This Buffalo Cauliflower Salad is a veggie twist on a buffalo chicken salad. Salad greens and your favorite salad fixings topped with crispy-coated cauliflower tossed in buffalo sauce. Homemade blue cheese dressing and extra blue cheese crumbles complete the salad.
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Why you will love this salad
Buffalo Cauliflower Salad is a veggie twist on one of my favorite restaurant salads. Instead of chicken, I topped this salad with crispy-coated buffalo cauliflower (thanks to my freezer shortcut). And since I love blue cheese and buffalo together, let's drizzle homemade blue cheese dressing over everything!
The best part of this salad - besides the spicy buffalo cauliflower and creamy blue cheese - is how customizable it is. Use your favorite salad greens and salad fixings. Or use up what you have on hand. If you prefer ranch dressing with buffalo, feel free to go with it!
Try another restaurant favorite at home with my Panera Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken.
Salad fixings
This is how I love to build this salad:
- Spring mix - I love the mixture of baby greens. You can add romaine or leaf lettuce. Arugula and baby spinach are great add-ins too.
- Olives - I added both Castelvetrano and black olives. Kalamata olives are delicious too.
- Carrots - Shredded carrots are my go-to in salads. I love their texture and presentation.
- Cucumbers
- Red onion
- Tomatoes
- Celery
- Blue cheese dressing - I'm a blue cheese fan, but you can dress the salad with your favorite dressing.
- Buffalo cauliflower - I use a freezer shortcut ingredient that adds ease and convenience.
Blue cheese dressing
This homemade dressing comes together with just a handful of ingredients. Whisk together in a bowl or shake it up in a mason jar. TIP: Microwave ½ of the blue cheese for 10-15 seconds to soften it. Then blend it into the dressing. Then, add the remaining blue cheese to the dressing as crumbles.
Buffalo cauliflower
My shortcut in this recipe is frozen breaded cauliflower. Bake according to package directions until brown and crispy.
For the sauce, add your favorite buffalo or wing sauce to a small saucepan. Add brown sugar and heat over low until the sugar melts. Stir to combine. Drizzle over the cauliflower and toss to coat.
This veggie-loaded salad comes together easily. While the cauliflower bakes in the oven, mix up the buffalo sauce. Then whip up the dressing and prep the toppings. Don't forget extra blue cheese crumbles on top!
📖 Recipe Card
Buffalo Cauliflower Salad
Ingredients
- 6 ounces frozen crispy cauliflower florets (½ 12-ounce package)
Buffalo sauce
- ¼ cup buffalo or wing sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar (or light brown sugar)
Blue cheese dressing
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 ounces blue cheese (crumbled, plus extra for topping)
Salad
- 3 cups spring mix (or other salad greens)
- 1 small carrot (shredded)
- ¼ cup grape tomatoes (halved)
- ¼ cup olives (like Castelvetrano and black, halved or whole)
- 1 mini cucumber (sliced)
- 1 slice red onion (separated into rings)
- 1 stalk celery (sliced)
Instructions
Buffalo Cauliflower
- Bake the cauliflower according to the package directions.
- Meanwhile, add the buffalo sauce and brown sugar to a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until the sugar melts. Stir to combine. Set aside.
Dressing
- In a glass mason jar or mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, milk, salt, and pepper. Shake or stir well. Stir in crumbled blue cheese. (Note 1)
Salad
- In a mixing bowl, combine the lettuce and salad toppings. Add 2-3 tablespoons (or to taste) of dressing and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving dish.
- Toss the cauliflower with the buffalo sauce. Add to the top of the salad. Crumble extra blue cheese on top. Serve extra dressing on the side.
Notes
- Alternatively, microwave ½ of the blue cheese for 10 seconds to soften and whisk into the dressing. Crumble in the remaining blue cheese.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific ingredients used.
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