This truly delectable Squeaky Clean Keto Roasted Cauliflower “Couscous” salad is jam packed with textures and flavors that will make your taste buds sing! Studded with cubes of creamy, sweet butternut squash, crispy kale, and crunchy toasted sunflower seeds, we’ve got a LOT to unpack here!
Let’s start with my taking liberties by calling it couscous. I figure if we can get away with calling it cauliflower “rice,” why not also call it “couscous?” I think the description is actually more accurate based on the texture of riced cauliflower anyway. 🤷🏼♀️ But I digress….
Ok so I’ll be honest and say that when I was brainstorming some more keto side dish ideas to round out my Squeaky Clean Keto “offerings” here on the blog, I wasn’t super excited about this keto roasted cauliflower couscous salad compared to some of the others on the list.
I mean, I knew the flavors would work, but I WAY underestimated how delicious and satisfying this dish would be!
One of the reasons this keto couscous salad is so tasty is because everything is roasted together before mixing. So right off the bat you are concentrating the flavors and getting everything all roasty and toasty before combining them.
Another key component of this keto roasted cauliflower couscous is the tangy, herby, luscious vinaigrette it’s bathed in.
We’re talking lemon zest, fresh dill, fresh mint (trust me, it’s amazing,) and just a hit of fresh garlic – all swimming together in a healthy pool of olive oil and fresh lemon juice.
SO. YUMMY.
This low carb cauliflower couscous is a perfect symphony of flavors (sweet, salty, tangy, fresh) and textures (crispy, creamy, chewy, crunchy.)
Be still my heart.
I don’t know that I’ve ever gone on and on so much about a keto side dish before – especially one that is Squeaky Clean Keto and Whole30 compliant with no nuts, cheese, or sweetener in sight! Not to mention that it’s also vegetarian and even vegan if you’re fully plant-based!
Which isn’t to say you couldn’t throw in some cooked bacon or chunks of chicken to add some more protein and make it an entree instead of a side dish.
One last thing before I go. While I really enjoyed this keto roasted cauliflower couscous salad warm when I first made it – the next day when I ate it cold for lunch was when I truly fell in love!
The flavors mingled and mellowed so beautifully that it was like a completely different dish. It was so good that I ate two full servings and could have kept going if I wasn’t trying to save some carbs for dinner! 😂
So yeah, I know it’s just a humble side dish and you’re thinking “how good can it REALLY be?” But if you’ve been around IBIH awhile and trust my palate from previous keto recipes, then I hope you’ll give this one a try and report back ASAP!
I promise it’s the perfect winter comfort food – that’s actually healthy and won’t leave you feeling bloated and miserable afterwards! 🙌🏻
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Keto Roasted Cauliflower Couscous Salad
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Keto Roasted Cauliflower “Couscous” salad is packed with flavor and texture! The perfect winter comfort food, that’s actually good for you! Vegan, Low Carb, Squeaky Clean Keto & Whole30 friendly!
Ingredients
For the vegetables:
- 4 cups raw riced cauliflower
- 1 cup finely chopped kale
- 1 cup chopped butternut squash (1/2 inch cubes)
- 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds (see note below)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the dressing:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled and minced finely
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
To assemble:
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
Instructions
To roast the vegetables:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the cauliflower, kale, squash, and sunflower seeds on a baking sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Roast for 30 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.
To make the dressing:
- Whisk the dressing ingredients together until well blended.
To assemble:
- Place all of the roasted ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, along with the herbs and lemon zest.
- Pour the dressing over the top and stir well.
- Serve immediately if a warm dish is desired, or chill overnight and serve cold.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (Any longer and the flavors and textures start to deteriorate. I don’t recommend freezing this dish.)
Notes
If your sunflower seeds are already toasted, don’t roast them with the vegetables. Add them in with the fresh herbs before dressing.
Approximate net carbs per serving = 5g.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: keto side dishes
- Method: roasting
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 185
- Fat: 11g
- Carbohydrates: 9g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 5g
Anna F says
This is so delicious and satisfying! I’ve made it several times now and have discovered it’s particularly nice with sausages, which I can cook in the same oven tray at the same time. I double or triple the amount of kale, because it’s not green enough for me otherwise. And this time I also subbed swede (rutabaga) for the butternut squash, because I had some left after making your Turbo Atkins Diet Soup (which works brilliantly for me as a quick reboot to my system) and that worked beautifully. I ended up forgetting it was swede, which I normally find quite bland, because the dressing gave it so much flavour – and it’s half the carbs of butternut squash!
Mellissa Sevigny says
These are great upgrades Anna, thanks so much for sharing, and for the 5 star rating!
Tina M says
This is my most favorite recipe so far from Mellissa! I have been making it since it came out. It is one i th most craveable salads with amazing balance! Love this blog and all of your cookbooks! Thank you!!!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Tina, I wish more people would give this one a try as it’s a favorite of mine too!
Jennifer says
Great flavor combos, plus such a pretty salad/ side dish! My kids loved it and asked me to make it all the time 😁*!!!
Stacie Koutras says
Made it tonight! Was amazing. The flavors all popped!
Lisa says
Amazing! I actually used frozen butternut squash because I hate peeling and cutting it up! I broiled the vegetables the last 4 minutes after cooking them for 15 minutes. This recipe is a keeper and one I will be making over and over! Thank you Melissa.
Torey G says
This is a Fantastic dish! I’ve made it 3 times this week, and still want more! I did sub pepitas and a balsamic dressing as I didn’t have those herbs on hand, delightful! But will try it as written sooner or later.
Thank you!
Mellissa Sevigny says
So happy this recipe is getting some love Torey, thanks for taking the time to rate and comment!
Nina Cohen says
I didn’t look at the photos so I wound up mixing the veggies together on the sheet pan. No worries…it was still fantastic. I also didn’t have any sunflower seeds (thought I did!) so I used pepitas instead. Those work great in this salad, too. The flavors are amazing, and I imagine will only get better with time. I portioned it out into 4 servings, adding some turkey breast for protein. Perfect lunches for the week!