Note from Kare: Gina from Running to the Kitchen is back (yay!) with this incredible appetizer recipe that’s the perfect hybrid – a cheese ball + Buffalo hot sauce goodness in one easy (and relatively light!) package. Regardless of one’s stance on football (I am not exactly a sports person, though I don’t despise the sport quite as much as Gina does!), I think we can all agree that game-day food like this Buffalo Cheese Ball is something that everyone can cheer for. 🙂

The start of fall is always bittersweet. It’s the beginning of cozy sweaters, boots, and comfort food but the end of flip flops, tanks, tans and amazing summer fruit (peaches, you’ll be missed). It’s also the beginning of football season.

For some reason, Buffalo and football have essentially become synonymous, something that sort of grates at my nerves as I love one dearly and couldn’t even be tempted to sit through the other for large sums of money.

Just the music alone, you know, the “duh duh duh duhhhhh” that prefaces every commercial break is cringe worthy to me, and yet, some of the best snacks, side dishes and appetizers come out of it all – like this Buffalo Cheese Ball.

Buffalo sauce has made its way into pretty much every food out there and now its making its way into the beloved cheese ball appetizer, too. A party isn’t a party without a cheeseball somewhere, am I right?

This one has everything you love about a good one: it’s rolled in nuts, filled with small chunks of veggies, creamy and spreadable but with the added bonus of that football-centric Buffalo flavor. You can add more or less depending on your spice tolerance, but anyway you serve it I can guarantee both the football lovers and those just there for the food, like me, will love it.

(more…)

The post Buffalo Cheese Ball appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

This salad is SPICY. But then you also have the icy cucumbers and that cool tahini-based ranch. And one sort of tries to counteract the other, but ultimately, the heat wins out.

No worries; just have a few more sips of beer, because it’s perfect with this thing. Then the burn will be gone before you know it and only the “WHEN will I get to have that again?!!” feelings will remain.

In this Article

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Buffalo Chickpea Salad Ingredients
• How to Make It
• What to Serve with Buffalo Chickpea Salad

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

I’ve been dreaming about this recipe concept for awhile. At first, I roasted the chickpeas and then stirred in the buffalo sauce, but it felt a little too overly laborious (and when you’re hangry, roasting takes way too long).

Then I discovered these buffalo chickpea wraps and saw how a quick saute made for spicy-hot sauced chickpeas in a fraction of the time. Duh!

That made this salad even easier to whip up, and the chickpeas this way add more sauce and sass to the whole endeavor.

Buffalo Chickpea Salad Ingredients

This vegetarian and vegan buffalo chickpea salad is made up of three components: The spicy chickpeas, the salad veggies, and the ranch dressing.

For the chickpeas, we have:

• Chickpeas – one can of them. Feel free to use cooked-from-scratch chickpeas too! You’ll want about two cups.
• Red hot buffalo sauce – Yep, the red stuff in the bottle.
• Garlic powder – you can use fresh garlic, too.
• Salt & pepper – the classic flavor enhancers.

For the ranch dressing, the ingredients are:

• Tahini – I love tahini-based ranch. It is so good! It lends a creaminess without needing any dairy ingredients.
• Almond milk – any non-dairy milk will do, just keep it unsweetened. Or if you’re okay with dairy, dairy milk will do just fine too.
• Lemon juice – a bit of acid gives a nice kick.
• Onion powder, garlic powder, salt, & pepper – flavor flavor flavor!
• Fresh parsley and fresh chives – homemade ranch calls for fresh herbs!

To make a faster buffalo chickpea salad, feel free to use store-bought ranch. Just stick with a dairy-free/vegan brand if you need to.

Then, we put it all together with these salad ingredients:

• Shredded romaine lettuce – feel free to sub in another favorite green, though romaine is nice and sturdy and holds up perfectly to a pile of buffalo chickpeas. I like adding in some red leaf lettuce for some color and variety.
• Celery – gotta have celery for the full buffalo experience!
• Cucumber – I love the cooling counterpoint that cucumbers provide.
• Avocado – for a creamy texture. So good!
• Red onion – I love the bite of red onion in this salad.

How to Make It

First, make the dressing (or skip this step if you’re using a store-bought ranch dressing). Just whisk everything together in a bowl and set aside.

