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.
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.
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.
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 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
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
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
Thank you for sharing this. I love roasted cauliflower:D
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.