• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Ramona's Cuisine logo
  • BBQ & Grill
  • Main Course
  • Breakfast
  • Side Dishes
  • About me
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Main Course
  • Breakfast
  • Side dishes
  • Soup
  • About me
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Main Course
  • Breakfast
  • Side dishes
  • Soup
  • About me
×

Ramona's Cuisine » Salads

Cauliflower, Aubergine And Chickpeas Salad

Modified: Dec 31, 2021 · Published: Jun 17, 2016 · by Ramona

Jump to Recipe

The beauty about this cauliflower, aubergine and chickpeas salad is that it can make an amazing apetizer or starter, a great lunch or dinner or just imagine it as a side to some beautifully cooked lamb chops cooked to perfection oozing out with so much flavour, sorry but when I talk lamb, my mouth starts flooding ;-))

Enjoy this nutritious cauliflower, aubergine and chickpeas salad, a 'customizable' treat that will brighten your day.

I am sure you will agree with me that a quick meal can come in very handy most times; something not only that you do not have to spend too long to cook/prepare but it is super healthy too ❤️

Well, this is exactly what this cauliflower, aubergine and chickpeas salad is all about.

A very rapid one to put together and if you happen to have some leftover grilled veggies and some canned or pre-cooked chickpeas or any beans, bring it on!! This could only take 15 minutes or less to put on the table. Sounds pretty easy, doesn't it?! ????

You can have it warm, cod, however, you fancy really. It could be the perfect lunch for work for the next day (if any left from previous day …. make more as the next day will be a real winner too. Just needs a little refreshing with a drizzle more of balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt and here you have it!

I really enjoy mixing ingredients and I love it even more when you have fun and you get outcomes like this. It is really amazing what you can do with just a few ingredients.

This truly beautiful, light, nutritious salad has plenty of room for customization according to taste and likings.

Do you want this dish vegan?

Simply skip the cheese and it's kept a beautiful vegan and gluten free option.

Alternatively, if you fancy a little more added to this cauliflower salad, like more protein or more just add any favourite meat to it. I suppose it really depends on whether it will be a main or just a starter but you could simply add one or two poached eggs on top and few more vegetables.

As I said this can be served as a side dish or a starter, but it can very well be a nice and truly nutritious, yet light dinner, just like we have had it last night, just this! With some desert of course after.

Variations and tips: 

  • The aubergine slices could be sprinkled some salt on and left aside for at least 20 minutes to half an hour to release the juice but this is entirely optional and you don't have to do this if you don't have the time.
  • The aubergine can be replaced by any other vegetable that you may like such as courgettes, butternut squash, pumpkin, carrots, peppers and so on.
  • I normally buy the organic dry chickpeas and boil them but occasionally I used the organic canned chickpeas and if you do not like or don’t happen to have any chickpeas around your kitchen, feel free to substitute these with any canned or home-cooked beans or lentils.

Here are some more salad recipes you will LOVE to make:

  • Eggs, spicy lamb koftas and salad boats
  • Four-Potato salad recipe with egg and swede
  • All seasons orzo, halloumi and olive salad
  • Salmon and crudités salad with coconut blossom nectar and umami salt vinaigrette
  • Seriously good chunky roasted cauliflower with capers and raisins dressing

However and whenever you wish to have it, just enjoy it! It is really delicious!

Enjoy this nutritious cauliflower, aubergine and chickpeas salad, a 'customizable' treat that will brighten your day.

Cauliflower, aubergine and chickpeas salad

Enjoy this nutritious cauliflower, aubergine and chickpeas salad, a 'customizable' healthy vegetarian meal really delicious that will definitely brighten your day.
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Lunch, Main Dish, Salad, Side Dish, Starter
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 307kcal
Author: Ramona Sebastian

Equipment

  • knife
  • chopping board
  • ovenproof dish

Ingredients

  • 2 meduim aubergines (cut length wise)
  • 1 small cauliflower head
  • 400 g chickpeas (cooked)
  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp coconut oil
  • 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 handful pomegranate seeds
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 tsp paprika powder (smoked)
  • 1/4 tsp cumin powder (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt (coarsed) or Himalayan pink salt
  • 250 g mixed salad (spinach, watercress, rocket)
  • 4 mushrooms (white or chestnut)
  • 30 g parmesan shavings (to serve)
Metric - US Imperial

