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Justine Doiron

just real good food

Beans + Grains + Bowls, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetables, Vegetarian · April 26, 2023

Buffalo Cauliflower Bowl

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Buffalo cauliflower wings are nothing new, and buffalo cauliflower bowls aren’t new either – but I couldn’t help but feel like this bowl is something special, y’know? It’s also one of my favorite things I’ve made in a while, so maybe I’m just a basic girl with basic taste, which if that’s true….well, I welcome it.

But this buffalo cauliflower bowl isn’t like all the other buffalo cauliflower recipes you see out there (I promise!) It uses chickpea-coated cauliflower to amp up the protein, plus create a texture that is pretty amazing. The buffalo sauce is pretty traditional, with a hint of paprika thrown in, and I paired it with a farro salad – because my avocado cravings were strong.

All together it feels like a perfectly balanced, perfectly healthy meal that fits for a weeknight dinner or weekly meal prep. It’s easy to assemble, fun to make, and I honestly want to have it on repeat in my kitchen. Read on for more details on how to make every component of this bowl!

Table of contents

  • First, how do you make buffalo cauliflower?
  • Ingredients you need for this buffalo cauliflower bowl
  • How to prepare the chickpea-coated cauliflower
  • How to prepare the farro salad for this buffalo cauliflower bowl
  • How to assemble this buffalo cauliflower bowl recipe
  • Can I use this recipe for meal-prep?
  • Looking for similar recipes?

First, how do you make buffalo cauliflower?

Buffalo cauliflower took the world by storm about a decade ago (isn’t it crazy that that was A DECADE AGO?) and there are now so many iterations on how to make it. The most common way you see buffalo cauliflower made is first breaded, either in breadcrumbs or a batter coating, and then fried, air-fried, or baked. There are other iterations, where the cauliflower is first cooked and then tossed in a sauce or a breading, and endless versions after that. But I think this is the first one that coats the cauliflower in chickpeas. I could be wrong, but just let me have this claim to fame, ok??

The main thing you need to know when making buffalo cauliflower is that it’s all about the sauce. You need a hot, buttery sauce on your cauli, it’s the one thing you see in common with every single buffalo cauliflower recipe on the internet.

Ingredients you need for this buffalo cauliflower bowl

When I make recipes I always feel like I’m using so many ingredients in the moment, but when I list it out, it’s really not that bad. Here’s everything you need for this buffalo bowl:

  • 3 cups cauliflower florets, about 1/2 of a small cauliflower head
  • 1 15 oz. can of chickpeas drained, rinsed and patted dry
  • 1/4 cup salted butter
  • 3 tablespoons hot sauce of choice, I prefer Frank’s red hot or sriracha
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 cup farro, uncooked
  • 1 cup fresh dill, loosely packed
  • 1 medium avocado
  • 1 medium lemon, for zest and juice
  • 1/2 cup yogurt or skyr
  • 2 garlic cloves grated
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

How to prepare the chickpea-coated cauliflower

The chickpea-coated cauliflower is the trickiest part of this recipe (but it’s not mandatory! See the notes section in the recipe box below). The key is that the moisture from the chickpeas will help them cling to the raw cauliflower, making it so that the cauliflower feels almost “breaded” by the chickpeas, but no dredging, soaking or dipping is required.

To do this, roughly chop up the cauliflower florets. In a small food processor, add 1/2 of the cauliflower and 1/2 of the chickpeas. Pulse until the chickpeas are in small pieces and the cauliflower is in chunks. Spread this batch out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chickpeas and cauliflower and spread those out on a separate baking sheet. 

After that, they’ll be ready for two rounds of baking, the first without the sauce, the second, with!

How to prepare the farro salad for this buffalo cauliflower bowl

While the cauliflower is baking, it’s best to assemble the rest of the recipe. This will save you time and redundancy – plus everything will be ready at the same time!

To make the farro salad, cook the farro according to package instructions. Add it to a large bowl. Finely chop the dill and add 3/4 of it to the farro. Dice and add the avocado, and add the zest from the lemon. Toss to combine.

How to assemble this buffalo cauliflower bowl recipe

Next is the dressing and the assembly! The dressing is simple – just add the rest of the chopped dill, the juice from the lemon, the yogurt, garlic, and olive oil. Mix to create a dressing and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper as preferred.

When the cauliflower is out of the oven, toss everything into a bowl. I like to start with the farro salad, then add the buffalo cauliflower, and drizzle on a healthy amount of the dressing. It’s a messy bowl, but absolutely worth every bite.

Can I use this recipe for meal-prep?

Absolutely! And since this recipe makes four servings, this buffalo cauliflower bowl is almost ideal for meal-prep. Like all of my recipes, the best way to meal prep this is to store all the components separately in the fridge.

