There is just something so insanely delicious about buffalo cauliflower and homemade yogurt ranch. Pair those two with a crunchy, colorful salad and you’ve got yourself a delicious lunch (or dinner)! Seriously, you’ll be making this salad on repeat all week.
The main elements of this meal are buffalo cauliflower, greens (spinach), carrots, cucumber, red onion, and extras like dressing, tortilla chips/croutons, and maybe crispy chickpeas for a topping.
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Ingredients
For the buffalo cauliflower
- Parchment paper or cooking spray
- 1/2 cup milk of your choice
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (sub gluten-free all purpose if needed)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
- 2 tbsp butter (sub coconut oil)
- 1/3 cup hot sauce (or sriracha)
For the salad
- 5 cups spinach, chopped
- 1 cucumber, chopped into half moons
- 1/2 red onion, chopped (sub red cabbage)
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 3 green onions, chopped (white ends included)
For the yogurt ranch
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 single-serving plain yogurt of your choice
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (sub apple cider vinegar)
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp green onion, finely chopped
How to customize this buffalo cauliflower salad:
Add extra salad veggies: Celery, radishes, snap peas, corn, tomatoes, cabbage, or even spiralized zucchini.
Add protein if you want it more filling: Shredded chicken, baked shrimp, crispy chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, or black beans all work great here.
Crunchy carbs make it better: Tortilla chips, potato chips, homemade or store-bought croutons, or even a slice of fresh bread help balance the spice and make this salad more satisfying.
Not into cauliflower? No problem!
- Chicken: Toss pieces in the batter, pan-fry with neutral oil, then coat in buffalo sauce and bake briefly.
- Tofu: Drain, coat, and bake using the same directions as cauliflower.
These swaps make it easy to accommodate different tastes in one household.
Dress it up your way: Homemade yogurt ranch is delicious, but you can use your favorite store-bought ranch, Caesar, or another creamy dressing.
Related: 20 Meal Prep Salads That You’ll Actually Enjoy Eating
Crunchy carbs
A crunchy carb (or straight-up piece of bread) is a good idea for this salad to tone the spiciness down. I was lucky enough to get a loaf of homemade bread from a friend to enjoy with this salad, but I would have used any of the following:
- Tortilla chips
- Potato chips (on the side probably, but you can totally add crushed potato chips on top)
- Homemade croutons (simply chop bread, drizzle with olive oil, and bake in the oven at 375 F for 15 mins!)
- Store-bought croutons
- Fresh bread
- Crispy chickpeas (here’s a really easy recipe for that! You can bake them while the cauliflower bakes)
Is it necessary? No, but it makes it tastier and more filling!
Add protein to this salad if you want!
I found this salad really filling on its own, but if you know you need more to round it out, here are some ideas!
- Shredded chicken
- Simple chicken breast (see my video tutorial here)
- Baked shrimp (I’d use the recipe from this shrimp taco meal)
- Easy baked tofu (video tutorial here)
- BBQ baked tempeh (From the BBQ Buffet Prep)
- Crispy chickpeas (same as above)
- Black beans (from a can, rinsed and drained)
Not into buffalo cauliflower?
Yup. We encourage customization so much that we’ll even tell you how to make a buffalo cauliflower recipe WITHOUT cauliflower. You can actually swap the cauliflower for tofu or chicken. Use the same ingredients as written below!
- For the chicken: Toss chicken pieces in the batter and lightly fry it in a pan with a neutral oil (like avocado or veg/canola oil). Then toss the pieces in the hot sauce and butter mixture and bake for a few minutes. It won’t stay crispy in the salad, but it will be delicious.
- For the tofu: use the same directions as the recipe below, just make sure to drain the tofu before cooking! These tips could really come in handy if you’re in a household with someone who doesn’t like cauliflower (but you love it) which is the EXACT situation I’m in with my partner! He isn’t a fan, but I can still make us the same meal with a simple swap.
- Dress it up! You can use any creamy dressing you like for this salad. If you already have a favorite store-bought ranch or Caesar salad dressing on hand, just use that!
How to repurpose this buffalo cauliflower in case you get tired of it:
Sometimes I’m not in the mood for a salad. And that’s ok. Here’s how to turn it into something else:
- Turn it into a sandwich! This would make a great grilled sandwich situation with a bit of cheddar cheese.
- Turn it into a wrap! If you have tortillas or pita bread, this would be an excellent wrap option.
- Quesadilla it! Just make sure to take out the cucumbers, which will not work in a quesadilla.
- Buffalo pasta anyone? You can make pasta and maybe a simple cheese sauce and toss it all together. Again, you’ll have to remove the cucumbers (which won’t be good if heated).
- When in doubt, make a pizza.
Related: 15 Meal Prep Sandwiches And Wraps Perfect For Work Lunches
Storage notes:
- Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Not freezer friendly.
- For meal prep: keep dressing and crunchy toppings (chips, croutons, or bread) on the side until ready to eat.
🥗 Meal Prep Pro Tip: If you’re prepping multiple servings, portion out the buffalo cauliflower separately and reheat it before adding to the salad so it keeps its texture.
FAQs About Buffalo Cauliflower Salad
Is buffalo cauliflower healthy?
Yes! It’s lighter than buffalo wings and packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals from the cauliflower and veggies.
Can I make this salad ahead of time?
Absolutely. Just store the dressing and crunchy toppings separately to keep everything fresh.
What hot sauce works best?
Frank’s RedHot is the classic choice, but sriracha or any buffalo-style sauce you love will work.
How do I make buffalo cauliflower crispy?
Coating the cauliflower in a light batter before baking helps it stay crisp. For extra crunch, bake on parchment and avoid crowding the pan.
Happy prepping!
Related: 18 Meal Prep Recipes For When You Have No Microwave or Fridge At Work
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Meal Prep Buffalo Cauliflower Salads
Ingredients
For the cauliflower
- parchment paper or cooking spray
- 1/2 cup milk of your choice
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour sub gluten free all purpose
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 head cauliflower chopped into florets
- 2 TBSP butter sub coconut oil
- 1/3 cup hot sauce sub sriracha
For the salad
- 5 cups spinach chopped
- 1 cucumber chopped into half moons
- 1/2 red onion chopped, sub red cabbage
- 3 carrot chopped
- 3 green onion chopped, white ends included
For the yogurt ranch
- 1 single serving yogurt of your choice plain
- 1 TBSP lemon juice sub apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 tsp dried parsely
- 1 tsp onion powder
- t tsp garlic powder
- 1 TBSP green onion chopped small
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray. (NOTE: You bake the cauliflower two separate times!)
- In a measuring glass, mix the milk, water, flour, onion powder, paprika and salt. Add the cauliflower to a bowl and pour the mixture on top. Toss well with a spoon or spatula. Using tongs, place the cauliflower on the baking sheet (Try to give the pieces as much room as possible). Bake for 20 minutes, no flipping necessary. Clean out the bowl and dry it, since you’re going to use it again!
- Meanwhile, add the butter and hot sauce to a small pot on the stove and stir to combine. You can also do this step in the microwave. Set aside.
- While the cauliflower bakes, you can prepare your salad ingredients and dressing if using!
- Remove the cauliflower from the sheet pan and add it to the big bowl you used earlier (make sure it’s dry and clean!). Add the hot sauce and butter mixture and toss well to coat the cauliflower. Add it back to the baking sheet (using tongs) and bake for another 15 minutes.
- Let the cauliflower cool completely before assembling the salads. Keep the dressing on the side until you’re ready to eat!
Anne says
Was there supposed to be a recipe for the dressing?
Talia Koren says
We added it! Sorry about that —