Can’t stop, won’t stop with refrigerator salads! If you’re new here, refrigerator salads are salads that hold up really well in the refrigerator, so you can have delicious and colorful meals all week. This Marinated Cauliflower Salad is the perfect example. In fact, this salad gets better as it refrigerates. The flavors mix and mingle, and all those good flavors get soaked right up by the crunchy cauliflower. 👌
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Take a Short Cut
I included a homemade Italian dressing in this cauliflower salad recipe, but if you want to make this salad even a little faster you can easily sub your favorite store-bought bottled Italian Dressing. You’ll need about one cup, but you can just add as much or as little as you’d like.
Make it Vegan
The recipe as written below contains Parmesan cheese, which does give the salad a little bit of body, but if you’d like to make this dish vegan you can easily leave the Parmesan out or add a little nutritional yeast in its place.
What to Serve with Marinated Cauliflower Salad
I served this cauliflower salad with my Garlic Marinated Chicken this week, but it would also go great with Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin, Baked Ziti, Pizza Baked Chicken, or Easy Oven Baked Fish with Tomatoes. This would also be a great dish to bring to potlucks!
How Long Does It Stay Good?
As I mentioned in the introduction, this salad actually gets better with time in the fridge. …Up to a point. Haha. This salad will be good for about 4-5 days of refrigeration, with the peak flavor being on about day 2-3. As always your mileage may vary depending on the freshness of your ingredients and conditions inside your refrigerator.
Marinated Cauliflower Salad
Servings 8 1 cup eachIngredients
Italian Dressing*
- ½ cup olive oil ($0.84)
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar ($0.40)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard ($0.06)
- ¼ tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning ($0.30)
- ½ tsp salt ($0.02)
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan ($0.22)
Salad
- 1 head cauliflower ($2.39)
- 1 2.25oz. can sliced black olives ($1.49)
- ½ 12oz. jar banana pepper rings ($0.90)
- 1 red bell pepper ($1.50)
- ⅓ cup diced red onion ($0.16)
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley ($0.08)
Instructions
- Make the dressing first, so the flavors have time to blend. In a jar or bowl, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and Parmesan. Whisk the ingredients together or close the jar and shake until combined. Set the dressing aside.
- Remove the leaves and stem from the cauliflower, then chop it into very small florets (about the size of a grape). Place the chopped cauliflower in a large bowl.
- Drain the black olives and remove the banana peppers from the jar. Add both to the bowl with the cauliflower.
- Dice the red bell pepper and finely dice the red onion and parsley. Add them to the bowl.
- Pour the prepared dressing over the salad, then toss to combine. Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to absorb. Stir again just before serving. This salad gets better as it refrigerates and the cauliflower has more time to marinate. Always stir just before serving to redistribute the flavors.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Chef’s Knife
- White Cutting Boards
Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Marinated Cauliflower Salad – Step by Step Photos
Make the dressing first so it can have a few moments to blend. In a jar or bowl combine ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, ¼ tsp garlic powder, 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, and 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan.
Shake the jar or whisk the ingredients in a bowl until the dressing is combined. You can use a store-bought Italian dressing in place of homemade, if you prefer. You’ll need about 1 cup dressing.
Remove the leaves and stem from a head of cauliflower, then chop in to very small florets (about the size of a grape). Place the chopped cauliflower in a bowl.
Drain one 2.25oz. can of black olives, and remove ½ of the peppers from a 12oz. jar of banana pepper rings. Dice one red bell pepper, finely dice about ⅓ cup red onion, and chop about 2 Tbsp parsley. Add everything to the bowl with the chopped cauliflower.
Pour the Italian dressing over the salad ingredients in the bowl, then stir to combine.
Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to give the salad time to absorb the flavors from the dressing. Always give it a stir before serving to redistribute the flavors throughout.
Super easy to make! Super delicious!
Great salad have made it twice! Great way to eat cauliflower raw , so tasty 😋
Delicious! Subbed out red peppers (not a fresh pepper fan) for fresh tomatoes and this recipe scored a big hit in my family, teenagers included!! Thank you!
This salad is so good! I added a can of chick peas like someone else suggested just because I love them. I didn’t have a red bell pepper or quite enough parsley, but it was still delicious! I might try cooking the cauliflower until just barely tender crisp next time. I like it both raw and cooked, but my husband prefers cooked a little.❤️❤️❤️
One of my favorite spring/summer salads! I love it as written as a side but it’s also quite flexible to bulk up for a main. I typically add chickpeas or white beans, and a little chunk feta or provolone. I also reduce (or even leave out) the salt in the dressing in this case since there are so many other salty components, then season a bit more before serving if necessary.
