I like to call this salad sunshine in a bowl. Or on a platter. However you serve this carrot cauliflower quinoa salad, it’s everything you could want: bright, refreshing, flavorful, bold, cozy, and nutritious! Tons of veggies, fresh herbs, crunch, and flavor, too.
This hearty grain bowl is perfect for winter-into-spring when you want something in between cozy and refreshing. The carrots and cauliflower are roasted to tender perfection in a blend of spices, then tossed with herbs, veggies, a hint of sweetness from dates, crunch from pistachios, and of course, the sunshine dressing.
This recipe makes the best lunch or veggie-packed dish for your Easter table! Serve it up next to all of those sweet treats for the perfect balance. Everyone will love it!
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Everything you’ll need to make this cauliflower quinoa salad
This beautiful, vegan cauliflower quinoa salad recipe is packed with flavorful roasted veggies, fluffy quinoa and delicious salad mix-ins. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- For the veggies: we’re roasting up carrots and cauliflower with cumin, turmeric, garlic powder, a little cayenne pepper if you like heat (I recommend!), salt & pepper.
- For the quinoa: you’ll just need some dry quinoa and water to cook it up. Feel free to use white quinoa or tri-color.
- For the mix-ins: toss this salad together with fresh green onion, cilantro, parsley, chopped Medjool dates, roasted & salted pistachios, and some fresh peas.
- For the sunshine dressing: grab the recipe for this gorgeous sunshine dressing here! It’s made with tahini, lemon juice, a little maple syrup, fresh ginger, turmeric, garlic powder, salt & pepper.
Choose your favorite mix-ins
This cauliflower quinoa salad is great for customizing! Here are some delicious ways to mix it up:
- Swap your produce. This salad would also be delicious with roasted sweet potato or butternut squash instead of carrots.
- Try a different sweetener. Instead of dates, feel free to mix in some golden raisins or regular raisins, dried cranberries, or dried cherries.
- Use a new nut. Roasted salted almonds or cashews would also be delicious in place of the pistachios.
- Or go nut-free. Omit the nuts or swap them for pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
- Try another dressing. The sunshine dressing is absolutely delicious, but this salad would also be great with a plain tahini dressing, a jalapeño green tahini dressing, or a curry tahini dressing!
More delicious grains to try
If you’re out of quinoa (or aren’t a fan), try swapping it for:
Add a boost of protein
Looking to add some more protein to this roasted carrot quinoa salad? Here are some great options:
- A can of rinsed, drained chickpeas
- Chopped chicken, or pair it with my easy roasted chicken recipe
- Shrimp or salmon — try it with my lemon garlic salmon or maple glazed salmon
Looking for more greens?
Feel free to add 3-4 cups of fresh spinach or arugula for an extra boost of greens! These tender greens tend to break down more easily as they sit in dressing, so I’d only recommend adding them to this salad if it will be finished day-of, OR adding a handful to your own bowl before you eat.
Roasted cauliflower quinoa salad in 5 steps
- Roast your veggies. You’ll start by roasting the carrots and cauliflower on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in all of those cozy spices.
- Cook your quinoa. While the veggies are roasting, cook your quinoa in a pot. Get my tips HERE for making the best fluffy quinoa!
- Combine the toppings. Once the quinoa is done, add it to a serving bowl with all of those yummy mix-ins, veggies and herbs.
- Make the dressing. Mix together the sunshine dressing in a medium bowl.
- Toss & serve. Pour the sunshine dressing over the salad, toss, and serve as a main meal or a side dish!
Storing tips
Keep this vegan cauliflower quinoa salad in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3-4 days. This salad can easily be made the day before, too, and will be delicious served the next day!
Tools you’ll need
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Pot (to cook the quinoa)
- Mason jars
- Serving bowl or platter
- Meal prep containers
Get more of my favorite kitchen tools here!
More salad recipes to try
- California Roasted Sweet Potato Kale Salad
- Italian Chopped Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Winter Butternut Squash Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
- Curry Roasted Cauliflower Sweet Potato Salad (whole30, vegan & gluten free)
- Vibrant Curry Cashew Chickpea Quinoa Salad
Get all of our delicious salad recipes here!
I hope you love this roasted carrot cauliflower quinoa salad! If you make it be sure to leave a comment & a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Roasted Carrot Cauliflower Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- For the veggies:
- 4 medium carrots (or 3 large), cut in half lengthwise and then cut into 2 inch segments/chunks
- 2 cups small to medium cauliflower florets
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, if you like a little heat
- Freshly ground salt and pepper
- For the quinoa:
- ¾ cup quinoa
- 1 ⅔ cups water
- For the salad mix-ins:
- ⅓ cup diced green onion
- ⅓ cup cilantro
- ⅓ cup flat leaf parsley
- ⅓ cup chopped pitted Medjool dates (or sub dried cherries)
- ⅓ cup shelled roasted and salted pistachios (or sub roasted almonds)
- ¾ cup thawed frozen peas, optional
- For the dressing:
- Sunshine Dressing Recipe
Instructions
- Roast the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large pan with parchment paper and add carrots and cauliflower; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cumin, turmeric, garlic powder, cayenne and salt and pepper. Toss well to combine and coat the veggies with the oil and spices. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until carrots and cauliflower are tender and golden; flip veggies halfway through to ensure even roasting.
