Your New Favorite Way to Eat Cauliflower

Photo by Brian W. FerryBy Marilyn He, Bon Appétit

A lot of the magic of this salad is pretty obvious. You already know the homemade Dijon dressing is going to be pretty great. It's easy to imagine the fresh parsley and tarragon will add a special kick of flavor. The warm barley will help fill you up and the just-browned cauliflower takes it from a "light lunch" to definitively "dinner" status. But really, we want to talk about the gigante beans.

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Don't be skeptical just because they came out of a can. Really! We know everything else is super fresh and homemade, but these beans make a gigante contribution to the salad. For starters, they're unbelievably creamy and buttery. They're an easy way to punch up the protein, fiber, and antioxidants. And gigante beans are, well, pretty big. So they'll add a dramatic look (the good kind) to your dinner plate.

And doesn't everyone want to eat pretty food?

Warm Cauliflower and Herbed Barley Salad

Ingredients
1/2 cup pearled barley
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 15-ounce can gigante, corona, or butter beans, rinsed
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, divided
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves, divided

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Preparation
Place barley in a large saucepan; add water to cover by 2 inches. Season with salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 25-30 minutes. Drain; run under cold water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and 5 tablespoons oil in a medium bowl until emulsified. Season dressing with salt and pepper; set aside.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add cauliflower; cook, turning occasionally, until browned in spots, 10-12 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water, cover, and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer cauliflower to a large bowl; add beans, 1/4 cup parsley, 1 tablespoon tarragon, reserved barley, and half of reserved dressing. Toss to coat; season with salt and pepper.

Divide salad among bowls; drizzle remaining dressing over. Garnish with lemon zest, 1/4 cup parsley, and 1 tablespoon tarragon.

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