Crowd-Pleasing Fall Salad

This Crowd-Pleasing Fall Salad is the ideal recipe to make for parties, potlucks, and more! Gluten-free and vegetarian, it's suitable for large groups. But most importantly, it's packed with delicious flavor and texture that'll please a crowd!

Course Salad

Keyword carrots, cauliflower, chickpeas, extra virgin olive oil, feta, paprika, sunflower seeds

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 35

Servings as a side

Calories 154kcal

Ingredients

Roasted Chickpeas

2 15 oz Cans Chickpeas rinsed and drained, about 3 cups
1 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3/4 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Paprika
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 Tsp Fresh-Cracked Black Pepper

Roasted Baby Cauliflower

4 Cups Baby Cauliflower Florets about 12 oz
1 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Tsp Salt
Fresh-Cracked Black Pepper to taste

The Salad

3/4 Lb Mixed Salad Greens about 12 cups
1 1/2 Cups Shredded Carrots
1/2 Red Onion thinly sliced, about 3/4 cup
1 Cup Crumbled Feta about one 4 oz package
1/2 Cup Roasted Salted Sunflower Seeds

The Vinaigrette (Will Make More Than You Need)

1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Garlic Clove grated
1 Tsp Salt
Fresh-Cracked Black Pepper to taste

Instructions

To begin, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
Prep your chickpeas by rinsing and draining them. Pat them dry with a clean towel or paper towel until they're as dry as possible, discarding any loose skins. Toss the chickpeas with the olive oil, salt, and spices, and add to a baking sheet, spreading them out as evenly as possible. Set aside.
Prep your cauliflower florets by cutting them into bite-sized pieces. Toss the florets with the olive oil, salt, and pepper, and add to a separate baking sheet (don't add them to the chickpeas).
Once the oven is at temperature, add both baking sheets. Roast the cauliflower for 22-25 minutes, or until just starting to brown at the edges, then remove from the oven and set aside. At the time you take the cauliflower out, mix the chickpeas around on their baking sheet, then return them to the oven for an additional 10-12 minutes. When done, remove them from the oven and let them cool slightly before adding to the salad.
While the cauliflower and chickpeas are roasting, assemble the remaining ingredients of the salad - thinly slice your red onions (see notes), crumble your feta, etc.
Make the vinaigrette by whisking together all of the ingredients until combined. Taste, and adjust seasonings to your preference.
Right before serving the salad, assemble all of the ingredients together in a large serving bowl. The vinaigrette recipe makes more than is needed for the salad - start by dressing the salad with half of the vinaigrette, and go from there. Alternative, serve the vinaigrette on the side.
Serve and enjoy!

Notes

This salad will serve 16-20 as a side dish.
This salad is best when assembled right before serving, to keep the lettuce from wilting.
If you'd like to take some of the bite out of the raw red onions, you can soak them in a bowl of ice water for about 10 minutes. Just be sure to dry them completely before adding to the salad!

Nutrition

https://wellandfull.com/2026/10/crowd-pleasing-fall-salad/

Tried this recipe?Let me know @wellandfull or tag #wellandfull! :)