As with most recipes, the most delicious ones come from pure happenstance and whatever I happen to have on hand. This mole cauliflower came about for two reason. An assistant who made a massive amount of mole and a last-minute potluck where I needed to bring a dish. I happen to have a head of cauliflower on hand, so I set to work.
I realize this the mole sauce may be a red flag for some because at it's root, it's a complex process with 25+ ingredients. However, you have options here. To start, find local Mexican grocers who might have homemade mole paste for sale. This is best place to start. If you can't find any there, make a quick version from a recipe like this or this. Or of course, if you're in it to win it, make an authentic batch.
Mole Cauliflower
variations
Nuts: Pepitas a are a kitchen staple for me but you might not have them on hand. Look and see what nut/seed was used in the mole sauce and try to either match or compliment that. Toasted almond slices or pecans would be lovely.
Grain Bowl: Really the only thing missing, to make this a dinner, is grains. I could easily make a meal out of this cauliflower mix with the help of quinoa, farro, or millet.
Mole: If you don't feel like trying your hand at mole, you could swap out sauces. I'd recommend roasting the cauliflower in a romesco sauce or a flavorful masala paste. The flavor in this dish is really in whatever you roast the cauliflower in- don't skip!
Explore Cauliflower
Occasionally at the market, cauliflower will be sold by the head instead of by the pound. I seek out the largest head I can find and can easily make about 3 meals from it. I'll use cauliflower as the star but also has a stellar side dish. This mole cauliflower could easily be a lunch salad or a dinner side. A few other options:
Cajun Cauliflower with Cilantro Avocado Sauce
Cauliflower Pasta with Lemon-Almond Sauce
Curried Cauliflower Wrap
Roasted Mole Cauliflower (with or without chickpeas)
Perfect as a side salad or vegan lunch, this roasted mole cauliflower is full of flavor and easy to make.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: side dish
- Method: oven
Ingredients
4 cups chopped cauliflower (roughly 1 medium heat)
½ cup mole sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup cilantro
Zest from 1 lemon
1 clove garlic
1 ½ cups (or 1 can) cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
¼ cup toasted pepitas
Juice from ½ lemon
Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425˚F. Combine the chopped cauliflower with the mole sauce, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Roast, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is tender; 30 minutes or so.
- While the cauliflower is roasting, place the cilantro on a cutting board and add lemon zest and garlic. Chop until everything is well-combined and minced finely.
- Once the cauliflower is tender, remove from the oven and stir in the chickpeas (optional), pepitas, cilantro, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust the salt/lemon juice and desired. Serve warm or cold.
Notes
Tips + Tricks: As mentioned, look for homemade mole at a local Mexican grocery store. If you can’t find any there, make a quick version from a recipe like this or this. Or of course, if you’re in it to win it, make an authentic batch.
Use up leftover ingredients: cauliflower, pepitas, cilantro
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ of the mixture
- Calories: 245
- Sugar: 7.1
- Sodium: 588
- Fat: 12.9
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 25.6
- Fiber: 7.9
- Protein: 10.5
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: mole cauliflower, roasted cauliflower
sheenam | thetwincookingproject.net says
Yum!!! I have been obsessed with cauliflower lately! This looks so so good!!
karyn spertzel says
This was excellent! And easy (ok, so I used a store bought mole....).
★★★★★
Susan says
This recipe sounds absolutely wonderful. I checked out the authentic mole recipe and it sounds great. I would warn people to be careful with store-bought moles - I tried a jar of Doña Maria (recommended by a Mexican) and it was awful. (My other experiences with mole are homemade and restaurants.) Nothing like a fresh-made mole. Even a simple one is a better choice. By the way, "mole sauce" is a redundant expression: mole is the Spanish word for sauce…
Susan says
Another possibility for an easy mole is a recent recipe posted by Ali of Gimme Some Oven: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/holy-mole-sauce/ I haven't tried it yet, but her recipes are usually excellent.
Alisson says
Wow, that looks really tasty. Mouth watering