Cauliflower Cocktail Salad
The cocktail salad came into Soviet restaurant cooking from the European fashion of the 1970s and ’80s, when appetizers were layered in tall glasses or goblets. The idea is a contrast of sweet and delicate: cauliflower poached in milk sheds its sharpness and turns almost creamy, while canned apricots and green apple add fruity tartness.
The milk in the poaching water isn’t a quirk — it keeps the florets snow-white and tames the cabbagey smell. Don’t overcook them; they should stay firm, or the layers will slump when you build the glass.
Good to Know
The dressing is sour cream (smetana, a rich cultured cream around 20% fat — full-fat sour cream or crème fraîche substitutes cleanly) brightened with lemon juice, then balanced with salt and sugar. Taste as you go, since canned apricots vary in sweetness. Fresh ripe apricots or canned peach work in their place. Assemble the layers just before serving so the cocktail doesn’t settle.
Part of European cuisine — 63 more recipes in the section.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Poach the cauliflower until tender in a small amount of water with salt and milk added.
Drain in a sieve, cool, and cut into small pieces.
Cut the peeled apple and bell pepper into thin julienne, and slice the apricots into wedges.
Combine the sour cream with the lemon juice, add salt and sugar to taste, and mix.
In individual glasses, layer: apple, bell pepper, then cauliflower.
Spoon over the sour cream dressing, top with the apricots, and serve.
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