Next, whip up those saucy-spicy chickpeas. You’ll add some olive oil to a saute pan and warm over medium heat. Add the chickpeas and all of the other ingredients, holding back a bit of the buffalo sauce. You’ll cook until they’re warmed through and golden, then remove them from the heat and stir in the remaining buffalo sauce.

Then, you’ll arrange your veggies in a big salad bowl and pour the chickpeas right over the top.

Drizzle with ranch and dig in!

What to Serve with Buffalo Chickpea Salad

This salad is pretty much a meal in itself, but if you’d like some bread alongside (and you’re okay with dairy), these Brown Sugar Garlic Mozzarella Breadsticks hit the spot.

For dessert, something cooling is always welcome. How about some no-churn Sea Salt & Honey Ice Cream?

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it and loved it (or even if you didn’t!) please come back and leave a review. That helps others know that this recipe is worth making, and helps me make any needed adjustments to the recipes I put out in the world.

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Buffalo Chickpea Salad

Addicting chickpeas, drenched in red hot sauce, served over crisp lettuce, and drizzled with ranch. This Buffalo Chickpea Salad is SO good!

Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 432kcal

Author Kare

Equipment

• 1 medium saute pan
• 1 small bowl
• 1 large salad bowl

Ingredients

Cool Tahini Ranch:

• 1/3 cup tahini
• 3-4 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + more to taste

Spicy Buffalo Chickpeas:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas drained
• 1/4 cup red hot buffalo sauce divided
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder can substitute 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salad:

• 5 cups shredded romaine lettuce or a combo of romaine and red leaf lettuce
• 1 batch Spicy Buffalo Chickpeas
• 1 celery stalk diced; [about 1/2 cup]
• 1/2 medium cucumber peeled and diced [about 1 cup]
• 1 medium ripe avocado peeled and sliced
• 1/2 small red onion sliced into half-rounds [soak in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes if you prefer to reduce the bite]
• 1 batch Cool Tahini Ranch

Instructions

Make the dressing

• Add all dressing ingredients to the bowl of a small food processor or blender. Puree until blended, adding additional almond milk if needed to thin it. Set aside.

Cook the chickpeas

• Set a medium saute pan over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil. Add the chickpeas, 2 tablespoons of the buffalo sauce, garlic or garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, until warmed through and golden brown in places, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in additional 2 tablespoons buffalo sauce. Set aside.

Assemble the salad

• In a large salad bowl or on individual plates (your choice), arrange a bed of lettuce. Scoop the warm chickpeas over the top. Arrange celery, cucumber, avocado, and onion over each. Drizzle generously with dressing. Serve immediately.

Notes

A note on servings

I’d say this serves 2-3 as a hearty main course, and more like 4 as a side. 

Nutrition

Serving: 4g | Calories: 432kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Sodium: 792mg | Potassium: 899mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 5500IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 135mg | Iron: 5mg

‘Cuz it’s, well, grubbin’.

The post Buffalo Chickpea Salad appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

For this spicy, bold bowl of Buffalo Cauliflower Soup, I took a cue from something nearly every coffee table offers up on game day: buffalo wings. If “buffalo” doesn’t scream football food, I don’t know what does! And this chowder definitely sports the heat-building vibe everyone knows and loves, but the delivery is meatless and served up in a bowl. Lighter AND far less napkins used. Touchdown! (Okay, I’ll stop now.)

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients
  • For the Buffalo Cauliflower Soup:
  • For the Herbed Crostini:
• How to Make Buffalo Cauliflower Soup
• Ways to Adapt this Buffalo Cauliflower Soup Recipe
• Make-Ahead Notes

• Jump Right To The Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Reviews & Comments

The Story Behind the Recipe

The makers of Silk challenged me to “sideline meat” and create a vegetarian, football-night-friendly food that uses one of their milk products. It was called the #MeatlessMondayNight challenge, and you know I was up for it!

After a little brainstorming and a lot of taste-testing (it’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it), this Buffalo Cauliflower Soup was born.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

If you aren’t eating dairy (or just want less of it), you know that it can be tough to replicate that creamy, dreamy element that chowders and creamy soups sport. But with this Buffalo Cauliflower Soup, I found the one-two play of blitzed cauliflower along with creamy almond milk gets us to the goal line. (Catch the football references?! Can’t help myself.)