Followed recipe as written. Delicious! Served over romaine lettuce. Added to favorites.
One of the best tasting salads I have made. Great combinations of vegetables. Salad dressing very flavorful.
Wow! I love this salad!!!! I used what I had on hand as far as black olives I used the seedless Greek olives. I like the flavor with banana peppers. And I used Ken Stake-house lite zesty Italian dressing. Tasted like a bit of summer
Was great. Really great flavors and super crunch.
This salad was so good! Love the zingy dressing.
Looks delicious
This is an awesome low carb recipe (and an awesome recipe in general). I like to use it for meal prep lunches and I top it with some frozen grilled chicken strips.
This is by far my favorite recipe. I don’t add everything you mention but most of it. I could eat it just about every day!!
The only thing this salad needs is eating! I LOVED making this AND eating it.
My son is 1 and loved it as well…it’s how we learned he likes black olives haha.
Definitely gonna be my go-to this summer.
Delicious! I had never heard of a “banana pepper” before, but I bought a jar of rings, and they are terrific in this salad! This recipe will be a regular for me! I also halved the olive oil for fewer calories, and it was fine.
I thought this would last my family of three a couple of days as a side dish because it’s a pretty big, dense salad. Nope! All gone in one sitting. So good!
I’ve made this salad so many times I thought it was high time I told you how much my husband and I enjoy! We have it along side pizza to make us feel better about eating pizza, it’s great with tuna. At times we add salami/ pepperoni. It goes well with charcuterie stuff at a winery…etc.! Love it!
Thank you!
Used the banana pepper juice as the base of the dressing. I think this is going to be amazing after a couple days.
I made a batch of this a few hours ago, with the idea of enjoying tomorrow and over the next few days. But of course, I had to give it a stir just now to redistribute the dressing as it marinates, followed by a “little taste test”…
It’s already so delicious, it was hard to stop shoveling it into my mouth right at the kitchen counter! Looking forward to my lunch tomorrow!
The amount of Italian seasoning seemed to overpower everything else. If I were to try again, I would cut back on the seasoning or try Good Seasons Italian dressing with this.
Made this. Added the “Spicy Pickled Carrots” recipe from BudgetBytes and some steamed broccoli both added a needed splash of color and change in textures. Excellent with these additions and not really bad on it’s own. Served as a side with “Mediterranean Turkey Burgers” also from BudgeBytes.
This was absolutely lovely. Would make again and not change a thing. My only question would be how to you keep your family from eating it all so it makes it to day 2?
We’re a household of two and my bf doesn’t do raw cauliflower so it’s allllllll miinnnnnne! 🥳
Love this salad.
Didn’t have black olives,had green. Also mini peppers instead of banana. Hehe
So delicious.
How long can it be in a fridge ?
It can really depend on a lot of factors, like the freshness of your cauliflower and the conditions within your refrigerator. But I’d estimate 4-5 days.
This recipe is easy to throw together ahead of time, not to mention delicious and ADDICTIVE! I couldn’t stop sneaking bites of it and happily snacked my way through the leftovers over the course of a few days. I will absolutely be making it again.
This recipe deserves a galaxy of stars. I see it as the base salad for all seasons. Make a big bowl to serve for any hungry soul who stops by. Buy staples when they are on sale. Empty the refrigerator vegetable drawer and leftovers from charcuterie. ( Limp ones will pick up crispness and flavor from other veggies and marinade. ) The only problem will be providing the recipe. Your secret for a mystery salad.
Suggestions:
Pepperoni
Salami and other cold cuts
Giardini
carrots, shredded, baby, slices, pickled or not
Use your imagination and then tell us all.
Thanks for all.
Can broccoli be substituted for the cauliflower? How about a mix of broc/cauli?
You could, but I definitely prefer the neutral flavor of cauliflower for this one. :)
Got it, thanks!
I think this might be one of the best on-line recipes I have tried. Usually I kind of doctor them to my tastes. No need here. This has all the flavor you want and so simple to make. Thank you so much for sharing. I only made 1/2 of recipe to see how it tastes. Now I am making a full recipe so I have more to eat.
I made this again for the second time. The first time I used a cheap dollar store brand of italian seasoning and it was overpowered with rosemary, but still pretty good. This time I bought the good stuff and boy oh boy this salad turned out amazing! I wouldn’t recommend store bought dressing because your recipe is the bomb! I plan on using it in other recipes. I think it might be the best I’ve had! Thanks for an awesome recipe !
Made your vegetable soup too and it was so good as well. Got to check out your other recipes. These two were delicious
Sorry meant cabbage soup. Really good stuff
What’ are the nutritional facts?
The nutrient facts are located at the bottom of the recipe card.
Would tomatoes go well with this?