The cauliflower goes in one container, the farro in another and the dressing in a jar. I also like to omit the avocado and add it only when I’m ready to eat the bowl. You could also add lemon juice to the farro mixture to help prevent the avocado from browning, if you choose to store it in the farro bowl. 

The components will stay at their peak for about 3 days, but will last for up to 5 in the fridge. Unfortunately this doesn’t freeze well, so plan to use it within the week.

Looking for similar recipes?

Here are a few other vegetable-forward bowls that I am truly obsessed with from the blog!

Spinach Artichoke Bowl
This easy lunch or dinner recipe is for everyone who ever wanted to eat a whole bowl of spinach and artichoke dip by themselves, because that's exactly what this tastes like. The thing can serve as a full meal, or a killer side dish, depending on how you portion it. The whole recipe takes about 20 minutes, making it an easy, hearty, delicious, and vegetable-packed option for any weeknight dinner.
Check out this recipe
Sun Dried Tomato Chickpeas & Date Syrup Oyster Mushroom Bowl
This bowl is everything – crispy, salty, spicy, sweet and hearty – all wrapped into one. The elements take some prep, but they you can snack on it all week. It's my ideal lunch prep.
Check out this recipe
Brussel Sprout Salad with Anchovy Tahini & Za’atar Chickpeas
Another addition to warm-salad-season is this brussel sprout salad dream. It's kind of like a caesar salad's younger, hotter (sorry caesar!) sister. It's easy to make, creamy and delicious, and of course, baked.
Check out this recipe

And that’s everything for this buffalo cauliflower bowl!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3

Buffalo Cauliflower Bowl

5 from 3 votes
This is a higher-protein, higher-satiety version of one of my favorite snacks – buffalo cauliflower wings. It uses a chickpea-breading to add an extra level of satiety to this vegetable-packed snack, and then I pair it with a nutty, dilly farro bowl to make it a full meal. This is all done in the oven, making it a great option for an easy weeknight dinner or weekly meal-prep!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time:15 minutes mins
Cook Time:40 minutes mins
Course: Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: avocado, buffalo, cauliflower, farro, grain bowl
Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

  • 1 small food processor
  • 1 small sauce pan
  • 2 large baking sheets

Ingredients

  • 3 cups cauliflower florets about 1/2 of a small cauliflower head
  • 1 15 oz. can of chickpeas drained, rinsed and patted dry
  • 1/4 cup salted butter
  • 3 tablespoons hot sauce of choice I prefer Frank's red hot or sriracha
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 cup farro uncooked
  • 1 cup fresh dill loosely packed
  • 1 medium avocado
  • 1 medium lemon for zest and juice
  • 1/2 cup yogurt or skyr
  • 2 garlic cloves grated
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more as needed
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • Roughly chop up the cauliflower florets. In a small food processor, add 1/2 of the cauliflower and 1/2 of the chickpeas. Pulse until the chickpeas are in small pieces and the cauliflower is in chunks. Spread this batch out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chickpeas and cauliflower and spread those out on a separate baking sheet. This is creating a texture where the chickpeas almost "coat" the cauliflower, but you want to give them enough space on the pan so that when they roast they are able to cook off any moisture.
  • Drizzle the cauliflower/chickpeas with a bit of olive oil and a few pinches of kosher salt. Place in the oven to cook for 12-15 minutes.
  • While that is roasting, place a small saucepan over medium-low heat and melt the butter. Add in the hot sauce, garlic powder, paprika, vinegar and cook for a 2-3 minutes, or until a smooth buffalo sauce forms.
  • When the chickpea/cauliflower is done with the first round of baking, drizzle this sauce over the mixture and toss to coat. Add to the oven to bake for another 12-15 minutes, or until golden and crisped up.
  • Cook the farro according to package instructions. Add it to a large bowl. Finely chop the dill and add 3/4 of it to the farro. Dice and add the avocado, and add the zest from the lemon. Toss to combine.
  • In another small bowl, add the rest of the chopped dill, the juice from the lemon, the yogurt, garlic, and olive oil. Mix to create a dressing and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper as preferred.
  • When the cauliflower is out of the oven, assemble into big, messy bowls with the farro first, the cauliflower on top, and a generous drizzle of dressing.

Notes

*No desire to get out your food processor? No problem. Just chop the cauliflower finely, toss it with whole chickpeas and proceed with the instructions. You’ll get a similar result, just a slightly different taste and look. 
*Note on the cauliflower’s “crispness” – this will vary slightly depending on how your chickpeas are pulsed in the food processor. Some pieces might taste more crisp, while others will taste more soft and bready, both will be delicious!
*Note on how to meal-prep this recipe – the best way to meal prep this is to store all the components separately in the fridge. The cauliflower goes in one container, the farro in another and the dressing in a jar. I also like to omit the avocado and add it only when I’m ready to eat the bowl. You could also add lemon juice to the farro mixture to help prevent the avocado from browning, if you choose to store it in the farro bowl. 

