When it’s not quite sunny or warm enough for cold salad, sauced steamed vegetables with a protein are my go-to. Here its the dynamic duo of cauliflower and chickpea brought to life by a zingy lemon-beet sauce. The sauce also doubles well as a dip if you reduce the water making it thicker.

Yield : 1 serving as a main, 2-4 as a side dish + extra dressing to use later on

What you need for the sauce/dressing :

• 1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seed butter (60g)
• 3-4 tablespoons filtered water
• a large cooked yellow beet, peeled and chopped (90-100g)
• the juice and zest of a small lemon (if you only have a big and super-juicy one, then use half)
• the white and light green part of a small scallion, about 3″ worth
• 1-1/2″ (or up to 3″ if you love fresh turmeric…) fresh turmeric root, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

What you need for the warm salad :

• 3-4 cups cauliflower florets (300g)
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (the ones in the photo are sprouted black chickpea, but canned and well-rinsed white ones work just fine – so does any other bean you prefer if you aren’t so much into chickpeas – or if you don’t do legumes, then green peas work as well)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsely
• 1/4 cup Lemon-Beet sauce

What you do for the sauce/dressing :

1. Put all the ingredients in a small blender or Magic Bullet type deal. Buzz until completely smooth, adjusting salt, lemon and water to obtain the taste you love and the texture you desire.
2. Transfer to a glass jar and use immediately or store in the fridge for up to 4 days, stirring well before use.

What you do for the salad :

1. Set up some type of steaming apparatus. Steam the cauliflower to desired tenderness. When the cauliflower is about 5 minutes from done to your liking, add the chickpeas to the steamer so they warm up a bit (optional but nice if you want a warm meal).
2. Transfer the steamed cauliflower and warm chickpeas to a mixing bowl. Add the chopped parsley and toss to combine.
3. Add the sauce and toss to coat everything evenly.
4. Serve. With a garnish of lemon zest if you’re feeling fancy. Toasted sunflower seeds would also be nice !