So if you’re trying to eat less dairy, I’m willing to bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised by this Buffalo Cauliflower Soup!

This chowder’s best with crispy, herb-coated crostini, dipped generously into that creamy soupy goodness and gnawed with gusto.

This is football food, after all! I love how the parsley and dill add a bit of a cooling feel to the whole shebang. Plus: crispy golden bread. Done and done.

Ingredients

For the Buffalo Cauliflower Soup:

• Cauliflower – When cooked and pureed, cauliflower becomes remarkably smooth and luxurious – perfect for that decadent, thick creamy soup consistency.
• Olive oil
• Onion, carrots, celery, and garlic – Classic soup ingredients that build loads of flavor and add a nutrient boost, too.
• Potatoes – I like buttery Yukon Golds, which add heft and a chowder-like quality to this creamy soup.
• Smoked paprika – Such a magical ingredient! Adds a smoky note that pairs perfectly with the buttery creaminess and Buffalo heat.
• Salt & pepper – gotta have it!
• Milk – You have options, here!Feel free to use a plant-based milk like unsweetened almond milk, oat milk, or even some homemade cashew cream. If you’re okay with dairy, heavy whipping cream would take it over-the-top luxurious, though plain whole or 2% milk works too.

For the Herbed Crostini:

• Baguette – sliced thin
• Olive oil – for brushing on the bread
• Parsley & dill – these herbs offer a cooling counterpoint that is so delicious!
• Salt – for flavor!

How to Make Buffalo Cauliflower Soup

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How to Make Buffalo Cauliflower Soup

First, set a big ol’ pot over medium heat. Saute your onions, carrots, and celery then stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper.

Next, add the broth, cauliflower, and potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes and cauliflower are tender.

While the soup is cooking, make your crostini by brushing the olive oil and herb mixture over the sliced baguettes and broiling them until golden.

When the soup is cooked, transfer half of the soup to a blender and puree it. Return the puree to the soup and stir. Creamy goodness!

Stir in the buffalo hot sauce and milk, add the parsley, and more salt and pepper if desired.

Ladle into bowls and top with scallions, blue cheese or vegan blue cheese, additional herbs and drops of hot sauce, and crostini.

Ways to Adapt this Buffalo Cauliflower Soup Recipe

• Make it 100% creamy: Puree the whole thing for a silky-smooth soup.
• Add meat for the carnivores: Top individual bowls with shredded, cooked chicken.
• Add a can of beans: A drained can of white beans such as cannellini will increase the protein factor and add to the creaminess.

Make-Ahead Notes

Both the soup and crostini can be made ahead of time too. Just whip up the soup up to a two days before hand and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in a pan over low heat over the stove, and you’re good to go. The toasted crostini freeze gloriously – just pull them out about an hour before mealtime to thaw.

Then just kick back and enjoy the game, in the most delicious way!

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Buffalo Cauliflower Soup

This hearty, veggie-packed soup eats like a chowder with a kicky buffalo-style wallop. Creamy, full of flavor, and, yep, vegan – though the carnivores will no doubt be clamoring for seconds, too! With crunchy herbed crostini for delicious dipping.

Keyword buffalo cauliflower chowder, buffalo cauliflower recipes, buffalo cauliflower soup, cauliflower chowder

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 294kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Chowder:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced 2 cups
• 2 medium carrots, diced diced
• 2 medium stalks celery, diced diced
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced minced
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + more to taste
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 4 cups cauliflower cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes about 1 pound, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons Buffalo sauce like Frank's Red Hot; add more or less, to taste
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or another favorite milk or cream
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Herbed Crostini:

• 1/2 baguette sliced thin (about 1/4-inch)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