I probably wouldn’t add them, but I think it’s mostly going to just be a matter of personal preference. :)
I just used what veggies we had in the house and added some cooked chicken. Everyone liked it. I used cauliflower, zucchini, carrots, red onion, and a little broccoli. I thought we had a bell pepper, but I couldn’t find it. Maybe before tomorrow, we could buy a bell pepper. Looking forward to eating it tomorrow after it sits overnight.
Raw zucchini? How was it? I need to use some zucchini from the garden.
I love this so much. The marinade dressing is so good! I’m making it for the second time, not changing a thing. Thank you!!
Love. Just pure love. I was feeling lazy and I had some leftover Girard’s Light Caesar dressing that I needed to use up so I just used that instead of Italian dressing. I let it marinate overnight and it was all gone by the end of the next day because it was that popular with my household! Next time I will try doubling the recipe so I can reach the “peak flavor” on day 2-3 mentioned in the post AND actually have some to take for work lunches lol
I like that it’s marinated.
This salad is delicious, refreshing and filling! I made a few substitutions based on what I had on hand — pepperoncini instead of banana peppers, addition of crumbled feta, sun-dried tomatoes, and a few chopped marinated artichoke hearts. Great fresh but even better after 1-2 days. This will be a summer staple!
I made this for our easter lunch celebration and it was a huge hit! A fresh and delicious salad, thank you for the recipe.
This was really really good. Even better the next day.
non lo chiamerei marinato
I really enjoyed this! As a veggie I’m always trying to get more protein so I threw a can of chickpeas in and it worked really well!
This was awesome, my wife doesn’t care-much about cauliflower but she loves it.
This was good, I blanched the cauliflower for 3 minutes, fyi. Good simple dressing.
This is so delicious! Thanks for giving me a good way to incorporate more veggies into my diet. Next time I’ll be making a double batch. The tanginess of feta was a nice complement to the dressing as well. Thank you Beth for another great recipe! :)
I made this recipe last night to have along side homemade pizzas. It was really good. When I had a forkful of the leftovers today, WOWZA!! I will definitely be making this again and again.
a great chopped salad
I made it according to recipe but then I could not stop myself from fiddling with it and added a handful of feta and a bit of hot Genoa salami that I’d chopped up small. Another winner!
I was thinking something similar like turkey pepperoni and mozzarella! Feta might hold up better with the dressing though.
Great recipe, but I’m out of cauliflower and peppers. Would this work with broccoli and tomatoes?
I think that would definitely be a completely different flavor profile. Whether or not it’s good might just be a matter of personal preference.
One of my favorites! Our family recipe used green bell instead of banana peppers, and no cheese or Italian seasoning. Mom called it Confetti Salad. Warning: if you make it ahead of time and put it in a tupperware-like container, when you take off the cover, there is a strong raw cauliflower scent. You might want to put it in a different bowl if company is coming! This is great for picnics, and it travels well.
Nice Blog !! A Very Healthy and Wonderful Recipe !!! WOW Nice Photos to See. I’ll Definitely Try it. Thank You for Sharing that Lovely Food.
Hi Beth. This sounds great. I plan to make it this weekend. I love roasted cauliflower. Will roasting the cauliflower first work in this recipe?
You could probably do a roasted cauli version. It will be different, but I can’t imagine anything being doused in Italian dressing being bad. 😅
Thank you for sharing this! My feed is filled with holiday cookies, pies, bars and other treats and I’m really craving something healthy to eat. Going to make for lunch and going to throw in some chick peas and have as an entree.
You’re very welcome! I always crave salty/savory things more than sweets, so I feel ya! 😅
Thanks Beth! This sounds amazing!
Thank you for posting the side dish for your garlic marinated chicken,,,, it looked so good and your followers were asking. Now that you posted it, I was surprised that the cauliflower was not quick blanched then cooled. I will stick to the provided recipe and get back to you on my attempt. Without store bought dressing. With this west coast lock down, what else do have have to do?
I’m so glad you shared this! When I saw it as the side-dish to your garlic marinated chicken earlier this week, I HOPED you’d share the recipe! I love salads but I’m sensitive to delicate, leafy greens so any alternative salad dish is such a dream come true. It looks delicious!
I am going to add sun-dried tomatoes and feta.
Is there a type of cheese other than Parmesan that you would recommend? I’m trying to avoid Parmesan. Also, just FYI, Parmesan is one of the few cheeses that aren’t vegetarian.
Feta would be awesome with this, as well!
Cauliflower in Italian dressing was always my favorite part of the marinated veggies my mom would make for potlucks when I was a kid. I’ll definitely try this upgrade! Have you tried this cooked? I imagine it would be delicious grilled in foil pouches on the BBQ.