Atop a bed of tender kale with sharp parmesan and sour pickled onions, you find what makes Bang-Bang Salad such a blast of flavor! It’s bang-bang cauliflower; air-fried to perfection, with the tender, mild cauliflower heart surrounded by a crisp breadcrumb coating! And of course, the tangy, creamy, spicy, and sweet bang-bang sauce… who needs any other dressing when they have a sauce like that? Bang-Bang Salad is a banging good time.
Ingredients
For the fried cauliflower:
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup seasoned fine breadcrumbs
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
- olive oil cooking spray, to taste
For the bang-bang sauce:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 4 tablespoons jarred sweet chili sauce
- 3 teaspoons jarred chili-garlic sauce
- 3 tablespoons chives, freshly chopped
For the kale salad:
- 1 large bunch kale, leaves removed from stems, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lime, freshly juiced
- kosher salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, shaved
- 1/4 cup jarred sliced pickled onions, can substitute red onions, sliced
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
Step 2 –In a large bowl, add the beaten eggs.
Step 3 –In a second bowl, add the panko and the seasoned breadcrumbs.
Step 4 –Dip the cauliflower florets into the egg and then into the panko-breadcrumb mixture.
Step 5 –Place the coated florets in a single layer on the wire rack of the air fryer and spray them with the olive oil cooking spray. You may need to work in batches.
Step 6 –Air-fry the cauliflower florets until they are browned and crispy, about 15 minutes.
Step 7 –Transfer the cauliflower florets to a plate and repeat the air-frying process, as needed, with the remaining cauliflower.
Step 8 –While the cauliflower is air-frying, in a bowl, add the mayonnaise, the sweet chili sauce, and the chili-garlic sauce and whisk to combine.
Step 9 –Sprinkle the bang-bang sauce with the chives.
Step 10 –While the cauliflower is air-frying, in a serving bowl, add the kale and the olive oil and massage the oil into the kale.
Step 11 –Allow the leaves to sit until they soften and are no longer bitter, about 10 minutes.
Step 12 –Drizzle the kale with the lime juice.
Step 13 –Season the kale with the salt and the pepper.
Step 14 –Add the parmesan and the pickled onions to the kale and toss to combine.
Step 15 –Top the salad with the bang-bang cauliflower, drizzle with the bang-bang sauce, and serve.
