Roasted cauliflower over lentils with chimichurri
Channeling fall with an autumnal side dish
Hi friends. It’s early Saturday morning and I’m writing to you from my sofa, where I’m curled up with a blanket. Outside, it looks like fall – gloomy, still, gray, the ground wet from an early morning drizzle – and I’m ready for it. Ready for cozy, for rain, for the soft glow of a lamp lighting up a window in the evening after a sunset that comes earlier and earlier every day. For braised short ribs or bolognese simmering on the stove while jazz softly plays in the background.
But, for the most part, LA disagrees. It’s been hot – too hot if you ask me. This weekend’s cooler though short-lived forecast is very, very welcome.
The markets seem to be experiencing the same touch of seasonal dissonance. There are still peaches and nectarines piled up, though not quite as high and as bountifully as before. The tomatoes remain vibrantly red and irresistible. My favorites, cherries, are sadly gone.
But next to the remaining summer produce, there are apples of all varieties. There are squashes. So many squashes. Too many squashes. (The outside of Trader Joe’s started to look like the Stars Hollow gazebo during an autumn festival back in August.) My dad’s fig tree is starting to do its thing, with every branch sporting countless little green figs that are just beginning to turn purple. Soon, there will be too many to eat. And whatever the weather, we’ll find ways to use them all.
The hot and the cold had me dreaming up a recipe that could do both. One that could be made ahead and eaten at room temp or straight out of the fridge when the afternoon high hits 90 (which, according to my phone, it will again next week), but also made just before eating and served hot to warm, soothe, and delight.
Cauliflower feels very autumnal to me, as do lentils. The cauliflower is roasted with onions to bring in a wonderful caramelized flavor, and I used pre-cooked lentils for ease, though you could definitely whip up a batch of dry ones if you wish. Dry lentils cook very quickly. Parmesan and walnuts add rich saltiness and crunch, and a chimichurri-inspired sauce-slash-dressing takes what might otherwise just be a pile of vegetables and makes it a dish.
You can serve this as a side, or as a main, or you can meal prep it at the beginning of the week to enjoy for lunch. It keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days. You’ll see in the video that I layered everything up on a beautiful platter, but you could just as easily mix all the ingredients in a bowl to create a hearty salad, served warm or cold. As always, I want you to think of my recipes as starting points for you to make your own.
1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
1 red onion, sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp each of cumin, garlic powder, and sea salt
1/3 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
4 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves removed from stem and finely chopped
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced or microplaned
1/8-1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
Optional: red pepper flakes or chopped jalapeño
2 1/2 cups cooked lentils (I used 1 package of the Trader Joe’s steamed lentils, warmed according to the directions and tossed with a drizzle of olive oil)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 400. Toss the cauliflower and onion with olive oil and spices and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for around 30 minutes, mixing halfway through, until the onions are beginning to caramelize and the cauliflower is browned.
Meanwhile, mix together the chopped herbs, red wine vinegar, garlic, sugar, red pepper flakes or jalapeno if you’re using it, and salt. Drizzle in your olive oil and mix. Taste and adjust for salt if needed. Sugar isn’t traditional here, but I find it balances out the acidity of the sauce.
If layering this dish up, spoon the lentils onto a platter and top with the roasted veggies. Shave some parmesan cheese over the top (measure with your heart), sprinkle on the walnuts, and top with the chimichurri. If making this into a salad, add all ingredients to a bowl and mix. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.