Chef Yotam Ottolenghi can do no wrong. The Israeli-British chef, restaurant owner, and prolific bestselling cookbook author is a master of making whole, nourishing ingredients sing. His recipes are vibrant, fresh, and complex in flavor and texture — yet still cozy and familiar-feeling. His latest cookbook, Ottolenghi SIMPLE, showcases his sophisticated style in a stripped down format specifically designed for busy people.
SIMPLE’s title is actually an acronym, which breaks down the kind of culinary experience you can expect to find within its pages: S – short on time. I – ingredients: 10 or fewer. M – make ahead. P – pantry lead. L – Lazy day dishes. E – easier than you think.
The recipe we’re sharing just below is one of many we’ve dogeared in the book to make this fall. Crafted almost entirely out of fresh veggies and flavorful herbs, this seasonal dish is healthy but quick to pull together, and 100% crave-worthy. Here’s Ottolenghi with notes…
It was a little moment of revelation, I remember, when I first combined roasted cauliflower and raw grated cauliflower in the same dish. So different from one another, but worked so well combined. This is lovely as it is, served as part of a spread or spooned alongside some roast chicken or lamb. Don’t throw away the leaves of the cauliflower here. They’re delicious to eat, roasted and crisp, or grated raw as you would the rest of the cauliflower. If you want to get ahead, roast the cauliflower up to four to six hours in advance. Keep at room temperature and then combine with the remaining ingredients when ready to serve.
Cauliflower, Pomegranate + Pistachio Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 extra-large cauliflower (1¾ lb)
1 small onion, roughly sliced (¾ cup)
1/3 cup olive oil
salt
1¼ cups parsley, roughly chopped
½ cup mint, roughly chopped
½ cup tarragon, roughly chopped
seeds from ½ medium pomegranate (mounded ½ cup)
1/3 cup shelled pistachios, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1½ Tbsp lemon juice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Coarsely grate a third of the cauliflower and set aside in a bowl. Break remaining cauliflower into florets, roughly 1¼ inches, and add to a separate bowl with the cauliflower leaves, if you have any, and the onion. Toss everything together with 2 Tbsp of oil and ¼ tsp of salt, then spread out on a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for about 20 minutes, until cooked through and golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Once cool, put the roasted vegetables into a large bowl with the 3 Tbsp oil, the grated cauliflower and parsley, mint, tarragon, pomegranate seeds, pistachios, cumin and lemon juice, along with ¼ tsp salt. Toss gently, just to combine, then transfer to a platter and serve.
Discover more gorgeously seasonal recipes from Chef Ottolenghi here.