• Set a large soup pot over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Saute, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6-7 minutes. Add garlic, smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Cook for another minute, stirring frequently.
• Add the vegetable broth, cauliflower, and potatoes. Increase heat to medium high to bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, reduce heat to medium low. Simmer, covered, until the potatoes and cauliflower are tender, 15-20 minutes.
• While the soup simmers, make the crostini. Set the slices of baguette on a baking sheet. In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, herbs, and salt. Using a pastry brush, generously brush the tops of each slice of bread with the olive oil herb mixture. Broil on high until toasted and golden brown, 2-5 minutes (the time really depends on your broiler. Watch carefully – they can burn fast!)
• Back to the soup! Remove the soup from the heat and let cool just until safe to handle. Transfer 1/2 of the soup, about 4 cups, to a bowl and, using an immersion blender, puree the remaining soup. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can puree 1/2 of the soup in a blender or food processor. Return all of the soup to the pot, mixing the pureed soup and the chunky soup back together.
• Place the soup back on the burner (medium-low heat). Stir in the red hot sauce and the almond milk. If you’re sensitive to heat/spiciness, you may want to start with 1-2 tablespoons of hot sauce, then add more to taste. Return to a simmer and stir in the parsley. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired.
• Ladle into bowls, serve with toppings such as scallions, roasted cauliflower, chives, blue cheese (if not vegan), or a few extra drops of red hot sauce. Float a crostini on top of each bowl (or serve alongside).

Notes

Nutrition information includes crostini.

Meat Option:

A reader suggested this and I think it’s brilliant! Add cooked, shredded chicken to the meat-eaters’ portions. I’d drizzle on some extra Buffalo sauce for good measure!

Dairy Option:

Use dairy milk or heavy cream and top with blue cheese or gorgonzola. A little sharp white cheddar stirred in with the milk or cream wouldn’t hurt either!

Gluten-Free Option:

The soup itself is gluten-free; just omit the crostini or make with a gluten-free bread.

Nutrition

Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 902mg | Potassium: 740mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3867IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Buffalo Cauliflower Soup appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

Neither subject, clearly, is particularly scintillating, so … backspace, backspace, backspace, chili. I’ll just talk about this Crock Pot Buffalo Cauliflower Chili, because I’m just plain out of any other good ideas. Writer’s block: it’s a real thing.

Note: this is not buffalo chili. It’s buffalo chili. See the difference? I have definitely not changed my ways; it is definitely not buffalo of the American Bison variety.

It is buffalo of the wing variety. But it’s not buffalo wings, either, because that’s still meat. And that would be weird. It’s just the sauce. And cauliflower. And a bunch of other stuff to make it into chili.

(See how I am not kidding about my writer’s block?!)

I actually bought the Frank’s Red Hot sauce for another recipe idea I have up my sleeve, but on a whim, I threw this together too. And WE LOVED IT. Because the cauliflower cooks for a good long time, it just sort of melds with the beans, tomatoes, onions, and sauce and creates this wonderful thick chili texture. The Frank’s Red Hot, chili powder, and cayenne lend a nice wallop of heat, but it’s a nice sort of heat. No pain. And it’s mellowed a bit by the brown sugar and the cheese you throw on top. Blue cheese is a must. Unless you hate it, then cheddar is a must. Unless you’re a vegan, in that case, I think you’ll still like it without the cheese.

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Crock Pot Vegetarian Buffalo Cauliflower Chili

Vegetarian chili, red-hot buffalo style! This easy chili hits the spot whether it’s game day or any day. This is a super easy one-pot slow cooker meal – no prep other than cutting the veggies and opening some cans! Pour it all into the slow cooker and come back in a few hours. Dinner’s ready.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 hours hours

Total Time 8 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 -6

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium head cauliflower about 4 cups florets
• 1 medium onion diced (about 2 cups)
• 4 cups cooked cannellini beans or 2 15-oz. cans, drained
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 4-ounce can fire-roasted diced green chilies
• 1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot original sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper plus more to taste if desired
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste if desired
• Assorted toppings such as blue cheese diced celery, diced red onion, sliced scallions, sour cream or this vegan cashew sour cream (so good!), or shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to a 3-quart or larger slow cooker. Stir.
• Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Taste and add additional salt, if desired.
• Serve with assorted toppings.
• Chili keeps refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 days, or freeze in zipper bags for up to 3 months.

Notes

Dairy-Free/Vegan Option:

Omit the cheese. Use vegan sour cream.

The post Crock Pot Buffalo Cauliflower Chili appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.