Simple roasted cauliflower is elevated with sweet tahini and a zesty green sauce in this dinner party-worthy side dish!
Welcome back to the Craveable Vegetables series, where I'm sharing centerpiece worthy vegetables. This Blackened Roasted Cauliflower is inspired by a whole roasted cauliflower dish I had at Delbar several months ago.
I wanted to turn that true centerpiece recipe into something a little more weeknight side-friendly.
The result is paprika and chili powder-spiced cauliflower florets topped with both sweet tahini and a zhoug-inspired green sauce. Basically, it's a foolproof cauliflower roasting method + delicious sauces that make it taste even better.
Also in the series: Gochujang Roasted Broccoli and Creamy Lemony Leeks and Chickpeas.
Ingredients
- Cauliflower: This recipe is made with two medium/large cauliflower. To cut down on time, feel free to buy pre-sliced cauliflower florets. We're aiming for roughly 8 cups of cauliflower.
- Oil: Neutral oil, like canola or avocado, or a light olive oil.
- Paprika and chili powder: We're using both sweet paprika and smoked paprika. You can use standard paprika in place of smoked paprika, as needed.
- Sauce #1: Sweet tahini, which is really just tahini and honey with a splash of lemon juice. Maple syrup also works.
- Sauce #2: Zhoug-ish, which is parsley, lemon juice, and olive oil. This adds a burst of acidity and bright herbiness to the cauliflower.
Step-by-step instructions
- Slice the cauliflower into similarly sized florets. Toss with oil, salt, sweet paprika, and smoked paprika.
- Spread out on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Roast at 400F for 25 minutes, stirring the cauliflower halfway through.
- Meanwhile, make the sauces. Whisk the tahini and honey together, then stir in water until the sauce is drizzle-able. Make the green sauce by chopping parsley and mint and whisking it together with lemon juice and olive oil. For a smoother sauce, blend in a bullet blender or use an immersion blender.
- This roasted cauliflower looks great on a platter drizzled with the sauces in a grid shape, but it can also be served individually on plates with each person drizzling the sauces, to taste.
Can I use frozen cauliflower?
Yes, the first time I made this recipe I actually used frozen cauliflower. Frozen cauliflower does not need to be thawed before roasting. It results in much more tender cauliflower.
In fact, follow the recipe as written and just add 5-10 minutes, as needed, to fully roast the cauliflower.
More veggie side dishes
Recipe
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Blackened Roasted Cauliflower with Sweet Tahini and Green Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
For the cauliflower
- 2 medium cauliflower crowns equal to 8 cups; see note #1
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika or standard paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
For the green sauce
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley plus more for garnishing
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint plus more for garnishing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice from ½ lemon
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- pinch of salt
For the sweet tahini
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1 heaping tablespoon honey maple syrup also works
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice from ½ lemon
- 2 tablespoons water more as needed
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Slice the cauliflower into similarly sized florets. Toss with oil, chili powder, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, and salt.
- Spread out on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Roast at 400F for 25-30 minutes, stirring the cauliflower halfway through. The cauliflower is ready when tender (it should be easy to pierce with a fork) and blackened in spots.
- Meanwhile, make the sauces. Make the green sauce by whisking together finely chopped parsley and mint, olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and salt. For a smoother sauce, blend in a bullet blender or use an immersion blender.Make the sweet tahini by whisking together the tahini, honey, lemon juice, water, and salt. Add extra water 1 tablespoon at at time to thin the sauce to a drizzle-able consistency. Taste for sweetness, adding extra honey as desired.
- The cauliflower looks great on a platter drizzled with the sauces in a grid shape, but it can also be served individually on plates with sauces drizzled, to taste. Garnish with extra fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Cauliflower: Choose two medium/large cauliflower crowns to make 8 cups of cauliflower.
- Frozen cauliflower: This recipe works with frozen cauliflower. It does not need to be thawed first. Check at 25 minutes, adding 5-10 minutes as needed to blacken the cauliflower. Note that frozen cauliflower yields much more tender cauliflower than fresh.
Nutrition
Mr. Wilson of the Moment
This recipe post features an awfully proud Mr. Wilson. With the spring weather, I've been opening the windows in the morning and he loves it. I have to supervise him as he sits by the windows because he's been known to push screens out.
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