More than I like to admit, I am a creature of habit in cooking. Most of the time, I return to favorite recipes. Breakfast is almost always oatmeal. And, at the market I buy the same kinds of produce every week.
During the fall, it is almost guaranteed that I have a head of cauliflower in my refrigerator. The larger heads can easily make two meals. Occasionally, I can find stands that charge by the head instead of by the pound. It’s these weeks that it feels like we’re eating all the roasted cauliflower recipes.
Why Roasting?
I am under the firm belief that most produce items go through a magical process when being roasted. All it takes is a little oil, salt, and heat. The caramelization makes the cauliflower perfectly tender. Plus, the flavor mellows and sweetens just slightly. It’s a winning combination of texture and flavor.
Cauliflower in Color
At the market or store, you might orange, green or purple cauliflower. They are beautiful and just happen to be quite similar to their white counterpart. The flavor and texture isn’t much different but they retain their color well, even when cooked. For most meals, you can swap orange and purple color for white, no problem. I just might recommend you steer clear of using purple cauliflower for soups. The color might be a bit off-putting!
Also, one quick note about romanesco. This beautiful green fractal vegetable is often cozied up with the cauliflower. Romanesco has a slight resemblance to cauliflower. However, it is really it’s own brassicas that taste a bit more like broccoli. I’ll swap romanesco for cauliflower in things like salads and grain bowls.
Many meals. Many Flavors.
What I love best about cauliflower is the ability to take on almost any flavor in the roasting process. Alliums such as garlic and shallots are lovely companions. Spice and spice blends, such as cumin, coriander, or curry powder also work well.
However, my favorite cauliflower combinations often include tossing cauliflower in flavorful sauces and pastes like harissa, romesco, and mole. Of course, there’s always the popular buffalo version too!
Beyond just playing around with flavors, cauliflower works for many different kinds of meals. Below are a few ways to use cauliflower for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
Soup for you
Soup is one of the easiest categories of roasted cauliflower recipes. Simply roast the cauliflower with garlic and onions then add broth and herbs before pureeing. The roasted cauliflower soup variations are endless. A few options to get you started:
Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Cauliflower Soup with Cheddar Cheese
Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Coconut and Turmeric
Cauliflower + Salads, Friends Forever
Salads are one of my favorite ways to use roasted cauliflower. The tender cooked vegetable works well when tossed with greens, grains, and cheese. Experiment with the different flavors of roasted cauliflower for endless amounts of salad options. Try these roasted cauliflower salads:
Harissa Roasted Cauliflower Salad Lemon-Avocado Dressing
Caramelized Cauliflower Salad
Roasted Cauliflower Kale Salad with Lemon Brown Butter Dressing
Show Stopping Roasted Cauliflower Recipes
Finally, up your vegetarian dinner game by making cauliflower the center of attention. Whole roasted cauliflower or cauliflower ‘steaks’ are a great way to use this meaty vegetable to give the vegetarians in your life a knife and fork meal.
Need a little inspiration? Here are a few show-stopping, dinner-worthy roasted cauliflower recipes to get you started:
Cheddar Cauliflower Gratin with Roasted Garlic
Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Fontina Cheese Sauce
Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Poppy Seed Cream Sauce
Curried Cauliflower Pizza
Basic Cauliflower Roasting | Roasted Cauliflower Recipes
This recipe can be used as is or boosted with any of the optional add-ins such as herbs, spices, and sauces: perfect for many different kinds of roasted cauliflower recipes!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Oven
Ingredients
For the Cauliflower
1 large head of cauliflower, 2 to 3 pounds
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
Optional items
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 to 3 medium shallots, sliced
½ cup sauces, such as harissa, mole, or romesco
2 to 3 tablespoons of herbs, such as thyme or rosemary
2 to 3 tablespoons of spices, such as cumin, coriander, or curry powder
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 425˚F. Remove a small part of the stem base from the cauliflower. Remove the leaves and carefully cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets (you can also roast the stems and cauliflower leaves!) Transfer to a sheet tray and toss with the olive oil, sea salt, and any optional items you might like to add.
- Place the cauliflower in the heated oven and roast. Stir once after the cauliflower has been in the oven for about 20 minutes. Continue to cook the cauliflower for another 10 minutes or so, until the cauliflower is tender and caramelized. Eat, use in salads, or use in recipes as desired.
Notes
Tips + Tricks: 1, 2lb head of cauliflower is roughly 8 cups of cauliflower florets. Roasted cauliflower makes a great component. Roast the entire head and save part for a future meal!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ of the recipe
- Calories: 148
- Sugar: 4.3
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 11.2
- Saturated Fat: 1.8
- Carbohydrates: 11.5
- Fiber: 4.6
- Protein: 4.4
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: roasted cauliflower, roasted cauliflower recipes
sheenam | thetwincookingproject.net says
Thank you for sharing this. I love roasted cauliflower:D
Susan says
I love roasted cauliflower. These days I usually buy colored cauliflower when I can because I understand that the more color a veggie has, the more nutritious it is. And to me, the colored versions have a better flavor than the white.