I didn’t realize how much I needed a warm roasted cauliflower recipe in my life until I had this insanely tasty platter of food. A velvety and slightly bitter tahini dressing unctuously coats sweet roasted cauliflower and onion, all toasty golden brown and tender once fresh out of the oven. And when you add the crunch and color of shredded rainbow carrots, the spicy-sweet bite of quickly candied walnuts, sprigs of bright parsley and a dusting of paprika, the humble roasted cauliflower becomes an incredibly edible and supremely delicious centerpiece chock-full of flavor, texture and style. So break out those bodacious alabaster heads of cauliflower, because you’re in for some good eats!
“Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.”
– Mark Twain
How Do You Roast Cauliflower?
It’s really quite easy, and one of the most delicious ways of preparing cauliflower, too.
1. Cut the head of cauliflower into florets (separate little white trees), leaving a couple inches of stem.
2. Toss the florets in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and black pepper.
3. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, roast the cauliflower on 400°F (204°C) for 35 – 40 minutes, until golden brown and a fork can be poked into one without much resistance.
And there you have it! One way to roast cauliflower. There are plethora variations on how to roast vegetables, such as using a hotter oven temperature, different seasonings, ect., but this one works well for this roasted cauliflower recipe.
“Green Eggs and Ham was the story of my life. I wouldn’t eat a thing when I was a kid, but Dr. Seuss inspired me to try cauliflower!”
– Jim Carrey
How To Quick Candy Walnut Halves?
This is one of those invaluable tricks that will elevate even the simplest of nuts – earthy plain walnut halves, as in this recipe – into something truly spectacular, both in texture and taste, but also aesthetic appeal.
All you have to do to candy walnuts for this roasted cauliflower recipe is drop some walnut halves into a cast-iron skillet over low-medium heat, add some maple syrup, chili powder, cinnamon and salt, and reduce down the syrup until it’s thickened. This should only take a minute or two.
Then, pour the maple-coated walnuts over a sheet of parchment, let it cool for a couple minutes, and then you’ve got yourself an irresistibly snack-able pile of delightful walnuts, either as garnish for this roasted cauliflower recipe or maybe just to have on-hand for a sweet, spicy bite.
“I don’t know if you’ve ever fallen asleep whilst eating a plate of cauliflower, and then woken up, and thought you were in the clouds.”
– Milton Jones
Warm Roasted Cauliflower Recipe & Other Warm Salads
Salads don’t have to be cold and limp bowls of lettuce-y blandness. You can zest up your salads not just in flavor, but also in temperature, and the comforting warmth of roasted veggies is a delectable (and warmer) option for the main body of a salad.
Of course, you can eat this salad cold, if you’d like. Make this roasted cauliflower recipe ahead of time and store it in the fridge for later, if that’s what you prefer. But personally, I think that you ought to eat this dish right out of the oven; that’s when it’s best.
Here are some other warm salad recipes that utilize a hotter temperature to break the mundanity of a cold salad-ness.
Carrot Salad with Braised Chickpeas (the chickpeas are warm and toasty!)
Rainbow Potato Salad (yes, it can be eaten warm!)
Roasted Brussel Sprout Salad with Mint-Caper Vinaigrette
Warm Spinach Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette and Rainbow Carrot Bacon
What’s the Best Tahini? Raw or Roasted?
For this roasted cauliflower recipe, you’re going to want to use raw tahini.
Raw tahini has a cleaner flavor, whereas roasted tahini is more smoky, desiccating and bitter. You can, however, use roasted tahini, if you enjoy the flavor of it more.
I wish that I could recommend to you my personal favorite brand of raw tahini, but I simply don’t have one. Here’s a list of the supposed best tahini brands, if you’d like to take a look.
You can usually find raw tahini made in-store at some places (it’s usually cheaper that way too). I believe that’s what I used for this roasted cauliflower recipe. Or, maybe make your own sesame seed paste from scratch!
“Cauliflower is a great swap in so many comfort food dishes.“
– Kathie Lee
If you enjoyed this roasted cauliflower recipe, consider leaving me a recipe rating (clicking on the stars) and comment before you go – it helps me out immensely!
Roasted Cauliflower & Tahini Salad with Candied Spicy Walnuts
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, de-stemmed and cut into florets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Some salt & pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, long slices
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Some salt & pepper
- 3 large rainbow carrots, roughly grated
For the Tahini Dressing
- ¼ cup raw tahini
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 4 – 5 tablespoons water, until desired thinness
- Some salt & pepper, to taste
For the Spicy Candied Walnuts
- ½ cup walnut halves
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Dash of ground cinnamon
Garnishes
- Some fresh parsley, de-stemmed
- Some paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Begin by pulling or cutting the head of cauliflower into separate florets, and then toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, some salt and pepper. Lay the florets evenly covering about two-thirds of a baking sheet lined with parchment (leaving space for the onions to be added later), and bake for 35 – 40 minutes, or until golden brown and a fork can be poked into them easily.
- About 15 minutes into roasting the cauliflower, add the slices of yellow onion (also tossed in 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper) to the empty space on the baking sheet, and bake them for the along with the cauliflower for the remainder of the time (20 – 25 minutes), also until golden brown and just slightly wilted. You may have to take out the cauliflower and bake the onions slightly longer to achieve this.
- Meanwhile, whip together the tahini dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients together in a medium bowl and whisking throughly. Also during this time, grate 3 large rainbow carrots of varying colors and set this aside.Optional: you can add more red wine vinegar or water to the tahini dressing for a thinner texture, if you'd like, but remember this is meant to coat the cauliflower, not run off it.
- Next, in a skillet over low-medium heat, candy some walnut halves by adding them along with the maple syrup, chili powder, cinnamon and salt together in the skillet. Reduce this mixture down until the maple syrup has thickened (should only take a couple minutes at most), and then pour it across a piece of parchment paper to dry. Set aside until you're ready to serve the roasted cauliflower salad.
- Now, in a large bowl, combine the roasted cauliflower and onion fresh out of the oven with the tahini dressing and grated rainbow carrots, and then fold together well until everything is coated. Lay this down on a platter, surround it with the candied walnuts, garnish with fresh parsley and a sprinkling of paprika, as well as some additional flakes of sea salt, if you'd like.
Nutrition
May you have good food in good company,
That Vegan Nephew
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