunch Salad with Honey Jalapeño Dressing
Cauliflower Crunch Salad with Honey Jalapeño Vinaigrette is a salad that combines the crispness of fresh cauliflower florets with the sweetness of dried apricots, the smokiness of bacon, and the crunch of red bell pepper and red onion. This Cauliflower Crunch Salad has the prefect balance of flavors and textures, brought together by a zesty Honey Jalapeño Vinaigrette with a salad dressing shortcut. This salad is perfect for any occasion, whether as a light lunch or a refreshing side dish at a summer barbecue.
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower (you will need approximately 4 to 5 cups of chopped cauliflower)
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1/2 of a large red onion
- 1.5 cups of dried apricots
- 6 strips of thick cut bacon
- 1 jalapeño
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 12 ounce of your favorite garlic vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
- 1/2 tablespoon of dried parsley
- *photo and links to the ingredients I use are in the post before the recipe card.
Instructions
- Wash and dry your head of cauliflower and then chop it into smaller bite sized pieces.
- Wash, dry and finely dice your red pepper.
- Finely dice your red onion.
- Toss your onion, cauliflower and peppers together.
- Carefully seed you jalapeño and finely dice.
- Add your garlic vinaigrette to a bowl and add your diced jalapeño, mayo and honey. Whisk vigorously until the dressing is well combined. You can make this a day in advance and let sit in the fridge.
- Dice your bacon into small pieces and add to a hot pan and cook until crispy. Remove from pan and let drain on some paper towels.
- Finely dice your dried apricots and add half of them to the cauliflower mixture.
- Add about half of the dressing to the cauliflower mixture and toss very well to coat. You can let this sit for about an hour so the cauliflower absorbs some of the dressing OR you can serve right away.
- Just before serving toss again to coat the veggies in the dressing, add the dried parsley, then top with the remaining dried apricots and the bacon. Serve. Serve the remainder of the dressing on the side so others can add more if they want.
*The dressing will be even more flavorful if it sits overnight. The salad tossed in the dressing holds up fairly well in the fridge overnight, although the veggies will soften some.
Looking for another delicious cauliflower recipe? My Cheesy Cauliflower is an easy delicious dinner that even kids will love.