This bright and filling Arugula Salad with Curried Cauliflower is the perfect healthy and hearty spring meal. A mix of warm and cool ingredients topped with the most amazing Lime Herb Tahini Dressing.
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No boring salads are welcome here. Jk... all are welcome, even you, boring plate of lettuce!
But really, I have become somewhat of a salad enthusiast over the years and nothing beats a filling and comforting salad when it's done right.
This Arugula Salad is not your average side salad. This is a complete meal, and quite possibly your new FAVORITE salad.
It's bright and ready for spring, topped off with warm air fried (or oven roasted) curried cauliflower and chickpeas and has the most finger-licking good Citrus Herb Tahini Dressing.
This salad does require a few different steps, as most meal preparation does. But every step is super simple and it all comes together pretty fast, so don't get overwhelmed.
If you love a hearty salad, you are also going to want to check out this Citrusy Quinoa Kale Salad.

Instructions
Alright, let's get to the good part. How do you make this delicious arugula salad?
Air Fry (or roast) the Curried Cauliflower & Chickpeas
- Toss small cauliflower florets in a large mixing bowl with spices, lime juice and oil (if using). Mix well, then add to air fryer basket or parchment lined baking sheet. (See recipe card for cooking times)
- Add drained chickpeas to same bowl that cauliflower was in and mix to pick up left over spices from the bowl. Add to basket or pan with cauliflower and cook until cauliflower is cooked through and starting to brown.
Note- Air Frying is my favorite method for the curried cauliflower and chickpeas because it saves a significant amount of time and results in the most tasty browned bits. It's especially good if you prefer to cook oil free!

Cook the Quinoa
This recipe calls for cooked quinoa, and you can save a lot of time by prepping this ahead of time. You can also opt to get a precooked pack from the grocery store!
How to cook quinoa:
- Rinse ½ cup of dry quinoa thoroughly before cooking.
- Combine quinoa and 1 cup of water in a pot and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and cover. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow to sit until ready to use. Fluff with a fork before adding to the salad!
Prep the Citrus Herb Tahini Dressing
This is also another part of this salad that is great to make ahead! I would even recommend doubling the batch as you're definitely gonna want to use this again. (It's especially good over buddha bowls, salads and tacos.)
This dressing is as simple as adding all the ingredients into a bullet style blender (or even food processor) and blending till its all well combined!

Prepare the Fresh Veg
The base of this salad is a pretty typical base, arugula, chopped cucumber, grated carrot and thinly sliced red onions. Grab your fresh ingredients and toss into LARGE serving bowl. Make sure that bowl is big, you are going to want room to mix this salad well.

Mix it up and Enjoy!
On top of the fresh veggies, add cooked quinoa, roasted curried cauliflower and chickpeas, kalamata olives and dressing. Toss well until dressing is coating everything and serve!
Hint: If you won't be eating all this salad in one sitting, leave the dressing off until you are ready to eat.

The Best Arugula Salad
You will not regret giving this salad a go. Fresh Arugula and veggies, combined with the warmness (temperature & spice!) of the roasted Curried Cauliflower and Chickpeas, tender quinoa, tangy olives and the most delicious Citrusy Herb Tahini Dressing.
There's so many big flavors here and they all complement each other amazingly well. Tangy, citrusy, warming, crispy, soft, crunchy. We really hit all the marks here.
Time Saving Tip
Save some time by batch cooking some of these ingredients in advance! Every step of this Arugula Salad can be made in advance. When ready to eat, just mix it all together and go! It can be enjoyed warm or cold!
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! Take a picture and tag me on Instagram @samcookskindness !
Recipe

Arugula Salad with Curried Cauliflower
Ingredients
Curried Cauliflower & Chickpeas
- 3-4 cups cauliflower, cut into small florets about ½ head
- ½ tablespoon olive oil optional
- ½ lime juiced
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoons curry powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- pepper to taste
- 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
Lime Herb Tahini Dressing
- 1-2 limes, juiced
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
- large bunch fresh cilantro and mint
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons agave or maple syrup
- pepper to taste
Salad Ingredients
- 6 cups arugula
- ½ english cucumber, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup chopped kalamata olives
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
Instructions
Air Fried Curried Cauliflower & Chickpeas (See notes for oven roasting instructions)
- Add cauliflower florets, lime juice, olive oil (if using), and all spices into a large mixing bowl. Toss well.
- Toss into Air Fryer and cook at 350°F for 8 minutes.
- While cauliflower is cooking, add chickpeas to the same bowl with any leftover spices and toss well. Add into air fryer with cauliflower and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
Lime Herb Tahini Dressing
- Add all ingredients (starting with juice from ony ONE lime) to a bullet style blender and blend until completely combined.
- Add remaining lime juice to your personal taste. (I like it extra lime-y) Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble Arugula Salad
- To a LARGE mixing bowl, add all Salad Ingredients, top with curried cauliflower chickpeas and dressing. Mix well to combine and enjoy warm or cold!
Notes
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Add cauliflower florets, drained chickpeas, lime juice, olive oil (if using), and all spices into a large mixing bowl. Toss well.
- Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, until cauliflower is cooked through and edges are starting to brown. Remove from oven and continue on with recipe.
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