This Cauliflower and Date Salad Is the Best Side Dish

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Cauliflower has been rising in the grocery store ranks for some years now. No longer limited to sad crudités platters, cauliflower can be ground as a substitute for rice, sliced into thick-cut “steaks,” and used as the filling for delicious tacos (yes, really).

But while the recipe I’m about to show you might feature this trendy cruciferous veg, it’s actually not the star of the show. It’s the dates that make this side dish a real winner.

I first tried dates and cauliflower in a recipe from Alison Roman’s first cookbook, Dining In. The combination seemed weird and intriguing, and it really works. There’s something about the sweet, sticky dates and the roasted cauliflower and herbs that work so well together. The dates really make the dish and bring everything together.

This side dish recipe from Every Last Bite is something you could make on a weeknight when friends come over for dinner, or something you could take for an office lunch with some added chicken or other protein. It’s just cauliflower florets, dates, lots of parsley, red onion, pine nuts, and a lemon vinaigrette.

You roast the cauliflower, toss it with the rest of the ingredients, and then mix in the dressing. While the recipe suggests you roast the cauliflower by itself, I’d just go ahead and throw the dates in there as well.

Get the recipe: Roasted Cauliflower, Date, Red Onion, and Parsley Salad from Every Last Bite

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What’s your favorite side dish recipe?