Healthy Grated Cauliflower Salad

Packed full of fruits and vegetables, this Healthy Grated Cauliflower Salad is crunchy, satisfying, and big on nutrition.

The first three months of the year are the months I typically eat the most raw vegetables. Why? Because I’ve just finished the three months of the year when I eat the most candy and baked sweets! I consider the first few months of a new year to be kind of a dietary reset period in which I decrease processed foods, flour, and sugary desserts and opt for raw salads with crunchy veggies instead.

Since I do this annually, I have a decent-sized collection of raw salad recipes that are densely packed with lots of fruits and vegetables. In my opinion, a delicious raw salad needs to have a few components: a cruciferous veggie for crunch, a sweet fruit, a salty element, and an amazing homemade dressing.

This healthy grated cauliflower salad has all of those things and more, so it’s satisfying on a lot of levels. The sweetness of the apple juice combines with the nutty tahini flavor and the lemon’s acidity for a well-rounded dressing, with flavor pops from the refreshing mint and cilantro. Apples and cauliflower join forces to give the salad a good crunch, and the spinach gives a beautiful green hue to the plate. Make this salad when you need some healthy satisfaction after all the sweet holiday spoils!

Is This Grated Cauliflower Salad Healthy?

Why yes, it is. It’s low in fat, and due to all the vegetables, it’s high in fiber. The salad has tons of vitamin A thanks to the carrots and spinach, some vitamin C thanks to the lemon juice, and both the spinach and cauliflower contribute lots of potassium. There’s a small amount of protein courtesy of the tahini. It’s already quite a healthy dish, but if you’re worried about its sodium content, you might consider decreasing the amount of salt in the recipe or leaving it out altogether.

Overall, this recipe is vegan and gluten-free, so it’s suitable for a lot of different diets and lifestyles.

Mix And Match Your Ingredients

This recipe creates a tasty salad as written, but it’s also easy to customize based on your taste preferences. Try my favorite yummy swaps!

• Massaged kale instead of spinach. Kale gives a little extra texture to the mix compared to spinach.
• Almond butter instead of tahini. If you aren’t a fan of tahini’s sesame flavor, try almond butter instead!
• Dried cranberries instead of golden raisins. Cranberries add a bit more tartness to the salad compared to raisins.
• Basil instead of mint. Mint can be a bit overpowering for some people, and basil is a pleasing substitute that’s still in the mint family.
• Parsley instead of cilantro. Are you one of those people who thinks cilantro tastes like soap? I can’t relate, but I can offer you a parsley substitute.
• Broccoli instead of cauliflower. If you happen to have broccoli on hand, you don’t necessarily need to rush out the door to grab cauliflower for this recipe. Broccoli works just fine in place of cauliflower here!

Serving Suggestions

Serve up this tasty, crunchy salad alongside light mains, such as Juicy Grilled Chicken Breast, a creamy Cottage Cheese Sandwich, or a simple serving of Black Beans for protein.

This salad also shines in a potluck setting or buffet. To feed a crowd, a big batch of this salad goes great with Deviled Egg Pasta Salad, Ground Turkey Zucchini Boats, or these fun Grape Jelly Meatballs.

Recipe