This Buffalo Romanesco Bowl is WILD! Its flavor is smoky, slightly spicy, and zesty! What a simple yet substanstial lunch.

Oh, bring me a bowl… where the buffalos roam (anesco) !!

Allow me to introduce you to broccoli and cauliflower’s common ancestor: Romanesco. What a mysterious, eye-catching relative. ⇓⇓⇓

Roasted and rolled in an addictive sauce, Romanesco florets (or fractyls? hats? dragon horns?) don a tender, comforting crunch. The rest of the ingredients make this salad impossible to pass up!

Buffalo Romanesco Bowl

Recipe makes 1 GIANT salad, enough for 2 normal appetites or 1 monster

WHAT YOU’RE GONNA NEED (for each part)

Base/toppings:

• 2 heads romaine lettuce
• 1 cup mixed spring greens
• 2 sprigs green onion
• 1/2 cup chickpeas, Lupini beans, or Cannelini beans

Roasted Romanesco:

• 1 medium head Romanesco*
• 3-4 tbsp hot sauce (I prefer the classic Frank’s stuff)
• Garlic powder and smoked paprika

To make the KING of Ranch Dressings:

• 1/2 onion of any color
• 4 oz. (1/2 cup) silken tofu or soy yogurt
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp any vinegar
• 1/4-1/2 tsp dill**
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• Garlic cloves or powder

WHAT YOU’RE GONNA DO:

1. Start with the buffalo bites, obviously. Preheat your oven to 375F. Keep a baking sheet handy (either silicon or covered with parchment.)
2. Rinse the Romanesco, slice in half, and tear off cones.
3. Spread out the florets on the pan. Cover with paprika, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss to coat.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
5. In the meantime, chop your romaine. Add to a bowl with other greens and scallions.
6. For the DRESSING, blitz together the onion, silken tofu, nooch, acid, and dill.
7. Remove roasted veggie bits from the oven and DRENCH in hot sauce. Bake for 5 minutes, then broil for 3.
8. Pour Ranch over greens and toss to coat. Lastly, add Buffalo Bites and optional legumes.

*Yes, cauliflower will work in a pinch. But I beg you to try this veggie if you can find it! I just felt like Buffalo Cauliflower has been overdone. But it’s a favorite for a reason:) Broccoli is functional, but not nearly as “fun.”

**Dill is as fickle as a pickle (hehe.) Start with 1/4 packed teaspoon and add more if you need it extra ranch-y.

You can always use a storebought vegan ranch, but I prefer my WFPB version;) The flavor pairing is a must! To dress this salad in anything except this quintessential creaminess would be a blasphemous faux pas. It’d be like… pairing Chardonnay with Sour Patch Kids?

INFO DE NUTRITION for the ENTIRE bowl: 380 calories | 25g protein | 7g fat | 42g carbs (18g fiber!!)

Treat your body as a temple, or rather a Cruciferous Castle.

Best Dishes,

The Hippie Happy Foodist™