Pesto Cauliflower & Potato Salad

This classic combination of pesto and potatoes is lightened up with irresistible grilled cauliflower. For a more substantial pesto entrée, replace half or all of the cauliflower with pasta, preferably those tight little twists called gemelli. From Salad Samurai: 100 Cutting-Edge, Ultra-Hearty, Easy-to-Make Salads You Don’t Have to Be Vegan to Love* by Terry Hope Romero. Reprinted courtesy of Da Capo Lifelong Books, ©2014. Photos by Vanessa K. Rees.

Recipe

Pesto Cauliflower and Potato Salad

This classic combination of pesto and potatoes is lightened up with irresistible grilled cauliflower.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Potato salad

Cuisine: Vegan / Healthy

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: pesto and potato salad, potato salad recipe

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 3 to 4

Calories: 231kcal

Author: Veg Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 ⁄2 pound cauliflower about ½ small or ¼ medium cauliflower
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 ⁄2 pound waxy yellow or white potatoes unpeeled
• 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
• 1 ⁄4 cup chopped toasted walnuts or toasted pine nuts

Basil Pesto Dressing

• 11 ⁄2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic peeled
• 1 ⁄2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1 ⁄2 teaspoon salt
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Remove the thick inner stem from the cauliflower, slice into thick 1-inch slabs.
• Preheat a cast-iron grill pan over high heat.
• Rub the cauliflower with olive oil and arrange the pieces in a single layer in the preheated pan.
• Grill the cauliflower until charred on the outside and crisp-tender inside, about 4 to 5 minutes, flipping halfway through.
• Transfer the cauliflower to a cutting board, chop into bite-size pieces, and place in a large mixing bowl.
• Peel and dice the potato into 1⁄2-inch pieces, transfer to a large saucepan, cover with 4 inches of cold water, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the potatoes for 6 to 8 minutes, or until almost tender.
• Stir in the peas and cook another minute. Reserve 1⁄4 cup of cooking water, then drain the potatoes and peas and rinse with cold water. Add these vegetables to the cauliflower.
• In a food processor, pulse together the pesto ingredients plus 2 tablespoons of the potato cooking water until smooth. Spoon onto the vegetables, add the nuts, and combine thoroughly.
• Cover and chill for 10 minutes to blend flavors. Serve the salad slightly chilled or at room temperature. Garnish each serving with a few nuts.

Nutrition

Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 959mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 450IU | Vitamin C: 129mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 2mg

Vegan-ize any recipe!Grab our free vegan cheat sheet, packed with my favorite easy substitutions to make any recipe vegan.

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• See more of VegKitchen’s recipes for potato salads.
• Here are more recipes for cauliflower and broccoli.

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