Buffalo Cauliflower Salad

Get ready to spice up your salads with this Buffalo Cauliflower Salad. With fresh ingredients, it's great for picnics, potlucks, meal prep, or any time you crave a flavor-packed hearty salad.

This isn’t your typical breaded buffalo cauliflower recipe. For this salad, I like a simpler approach.

Instead of going through the hassle of breading, I’ve kept it straightforward with fresh cauliflower coated in zesty homemade buffalo sauce. It’s lighter, easier to make, and still packs all the punchy flavors you love, without the extra fuss. Plus, it lets the natural goodness of the cauliflower shine through, making it a perfect addition to this customizable salad.

The whole salad, including the sauce, is totally customizable. Making your own buffalo sauce instead of store-bought buffalo wing sauce lets you tweak the ingredients, get a fresher flavor, and enjoy creating a recipe that’s just right for you.

For other delicious salads, try Asian Cucumber Salad, Vegan Greek Pasta Salad, or Vegan Caprese Salad Skewers.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Flavor: It's delicious!
• Nutritious and Filling: Higher in protein from chickpeas and quinoa, plus loads of vitamins from colorful vegetables.
• Easy and Quick: Simple steps and minimal prep make this an ideal meal for busy days or meal prep.
• Vegan: Completely plant-based, with vegan blue cheese and ranch dressing adding delicious creaminess. The sauce is also vegan using vegan butter.
• Customizable: Feel free to swap in your favorite crunchy veggies or salad greens based on what's in season or what you have on hand.

Recipe Ingredients

The heart of this salad is the salad greens, quinoa, buffalo cauliflower, chickpeas, and ranch dressing. The rest is optional. Use as little or as much as you like, or leave it out altogether.

You'll need the ingredients in this picture to make the star of the show - simple roasted buffalo cauliflower.

The recipe card details suggested quantities for the rest of the salad.

Ingredient Notes

• Cauliflower: Cauliflower is usually in season from late summer to fall, but it can vary depending on where you are. In the U.S., the best time to grab it is from September to November. However, thanks to modern farming and global imports, you can find cauliflower year-round in grocery stores...yay! But if you want the freshest and tastiest cauliflower, aim to buy it during its peak season in the fall.
• Hot Sauce: Frank's RedHot Original is made with cayenne peppers and is the authentic hot sauce originally used in Buffalo wings. It provides a perfect balance of heat and tangy flavor. That is my favorite for this sauce, but you can choose your favorite.
• Quinoa: When making quinoa, rinse it to remove some bitter compounds. You can use any quinoa you like.
• Vegan Blue Cheese: I know I ranted about this Follow Your Heart Blue Cheese in my post about Pistachio Pesto Pizza, but honestly, it's so good it deserves the rants. It adds extra oomph to your recipes and tastes like the original.

How To Make Buffalo Cauliflower Salad

Step 1: For the buffalo sauce, combine hot sauce, vegan butter, garlic powder, onion powder, vinegar, smoked paprika, and salt in a bowl and mix well.

Step 2: Mix the sauce with the cauliflower florets until well combined. Bake on a large baking sheet for 20-22 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Broil for 4-5 more minutes.

Step 3: Mix all the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl or individual bowls.

Step 4: Pour the vegan ranch dressing over the salad and serve.

Recipe Tips

• Perfect Cauliflower: Ensure the cauliflower is spread out with enough space on the baking sheet for even baking.
• Optional Ingredients: The foundation of this salad is made up of greens, quinoa, cauliflower, and chickpeas. Everything else is optional, so feel free to add your favorite ingredients in the quantities you prefer.
• Extra Flavor: For more heat, drizzle additional hot sauce over the cauliflower before serving.

Advance Prep
To meal prep this salad, store all the prepared ingredients in separate containers or assemble 3 to 4 containers with everything except the dressing. Add the dressing just before eating for the best flavor and freshness.

Serving Suggestions

• Main Course: I enjoy this Roasted Buffalo Cauliflower Salad as a satisfying and nutritious main dish.
• Side Dish: Serve alongside a hearty soup like Creamy Vegan Asparagus Soup or Easy Lemony White Bean Soup With Rigatoni.
• Wrap It Up: For a fun and portable lunch option, use the salad as a filling for wraps or pita pockets.
• Potluck: At your gatherings, present this salad along with other salads like Sweet Vegan Macaroni Salad, Vegan Greek Pasta Salad, and Vegan Caesar Pasta Salad.