- Cook the quinoa: While the veggies are roasting, you can cook your quinoa: add in quinoa and water to a medium pot and bring mixture to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low and cook for exactly 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove from heat and fluff quinoa with a fork, then replace the lid and allow quinoa to steam for 5-10 more minutes.
- Assemble the salad: Once quinoa is done cooking, add to a large bowl, then add in the roasted carrots and cauliflower, green onion, cilantro, parsley, chopped dates, pistachios and peas.
- Make the sunshine dressing: in a medium bowl, mix together the tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, ginger, turmeric, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Add 2-3 tablespoons of warm water to thin out the dressing so that it’s nice and pourable. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
- Pour dressing over the salad and mix well to combine. Serves 4 as a main meal, 6 as a side.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on February 16th, 2021, republished on April 13th, 2022, and republished on March 10th, 2026.
Beautiful and hearty salad to make for a party or just for yourself! The combination of flavors is so so good. If you can find fresh peas, even better!
YES so good! Glad you loved it!
This recipe was a hit! I’ve made it twice in less than a weeks time. I subbed edamame for the peas for more protein.
So happy to hear that! Great idea to use edamame, too!
This was delicious and healthy! I used purple cauliflower making it a very pretty dish as well. A good one for gatherings and parties or making ahead for healthy meal prep. Thank you!
Love that! Glad it was a hit!
I make this recipe on repeat. It’s so good! The flavors are so nuanced and all work incredibly well together. I feel like I’m nourishing my body every time I eat this. Sometimes I skip the quinoa because there are a lot of ingredients in this dish, and it’s great with or without it!
Absolutely! Glad you love it!
Crowd pleaser! Doubled the recipe and it came out great. Definitely took me a lot more than 20 minutes of prep time but that could be in part to the fact that I was doubling the quantity.
Amazing! Glad it was a hit 🙂
Made this for lunch today and it is so delicious!! I could eat this everyday! The spices are spot on and I love the slight sweetness the dates add. Just perfect!
Yay I’m glad you loved it! One of my fav salads, too 🙂
I’m in love with this salad and dressing. You are so right about not being able to stop eating this!!! Ssoooo delicious. Thank you!!
So glad you love it, too!!
This recipe is brilliant! Had to sub raw pecans & dried cranberries but an exemplary treat and a filling meal!
Have leftovers and will make this again!
Yay! So glad to hear that you are loving this salad, Mike. Thanks so much for sharing your comment!
It sounds like a delicious and healthy combination of flavors.
I’ve now made it several times and it’s always a hit!
Yay! I am so glad you’re loving this recipe! 🙂
looks very appetizing. must try to cook
Delicious! We did substitute dreid cherries for the dates and left off the nuts and it was still great. The dressing has a really unusual flavor.
Yay! I am so glad you are loving this recipe and it turned out great for you- I like to think it’s a unique flavor 😉
Delicious, easy, healthy and fun! The addition of dates and nuts made this next level. Not to mention the dressing (YUM). I added some baked salmon to this and had it as a dinner bowl. Just popped the salmon into the oven, on the same baking sheet, when the veggies had about 15 min left and it was perfect. Seasoned my salmon with the same spices, minus the turmeric, and it went well togeher. Worked well for leftovers for the next day too. Thank you!!
This was such a delicious meal. Thank YOU! The flavours were bold but not over powering. WoWza it was good!!!
I’m wondering if I could substitute either brown rice or white rice for the quinoa? Some members of my family can’t have quinoa. Can’t use other grains during Passover so considering rice. Thoughts?
Sure! A brown rice would be good for this recipe!
I love this recipe!! I’ve made it multiple times. I even substituted wild rice instead of quinoa (because I ran out) – very delicious! Thanks!!
Perfect! So glad to hear this recipe is a hit 🙂
Unbelievable warm or cold for weekday lunches!!
Really tasty. I subbed almonds but happened to have all the other ingredients on hand. I have a feeling the leftovers will be good cold!
It looks so delicious and easy to follow. I will try it tonight
Thanks for sharing the wonderful recipe. I would love to try this recipe at this weekend.
I hope you enjoy!
This is one of our go to’s. So easy but yet packs a flavorful punch!! We love the sunshine dressing, the name itself makes you happy!! We use this for a quick and easy dinner!! We recommend giving this a try!!
