Fitness / January 13, 2024

Easy Whole Roasted Cauliflower

A visually stunning centrepiece for a vegetarian feast, this easy recipe with please carnivores, too.

Easy Whole Roasted Cauliflower close up view

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Traditionally, the dinner table is often dominated with a piece of roasted meat, with vegetables playing a supporting role. There’s nothing wrong with that, and we love a herby roasted chicken roast beef as much as the next person. This magnificent whole roasted cauliflower can take centre stage on the table on days that meat isn’t on the menu; it has a “meaty” texture, delicious warming flavors and wonderful pop of colour from the red and green garnish.

Many families are opting to have no-meat days on their weekly menus, and we think this a a wonderful way to do that. Vegetarian food isn’t about denial or restriction, it’s about finding ways to make vegetables, so often relegated to side-dish status in North America, proudly take centre stage. If you live in a household where folks complain about the absence of meat, we urge you to put this on the table one night and listen to the deafening silence while your carnivores devour it.

Is Roasted Cauliflower Healthy?

Cauliflower is one of our darling vegetables. It’s super low in calories, high in fiber and loaded with vitamins, minerals, nutrients and antioxidants. It takes on flavors easily, making it so versatile because you can make different versions without getting bored. Type “cauliflower” into the search bar above and you’ll see what we mean.

On Cauliflower

Originating from Cyprus in the middle ages, modern cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species Brassica oleracea, which is in the mustard family. Typically, only the head is eaten, though the lighter leaves are becoming more commonly used in modern cuisine. Cauliflower heads resemble those in broccoli, which is from the same family and differs in having flower buds as the edible portion. Brassicas also include Brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, kale, and kohlrabi. The green Brassicas tend to be higher in iron and slightly more nutrient dense, but their stronger flavors make them less versatile.

INGREDIENTS

1 whole cauliflower head
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Pinch of Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Yogurt Sauce

4 tbsp Greek yogurt
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Garnish

1/4 cup Pomegranate seeds
2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped

Easy Whole Roasted Cauliflower top shot ingredients

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl whisk together the Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic powder. Mix well until combined then set aside.
Remove the bottom leaves and rinse the cauliflower head under water. Place the cauliflower head onto the prepared baking sheet and season the cauliflower with the cumin powder, cayenne pepper, sea salt, and ground black pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and coat well.
Wrap the seasoned cauliflower with aluminum foil and cook in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and continue roasting the cauliflower for another 10 minutes until the cauliflower is browned and cooked through.
Remove the cauliflower from the oven and place onto a serving dish. Pour the yogurt sauce on top and garnish with pomegranate seeds and fresh parsley. Slice into wedges and enjoy!

Tips and Tricks to Make a Perfect Roasted Cauliflower

Enhance the pomegranate flavor by drizzling the finished dish with a little pomegranate molasses. If you can’t find it at your regular grocery store, try a middle-eastern grocer.
Make this dish even more colourful by adding 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder to your spice mix – it’ll give your cauliflower a wonderful yellow color.
Pre-baking the cauliflower in foil should yield the perfect texture. If you like it softer, you can parboil the whole head for five minutes before seasoning it. Be sure to shake off excess water to prevent the cauliflower from steaming in the foil.
Pair this dish with our delicious yellow rice, and make a little extra yoghurt sauce on the side.

FAQs

how do i get the seeds out of my POMEGRANATE?

There are several ways to do this, but our favorite is to cut the fruit in half, turn it over and simply bash it with a wooden spoon.

The cauliflower is too crunchy and hard to cut.

Oven temperatures vary, and an extra few minutes in foil will soften your cauliflower more. Par-boiling it as described above can also work. You want to hit the sweet spot where it’s soft enough to cut into wedges without completely falling apart. It might take a little experimentation.

it sounds delicious but i can’t have yoghurt!

If you’re vegan on lactose intolerant, try a simple tahini sauce made with tahini, water, lemon juice and garlic powder. Once you do, you’ll want that sauce on everything!

Make Ahead and Storage

The cauliflower can be prepared and marinated for 24 hours before you put it in the oven. Take it to the tin foil stage and then put it in the fridge. You’ll need to add 5 minutes of cooking time if you’re starting with a cauliflower right out of the fridge. the yoghurt sauce (or tahini sauce described above) can be held in the fridge for three days before you use it. Just be sure to pull it out of the fridge two hours before you use it to allow it to reach room temperature.

We don’t recommend freezing this dish as it affects the texture and makes it mushy.

Easy Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Servings

Calories 211kcal

Author FoodFaithFitness

Ingredients

1 whole cauliflower head
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Pinch of Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Yogurt sauce

4 tbsp Greek yogurt
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Garnish

1/4 cup Pomegranate seeds
2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl whisk together the Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic powder. Mix well until combined then set aside.
Remove the bottom leaves and rinse the cauliflower head under water. Place the cauliflower head onto the prepared baking sheet and season the cauliflower with the cumin powder, cayenne pepper, sea salt, and ground black pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and coat well.
Wrap the seasoned cauliflower with aluminum foil and cook in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and continue roasting the cauliflower for another 10 minutes until the cauliflower is browned and cooked through.
Remove the cauliflower from the oven and place onto a serving dish. Pour the yogurt sauce on top and garnish with pomegranate seeds and fresh parsley. Slice into wedges and enjoy!