Avocado, beet and roasted cauliflower bowl with goat cheese is a simple healthy and nourishing meal, halfway between a salad and a warm bowl. A perfect quick lunch loaded with flavors!
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My obsession with cauliflower sometimes has no limits. If like me you love this wonderful versatile veggie, you know what I’m talking about. If not, it’s maybe because you never cooked it the right way. Try roasting cauliflower with lemon, and this boring vegetable instantly becomes extremely flavorful and delicious!
Then add lemon roasted cauliflower to a simple couscous salad with beets, avocado and fresh goat cheese, and you’ve got a quick and easy meal, packed with nutritious ingredients. My go-to for busy days, and I thought you should know the recipe too. So here it goes!
What goes into roasted cauliflower bowl?
- Couscous. Make sure you use semolina in this recipe, although pearl couscous could create an interesting recipe variation too (just double check the cooking instructions for the latter).
- Cauliflower. You need one medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets.
- Lemons. You need 1 ½ lemons for the recipe, or 3 halves.
- Fresh goat cheese, crumbled over the couscous bowl.
- Avocado. Each serving will get half an avocado, sliced or diced, to your liking.
- Marinated roasted beets. Choose ready to use marinated roasted beets, it will spare you some precious time and it comes already seasoned, which creates a perfect contrast of flavors in the recipe. Tip: add it at the last minute to avoid beets to dye the couscous.
- Pine nuts. Use them toasted to serve on top of the bowl. They’re entirely optional but add a pleasant crispy bite to the couscous bowl.
The recipe also comes with a simple vinaigrette featuring virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and freshly ground pepper.
Key steps to prepare cauliflower bowl
- Start with cutting and roasting the cauliflower. The roasting time is the longest part of the recipe, although it doesn’t require much effort.
- Soak the couscous. You can do it right before lunch while you’re slicing veggies and making the vinaigrette. The soaking time is extremely quick, and doing it at the last minute will keep the couscous warm.
- Prepare the vinaigrette by combining all the ingredients.
- Assemble the bowls. Starting with a base of couscous, lemon roasted cauliflower, sliced avocado, sliced beets, crumbled goat cheese and pine nuts. Drizzle the vinaigrette all over and you’re good to go!
Can you meal prep? Absolutely! You can roast the cauliflower up to a couple of days in advance and warm it up at the last minute. Couscous can also be soaked in advance and kept in the refrigerator for a few days. Lastly, the vinaigrette can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
How to serve and enjoy this bowl?
I typically serve it with the couscous and the roasted cauliflower still warm, and add all the cold toppings around: avocado, marinated beets, fresh goat cheese, herbs. I like the combination of warm and cold flavors that makes this bowl halfway between a salad and a warm meal, which is perfect to warm you up on a chilly day while still enabling you to get your fresh greens.
Recipe variations:
- To make it gluten-free, replace couscous with quinoa.
- For a vegan version, skip the goat cheese and replace with some hummus or chickpeas. A great plant-based protein quick!
- Skip the beets, for a quicker version or if you’re not a fan.
- Use a different cheese. Replace goat cheese with crumbled feta or blue cheese.
- Play with herbs. Cilantro works fine, but you could also do a mix of cilantro and mint. Delicious!
More nourishing salads & bowls:
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Bowl
- Moroccan-Inspired Chickpea Couscous Salad
- Spiced Chickpea Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl
- Vegetarian Cauliflower Burrito Bowl
With cauliflower, try also…
- Roasted Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Tacos
- Curried Cauliflower Grilled-Cheese Sandwich
- Cauliflower Steaks with Harissa Tahini Sauce
Avocado, Beet and Roasted Cauliflower Bowl
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salads
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Diet: Vegetarian
Avocado, beet and roasted cauliflower bowl with goat cheese is a simple healthy and nourishing meal, halfway between a salad and a warm bowl.
Email me this recipe
We’ll send it straight to your inbox, along with weekly food inspiration!
Ingredients
For the cauliflower bowls:
- 1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2–3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ lemons
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ cup (250g) couscous
- 1 ½ cup (350 ml) boiling water
- 4 small marinated roasted beets, sliced
- 2 ripe avocados, sliced
- 5.3 ounces (150g) fresh goat cheese, crumbled*
- Pine nuts, toasted (for garnishing)
- Fresh cilantro (for garnishing)
For the vinaigrette:
- 3 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 420°F (220°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place cauliflower florets and one lemon, cut in half, onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes. Halfway through the roasting time, toss well and squeeze lemon halves (using paper towel to prevent from burning yourself) over the cauliflower florets. Continue roasting until cauliflower is slightly charred and tender.
- Pour the couscous into a large mixing bowl and add the boiling water. Cover with a cloth and let sit for about 10 minutes. When water is absorbed, squeeze the remaining lemon half over the couscous and fluff with a fork.
- Divide the couscous onto 4 bowls, add lemon roasted cauliflower, sliced avocado, marinated beets, and fresh goat cheese.
- Prepare the vinaigrette by whisking all the ingredients together in a small bowl or glass jar. Pour onto the cauliflower bowls, garnish with fresh cilantro, top with toasted pine nuts, and enjoy!
Notes
* For a vegan version, you can replace goat cheese with chickpeas or hummus.
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Avocado, Beet and Roasted Cauliflower Bowl, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