I made this as a side for a bbq dinner party and it was a huge crowd pleaser! Even the heavy meat eaters loved it, and I could basically drink the dressing. I’ve now made it several times and it’s always a hit! It’s also super nutrient dense, which I appreciate!
I made this recipe exactly how it was written and it was amaaaazing. I couldn’t stop eating it. It tastes even better the next day.
Delicious and comes together quickly! Perfect for lunches, putting in a wrap, or a potluck!
I didnt have dates and added raisins instead! The dressing would be a great addition to so many other dishes!
Thank you for another great recipe!
I just made this as a side for Easter dinner and it was amazing! Everyone loved it and the dressing. This will be a regular for me going forward!
So thrilled you all loved it! It’s one of my fav salads ever 🥰
Really delicious recipe. I love it yummy!!! It’s really awesome
Thanks, Chris! So glad you enjoyed it.
This looks AMAZING!!! I’d love to make it, but I am allergic to sesame and am struggling to think of another idea for dressing – any suggestions? Thank you!! Excited to make this soon 🙂
Thank you! I think greek yogurt would be a great sub 🙂 Hope you love it!
This recipe is out of this world amazing!! Made it for a family party and I couldn’t get enough compliments. Dates bring this dish to a whole other level. Thank you for creating your amazing recipes!!!
Ahh thank you! I’m SO happy everyone loved it!
Dang. This is unbelievably good, I love that tiny zing from the cayenne! It has all the perfect flavors and textures, from the herbs to the nuts, and that creamy dressing is ridiculous – You’re a dressing magician! Taking it to a party later, I really hope I get to take home leftovers!!
Aw thank you!! I’m so happy you’re loving it. Hope the rest of the party did too 🙂
This salad was delicious! And the dressing is definitely going into regular rotation for me. Thank you for the great recipe
Omg it’s one of my favorite dressings, so happy you loved it, too!! Thanks for the review, Melanie 🙂
very nice recipe
I have made this probably 20 times and I throw in whatever extra vegetables I have around. It is SO GOOD and my family loves it. Thank you!!
Yay! Yes, love how versatile this one is. Happy you all love it!
Oh my gosh you all need to make this immediately! This is one of my favorite quinoa salads! I make a big batch on Sundays and portion out for my husband and my lunches for the week. It is absolutely so delicious!!!
Yaaaay I’m so glad this is a staple in your house–one of my fav salads ever!
Delicious salad, perfect mingle of flavours and textures. Probably even nicer the next day so I’m looking forward to it tomorrow. I served it with chicken and it complemented it perfectly.
This was so good! Meal prepped it for lunches this week and its easy and delicious. I used dried apricots bc that’s all I had and omitted the cilantro, green onions, and peas because I didn’t have them. Definitely recommend trying this as lunch or a healthy side dish for dinner!
Such a good one to meal prep!! Happy you enjoyed it, Emma 🙂
This was so easy and delicious! I used pearled couscous because it’s better than quinoa IMO. Sunshine dressing was easy and the perfect pairing. I added some grilled chicken on top. Glad i have this for my lunches this week and will definitely be making again! I love AK!
Ooh pearl couscous is a great swap! And love adding chicken on top 🙂 Happy you enjoyed it, Brittany!
Very easy to make and delicious. Loving all the new dressing ideas
So happy that you enjoyed it!
This salad is wonderful. I fell in love with the spices. The salad keeps and transports well. I modified with dried cranberries and toasted almonds instead, but that’s just because I always have those on hand.
Oh this salad is amazing! I vary the carrot and cauliflower ratio depending on what’s fresh at the market. I also sub toasted sliced almonds since they are a pantry staple at my house more so than pistachios. Dried cherries are the bomb in this…and the sunshine salad dressing is SO GOOD!
This is delicious! This is the type of salad I’d be excited to get at a restaurant and I made it myself! A new addition to my dinner rotation.
Best compliment ever!! So happy you’re loving it, Mary 🙂
Hello. I cant eat grains! What would be a good substitute ? Or should I just use double veggies?
Hi, Danielle! Feel free to leave the quinoa out, or sub with cooked cauliflower rice 🙂
Oh my gosh I LOVE this recipe!. The veggies, dried fruit, nuts and sauce, everything comes together perfectly! I used almonds just because they were cheaper than pistachios lol. And I increased the sauce for extra flavor. So So good! You’re amazing at working with quinoa! Thank you!
Woohoo! Glad you loved this one, Rebecca!
Really tasty. I think next time I will make more dressing, I wish it had tasted a little more like tahini and lemon, but still really good.
Glad you enjoyed! And yes feel free to double up on the dressing.
Fantastic!!
Very filling and flavorful. Would definitely make again 🙂
So glad you enjoyed!
This is SO GOOD. I didn’t have all of the ingredients on hand and was even short on a some of the seasonings, but it still turned out phenomenally. I subbed almond butter for the tahini in the dressing which worked well.
Perfect! So happy to hear that!