Kale and Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Tahini Dressing

Yes, you read that heading correctly. This salad is for real and not merely a food fantasy you are having right now.

My friend Jessica made this for book club last month (where we read the hilarious Let’s Pretend This Never Happened). It wound up being the focal point of our conversation because we could not get over how delicious it was. I’ve made it more than once since then and envision this to be a wintertime staple in our house.

Ingredients: (Makes 4 to 6 servings)
Slightly adapted from Real Simple

1/4 cup pine nuts
1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
10 cups stemmed and chopped kale (about 1 bunch) or torn escarole
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries (the original recipe calls for raisins)

Directions: In a sauce pan on low heat, lightly toast the pine nuts until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside

Heat oven to 450° F. On a baking sheet, toss the cauliflower with the cayenne, 2 tablespoons of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Roast, tossing once, until golden and tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, ⅓ cup water, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper (adding more water if necessary, to achieve the consistency of heavy cream). Add the kale, onion, cranberries, pine nuts, and cauliflower and toss to combine.