Posted In: Beans + Grains + Bowls, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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Comments

  1. Summer says

    April 27, 2023 at 4:07 pm

    Would this work with olive oil instead of butter- I’m desperately trying to clean out my pantry!? I’m so excited to make this! P.s I’m having trouble leaving reviews on your other recipes- I can’t find the little box, I’ve tried so many of your recipes and they never ever fail. P.s.s I’ve been loving rewatching your YouTube videos recently, plus your newsletter- and am very excited for your cookbook! It’s the only one that I will preorder! 🙂

  2. Lara says

    April 30, 2023 at 3:13 am

    As a buffalo sauce lover and vegetarian, this recipe really jumped out at me. I made the sauce with Frank’s Wings Buffalo Sauce, but also added in a few teaspoons of the Peri Peri sauce from Trader Joe’s. I chopped and roasted some baby bok choy I needed to use up, and also added a few hunks of baked halloumi, and skipped the dressing part since it was already 8pm.

    Thank you!! I love your bowl recipes. I could eat the same one all week!

  3. Amy says

    April 30, 2023 at 9:09 pm

    Just a note that farro isn’t gluten free. I’m sure most people know that but I had to look it up since it was under the gluten free category.

  4. Caitlin says

    May 2, 2023 at 11:11 pm

    This was amazing!!

    • Justine says

      May 4, 2023 at 5:31 pm

      Yay!! I’m so glad you liked it!

  5. Meagan says

    May 3, 2023 at 3:25 am

    This is my dream recipe- my partner hates dill. Is there a swap that would make this dish still worthwhile?

    • Justine says

      May 4, 2023 at 5:31 pm

      Chives or parsley are a great swap 🙂 My partner also hates dill lol

  6. Natalia says

    May 3, 2023 at 4:11 pm

    My husband asked for this bowl on a weekly rotation! Thank you for a simple yet flavourful recipe!

    • Justine says

      May 4, 2023 at 5:31 pm

      Oh yay! This makes me so happy to hear!

  7. Kari says

    May 3, 2023 at 11:59 pm

    My whole family loved this recipe. The buffalo sauce is amazing. Very hearty vegetarian dish. Yum!

  8. Emily Schaffhausen says

    May 5, 2023 at 2:10 am

    Omg I don’t even like cauliflower, but chopping it so small and mixing with the chickpeas? SO GOOD! I can’t wait to eat this again tomorrow for lunch!

  9. Kelly says

    May 5, 2023 at 2:14 am

    Hubby’s take: this should be a restaurant dish. Also, I think I mis-read the first step and pulsed all the cauliflower which made the chickpea/cauli combo kind of like lots of breadcrumbs. But we were not mad at this result. It is also child approved. Its moving into heavy/obsessive rotation is my prediction. Thank you!

  10. Stacey Lewis says

    May 9, 2023 at 2:58 am

    5 stars
    Omitted buffalo sauce since family doesn’t like and instead made romesco on the side alongside the yogurt dressing. Also added finely chopped kale to the darro. Huge hit. Will make again! Thank you Justine!

  11. Kate says

    May 10, 2023 at 7:13 pm

    5 stars
    My partner made this after I subtly sent him your Tiktok saying “I want to eat this” and it was truly delicious. Will be added to our rotation!

    • Justine says

      May 11, 2023 at 12:47 pm

      Aw that’s really sweet – I’m so glad you both liked it!

  12. Kirsten says

    May 12, 2023 at 9:33 am

    5 stars
    Am living for your bowl recipes at the moment!! I didn’t have Greek yoghurt so used vanilla lol and it gave it a little nice sweetness. I love the fact that the recipe uses the whole bunch of herbs.. that’s my jam!! Thank you x

  13. Rebecca says

    May 12, 2023 at 1:01 pm

    My friend and I cook together on FaceTime once weekly. This was our 45th recipe together and it was such a tasty and easy meal. We appreciate your creativity and ability to bring together flavors in delicious ways we would never think of!

  14. Tara says

    May 14, 2023 at 2:22 am

    My new fave, amazing flavours and textures that go so well together, I veganized it, even my teen loved it.

  15. Christina Pane says

    May 18, 2023 at 10:01 am

    Husband and I both practically licked the bowl clean, awesome recipe, Thank You!!

  16. Leah says

    May 23, 2023 at 1:33 am

    Another one. Can’t wait for the cook book!

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hey there

I'm Justine. A recipe developer, highly dedicated eater, bread enthusiast and overall carb queen. It's a lot to fit into one bio, I know. But I'm so glad you're here! This is where I store all my recipes, feel free to take a look around!

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