If you've never made a Whole Roasted Cauliflower, this is the nudge you've been needed. It's an impressive vegetarian main and I will forever be obsessed. The below recipe takes a beautifully roasted head of cauliflower with a chopped lemon vinaigrette and a creamy yogurt sauce to make a match made in heaven.
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Cauliflower has absolutely had it's MOMENT in the spotlight the last few years (sometimes a little too much) but that doesn't change the fact that it's one of the most versatile veggies and makes an incredible meal!
Here's what you need to make Whole Roasted Cauliflower:
- A beautiful head of cauliflower
- Olive Oil
- Kosher salt
And that's pretty much it!! For all the other great sauces / condiments on this recipe, you'll need:
- Store bought labneh - this is the one I buy most frequently
- Garlic
- Feta
- Shallots
- Red Wine Vinegar Meyer Lemons
- Herbs
Here's how to make this Whole Roasted Cauliflower:
Let's just discuss the cauliflower here as the duo of sauces are pretty self explanatory!
First - we need HOT heat - so preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
While that is coming to temp, you're going to boil the cauliflower to start to make sure it gets tender in the middle. If you JUST roast it, the inside will never soften up at all before the outside burns.
Once it's out of the pot and done boiling, you'll let it dry for about 10 minutes before drizzling it with olive oil and placing it into the pre-heated oven to get golden and crispy on the outside! That's it! It's quite simple and very impressive.
Ways to jazz up this Whole Roasted Cauliflower:
Perhaps you don't want to make these 2 sauces that I serve with my Whole Roasted Cauliflower - it's also great with my basil vinaigrette on top. It would be lovely with a bunch of freshly made Pico de Gallo too! And my last suggestion would be tomato confit! OMG it's everything.
FAQ's:
Why is my roasted cauliflower mushy?
Probably because you boiled it for too long! You want it to just be tender - not overly tender. So use a sharp knife and if it just barely goes through the head of cauliflower, without having to push it too hard, you're good! If it goes thru TOO easily, it's already over-cooked.
Do you have to blanch cauliflower before cooking?
For a whole head yes! If you're doing florets for a different recipe, no.
How do you wash cauliflower before roasting?
I give it a great rinse under water and get any dirt off and trim off any brown pieces.
What does Baked cauliflower taste like?
IT TASTES LIKE HEAVEN. You want all those crispy roasted bits to really amp up the flavor. It's creamy and crispy and pairs so well with just about everything.
Other Amazing Cauliflower Recipes
- Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower - such an epic side dish!
- Buffalo Cauliflower - best game day snack if you don't want to make wings
- Crispy Cheesy Cauliflower Gratin - omg the side dish to end all side dishes!
- Creamy Cauliflower Soup - this recipe is incredible and it freezes beautifully
- Cauliflower Rice Veggie Bowls - our fams fav veggie bowl recipe
- Cauliflower Alfredo Pasta - a healthy spin on everyones fav creamy pasta dish!
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients
For the Cauliflower
- 1 head of cauliflower please keep the stems and leaves on, they get delicious when crispy and golden
- olive oil
- Kosher salt to taste
For the Garlic Feta Labneh
- 1 cup store bought labneh
- Kosher salt to taste
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- ½ cup feta
For the Lemon Vinaigrette
- 1 shallot diced
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 whole Meyer lemon
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- Parsley and Chives to garnish
Instructions
For the Garlic Feta Labneh
- Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and stir to combine the feta. Season with salt as needed.
For the Vinaigrette
- Combine the shallot, vinegar and a pinch of salt and let sit for 15 minutes. Cut the lemon into 8 wedges and remove all seeds. Then chop the lemon wedges into a fine dice, you’ll wind up with about ½ cup of chopped lemon. Add the chopped lemon to the shallot mixture and add the olive oil, herbs and salt and pepper to taste. (NOTE - if using the whole lemon peel freaks you out, zest the entire lemon and use that instead. But the peel of Meyer Lemons is very edible and very delish)
For the Cauliflower
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Carefully place the cauliflower in the water and cover and let cook for 5-7 minutes until just barely fork tender on the outside. Remove the cauliflower and place on a sheet tray to dry for around 10 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil all over and season well with kosher salt. Transfer the baking sheet into the oven and let roast for 30-40 minutes until golden on the outside.
- Remove from the oven once golden and charred and place on a serving plate with a bed of labneh. Drizzle with vinaigrette and garnish with parsley and chives.
Notes
- Make sure to keep the stems and leaves on the cauliflower, they get delicious when crispy and golden
This was a hit at my house. Everyone, even my husband who claims to be allergic to veggies had some!
O.M.G. This looks so beautiful and delicious! I have never tried this before, but need to go get a cauliflower STAT!!!