Storage and Reheating

• Cauliflower: Store the buffalo cauliflower in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep it separate from the salad to prevent the greens from getting soggy.
• Salad: Store the salad ingredients in a separate airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the dressing in a small container on the side.
• Reheat: Reheat the cauliflower in a microwave, oven, or air fryer. Once reheated, toss it with the salad ingredients and dressing just before serving to keep everything fresh and crunchy.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Vegan Salad Recipes You'll Love

What did you think?

Have a minute? Dive into the comments and rate this Buffalo Cauliflower Salad to let me know how it turned out for you. Was it a hit? Did you add any twists? I want to know if my directions were any good. Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for inspiration.

Recipe

Buffalo Cauliflower Salad

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Buffalo Cauliflower Salad combines spicy buffalo cauliflower with fresh crunchy veggies, creamy avocado, and tangy vegan blue cheese. Topped with vegan ranch dressing, it's a flavorful and nutritious meal perfect for lunch, dinner, picnics, and potlucks.

• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 bowls 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the Roasted Cauliflower:

• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets (or 32 ounce bag)
• ½ cup hot sauce (Frank's RedHot is a popular choice)*
• 4 tablespoons vegan butter
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar (optional for a tangier flavor)
• 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup or agave nectar (for sweetness)
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional for a smoky flavor)

Salad Ingredients (suggested quantities)

• 6 cups spring mix or romaine lettuce
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups of quinoa, cooked
• 1 cup carrot, shredded
• 1 cucumber, diced (English cucumbers in the plastic wrap are great)
• ¼ -½ cup red onions, diced
• 1 avocado, pitted & sliced
• ⅓ cup vegan crumbled blue cheese or feta
• vegan ranch dressing

Optional Add Ons

• cherry tomatoes, halved
• sprouts
• red cabbage, sliced
• sunflower seeds or walnuts

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Instructions

1. Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper/silicone mat or lightly grease it.
2. Buffalo Cauliflower: In a large bowl, mix hot sauce, vegan butter, maple syrup, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt. Toss the cauliflower florets in the mixture until well coated. Spread the florets evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Do not overpack the baking tray.
3. Bake to Perfection: Bake for 20-22 minutes until the cauliflower has softened. Bring the oven to broil and cook for 4-5 minutes until lightly charred on the tips.
4. Cook Quinoa: While it bakes, cook the quinoa according to the package instructions for the best results.
5. Assemble the Salad: Combine the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl in the amounts you desire.
6. Add Cauliflower: Top the salad with the roasted buffalo cauliflower.
7. Dress It Up: Drizzle with vegan ranch dressing and toss gently to combine.

Notes

*Using original Frank's RedHot in Buffalo sauce is a popular choice in many buffalo cauliflower recipes because it offers an authentic flavor, balanced heat, and perfect consistency, all while being widely available. Its tangy vinegar base and moderate heat level make it versatile for this dish. However, I've used other brands that do not use the base of cayenne peppers, and it's worked out fine. Pick your favorite.

Why so much butter? Adding butter to hot sauce mellows the heat, enhances flavor with a creamy richness, improves texture by making it smooth and velvety, balanced acidity, and provides the traditional taste and iconic flavor profile that Buffalo sauce is known for. You can reduce the amount if you watch your intake, but the taste will be altered and won't be as smooth.

This recipe makes soft buffalo cauliflower florets instead of crispy ones coated in flour. I prefer these moderately spicy, softened florets in a salad.

I don't usually toot my own horn, but my vegan ranch dressing is way better than the store-bought brands, in my opinion, and you can also vary the flavors to suit you. I highly recommend making the 5-minute sauce at home for this salad.

While Frank's RedHot Original already has vinegar, I love adding a bit more for that extra tangy kick. Leave it out if would like less tang.

Why not use Frank's buffalo sauce instead? Well, you can (it is vegan), but this recipe allows for customization by adding your own vegan butter and ingredients without stabilizers. It's a good option, though.

Nutritional information is only an estimate and does not include the dressing or add-ons.

• Author: Regi Pearce
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: salads
• Method: oven
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 bowl
• Calories: 468
• Sugar: 9.4 g
• Sodium: 894.1 mg
• Fat: 15.6 g
• Carbohydrates: 68 g
• Protein: 18.4 g
• Cholesterol: 3.2 mg

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