This Italian Deli Cauliflower Salad recipe is so fast and easy. It gets better as it sits and is perfect as leftovers for days on end. Take a stroll around your favourite Italian deli to see what you can find to make this salad your own.

This is what I like to call a marinated salad. Everything soaks up the vinaigrette as it sits. It turns into a delicious, mildly "pickled" taste which works perfectly as a side dish to all your favorite grilled or roasted meats, poultry, fish or tofu. It's also a perfect meal in itself.

What you need to make this salad

• Cauliflower
• Salami or Salameti
• Your favorite semi-soft Italian cheese such as Fontina, Mozzarella, Provolone. Feel free to also use Havarti, Cheddar or any other fave semi-soft cheese.
• Green olives
• Pickled pepperoncini
• Capers
• Fresh parsley
• Vinaigrette (recipe below) Extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt and pepper.

How to make this recipe

1. Prepare the vinaigrette by shaking all ingredients in a glass jar or whisking in a bowl. Portion out 1/2 cup of vinaigrette for the salad. Set aside. Store the rest in the fridge to use on any salad.
2. Cut the cauliflower into bite sized pieces. For a photo tutorial of an easy way to do this check out this post: ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AND LEEK FRITTATA
3. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Blanch the cauliflower for 1-2 minutes or until is is softened but still has a bite to it.
4. Drain and place in a large bowl.
5. While still hot, pour reserved vinaigrette over cauliflower. Stir to combine.
6. Chop the rest of the ingredients. Add all but the cheese and parsley to the still warm cauliflower. Stir to combine.
7. Let sit until cooled, stirring occasionally. Add the cheese and parsley. Stir. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary. I find that with all the salty bits in this salad it needs little to no extra salt. But that's a personal preference.

Variations/Substitutions

• Use broccoli instead of cauliflower
• Add extra vegetables such as bell peppers, zucchini, red onion, artichoke hearts, marinated mushrooms, spinach, kale etc. Get creative!
• Use any kind of cheese you like. I prefer a semi-soft mild cheese. It doesn't break apart and also can absorb some of the vinaigrette so it becomes marinated. But feel free to use any cheese you like.
• Make it vegan by omitting the salami and cheese. Or use a vegan cheese. You can bump up the vegetables to take their place.

Storage

This salad only gets better with age so it's a great make-ahead recipe. Keep it covered in the fridge for up to a week.

More salad recipes for you to try

• ROASTED BROCCOLI SALAD WITH CREAMY CURRY DRESSING
• SHAVED ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH CREAMY PARMESAN DRESSING
• GREEK CHICKPEA SALAD
• BLACK RICE SALAD WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

Print Recipe

0 from 0 votes

Italian Deli Cauliflower Salad

Prep Time :15 minutes

Cook Time :3 minutes

This easy and nutritious salad incorporates Italian deli favourites. It comes together in minutes and lasts for days!

Course:Main Course, Salad

Cuisine:American

Keyword:cauliflower, deli, Italian

Servings:4

Author: Andrea

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 cup salami, cubed
• 1 cup cheese, cubed. Havarti, mozzarella, Fontina, Provolone
• 1/2 cup green olives, chopped or sliced
• 1/4 cup pickled pepperoncini, chopped
• 1/4 cup capers, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 5 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

• In a bowl or jar, mix together the vinaigrette ingredients. Whisk or shake until well combined. Reserve 1/2 cup for the salad and store the rest in the fridge to use on your fave salads!
• Cut cauliflower into bite sized florettes. Meanwhile bring a pot of water to a boil that will hold all the cauliflower.
• Once the water is boiling, add the cauliflower. Blanch for 1-2 minutes. You want the cauliflower to retain some firmness.
• Drain and place hot cauliflower in a large bowl.
• Pour over 1/2 cup of vinaigrette. Mix to combine.
• Add salami, green olives, pepperoncini and capers. Stir to combine.
• Let cool completely, stirring occasionally.
• Add cheese and parsley. Stir to combine.
• Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to one week.