creamy cauliflower salad with lemon thyme

Creamy Cauliflower Salad with Lemon Thyme recipe I have here was one of the salads I came up with some years ago for my food blog. Now I make it for our dinner guests and it has always been a hit. Before I get to recipe part, I’d like to talk about cauliflower as a vegetable…

Notes on Cauliflower
A vegetable with a long history, first introduced into Europe in the 13th century, the cauliflower consists of a head of tightly packed pretty white florets encased in tough leaves.

When to buy: All the year round. However, cauliflower is a cold weather plant and is at its best when fresh from October to April.
What to look for: A white or cream coloured head with dense clusters of florets. These should be free
of the dark speckles that indicate an old cauliflower. A fresh head should be heavy and the surrounding leaves crisp and light green, not yellow.
How to store: In the refrigerator. Do not allow the head to become moist as this will encourage mould. Cauliflower may be frozen.
How to prepare: Peel away the outer leaves, trim the thick stalk from the centre and wash the head. Cut or break the cauliflower into florets or leave it whole.
Where to use: It may be cut into individual florets and eaten raw with dips and sauces, or it may be steamed, boiled, stir-fried or microwaved. Cauliflower is excellent dipped in batter and deep-fried. The florets are an attractive addition to salads, casseroles, soups, bakes or stir fries. Cauliflower ‘rice’ is very popular within health-conscious people these days. It also makes gluten-free pizza base.
How to cook: Cauliflower should be cooked only until tender to retain vitamins and flavour. Adding lemon juice in water reduces the sulphurous smell as I did in my Creamy Cauliflower Salad with Lemon Thyme recipe. You could also steam it which is a healthier way of cooking.
Nutrition: Good source of vitamin B6 and C, folic acid and potassium.

Creamy Cauliflower Salad with Lemon Thyme Recipe Notes

I have been growing some of my herbs in our outdoor area for some time. Some of them have been successful, some died and have been replaced and even the replacements died. It’s a process I’m learning and in the end, all this will translate into a mini eBook (hopefully) for you guys to download. I will keep you posted on This Is Ayshim Facebook page. So, go and like the page if haven’t done so.

Lemon thyme I used in this Creamy Cauliflower Salad is the one from my own herb garden. I have always thought that buying a bunch of lemon thyme to be used just one thing was waste of money. However, you pick just the right amount if you’re growing your own and the rest of it will still live.

Mixing yoghurt and mayonnaise is a common practice where I come from. It sort of balances the creaminess of the salad dressing. And, here in this recipe, I flavoured this creaminess with Dijon mustard and added some tanginess with white wine vinegar.