Instructions

  • Wash the aubergine and slice lengthwise.
  • Trim, wash the cauliflower and make into small florets.
  • Prepare a large oven tray, sprinkle some Olive Oil and arrange the aubergines slices. Sprinkle some salt but if you have done the resting time with the salted aubergines * (see recipe notes) don't add any more salt, just squeeze the juice out and place in the tray.
  • Scatter the cauliflower florets all over the tray, filling all gaps between the aubergines and drizzle or brush on the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle some of the cayenne pepper, cumin and paprika powder.
  • Place in the oven (no need to preheat) under the grill at 180-190 C and cook for 10-12 minutes until they are beginning to get some colour. Keep an eye on them as they can burn very fast so adjust temperature or distance between the grill and them accordingly. When you are happy and think they are ready, take out of the oven, let cool for 2-3 min. Then cut in little crossway strips.
  • Take the chickpeas out of the can, drain and rinse. Put them in the frying pan on medium fire with the coconut oil and the mushrooms. Sprinkle some cayenne pepper (careful it is pretty spicy in case you have not used it before), paprika and/or cumin powder if you like. Cook them for about 4 minutes tossing them around a couple of times until they get a bit of colour. I have added some spring greens and cooked along with the chickpeas and the mushrooms too.
  • Prepare the pomegranate seeds by taking them out nicely from the fruit.
  • Take out the serving plates, lay in the mixed salad leaves and start arranging your ingredients, the cauliflower, the aubergines, scatter the chickpeas and pomegranate seeds and finish by crumbling some feta cheese and adding some Parmesan cheese shavings.
  • Drizzle over one tablespoon or two of balsamic vinegar.

Notes

A close-up for this tasty cauliflower, aubergines and chickpeas salad
 

Nutrition

Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 459mg | Potassium: 678mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 913IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @ramonas.cuisine or tag #ramonascuisine!

Other Recipes:

  • Nettle & Chickpeas Salad
    Nettle & Chickpeas Salad
  • Chickpeas Gluten Free Falafel
    Chickpeas Gluten Free Falafel
« Peach And Ground Almond Gluten Free Cake
Mediterranean Potato, Egg And Olive Salad »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Beth says

    March 30, 2018 at 10:43 am

    5 stars
    Oooh! Yum! I love the chickpeas and veges in this salad! The pomegranate seeds must add a nice bright punch, as well! Delicious recipe!

    Reply
    • Ramona says

      March 30, 2018 at 1:23 pm

      Thank you so much for stopping by Beth, I am so glad that you liked this recipe - it is one of those salads that I could easily live on 😉

      Reply
  2. melve says

    March 27, 2018 at 2:38 pm

    5 stars
    Another healthy salad added to the list. I really like collecting healthy food and salad is the best when it comes to vegetables. What makes this special is it's easy and truly nutritious and the cheese, we really love cheese. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Ramona says

      March 27, 2018 at 4:47 pm

      Hi Melve, yes, indeed super healthy and super yummy - thank you so much 😉

      Reply
  3. Nicole says

    March 27, 2018 at 1:00 pm

    5 stars
    As the weather is warming up I'm absolutely craving these kind of meals with lots of vegetables and great texture! And a great way to use leftovers!

    Reply
    • Ramona says

      March 27, 2018 at 4:49 pm

      Hi Nicole, thank you so much for stopping by. I so agree with you - weather seems to get better here too - this type of salads are so welcome any time and absolutely no to throwing food so leftovers always get used the next day here 😉

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating





Primary Sidebar

Hey, I'm Ramona and I ♥ making healthy living easy and delicious!!

I am a full-time mother, I work and I also do ♥ volunteering.

More about me →

Winter Recipes

  • Raw Sauerkraut in a jar
    Raw Sauerkraut with Turmeric
  • Birdseye view of butternut squash and chickpea curry on rice, served in white plates with a slice of lemon on top, fresh coriander scattered, rings of red onion and red chilli slices
    Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry
  • chunky roasted cauliflower with capers and raisins
    Seriously Good Chunky Roasted Cauliflower With Capers And Raisins Dressing
  • Oxtail and lamb neck soup with fresh lovage sprinkled on top in a white soup plate
    Oxtail And Lamb Neck Soup With Fresh Lovage
  • Cabbage rolls ‘sarmale’ stuffed with ground beef veggies and rice
    Cabbage Rolls ‘Sarmale’ Stuffed With Ground Beef, Veggies And Rice
  • One-pot Chicken, chorizo and nduja bake
    One-Pot Chicken, Chorizo And Nduja Bake

Popular Recipes

  • Homemade mici - romanian garlicky meat open sausages
    Homemade Mici - The Famous Romanian Garlicky Meat Sausages
  • Birdsview Monkfish curry garnished with two slices of fresh lemon and fresh herbs served in a blue soup bowl
    Delicious Monkfish Curry
  • Homemade Sausages
    Easy Homemade Sausages
  • Healthy homemade mayonnaise in a blue bowl with a silver spoon
    Healthy Homemade Mayonnaise
  • Close up of deep orange-red junky quince jam in a preserve jar with the lid opened and a teaspoon in
    Perfect quince jam
  • Subway Chocolate Chip Cookies
    Subway Cookies Recipe

Footer

↑ back to top

  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Copyright © 2022 Ramona's Cuisine

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT