Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas with Buffalo Tahini

Overhead view of a bowl of rice topped with roasted cauliflower and chickpeas and buffalo sauce.

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Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas with Buffalo Tahini

Simple roasted veggies are elevated with a handful of smoky seasonings and a not-overly-spicy buffalo tahini dressing. Serve over rice and reheat as fried rice for a 2-in-1 recipe!

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 599kcal

Author: Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD

Ingredients

For the sheet pan

4 cups cooked rice 2 cups uncooked; see note #1
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
3 tablespoons neutral oil such as canola or avocado
2 15 ounce cans chickpeas
1 large cauliflower
1 medium red bell pepper
1 small sweet yellow onion
freshly chopped parsley for serving

For the buffalo tahini

¼ cup hot sauce I love Cholula; see note #2
¼ cup tahini stir well
2 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 lemon
1-2 teaspoons honey
pinch of salt
water as needed

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400F. Start cooking rice either in a rice cooker or on the stove. See notes for tips.
In a small bowl, whisk together the seasonings: chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, salt. In large mixing bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of the oil with half of the seasonings.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas and pat dry with a towel. Transfer to the bowl with the spices, tossing to coat.
Transfer the chickpeas to a large sheet pan. Roast at 400F for just 10 minutes. I like to give the chickpeas a head start to crisp up since the pan is very full in this recipe.
Meanwhile, prep the cauliflower by slicing it into florets. Cut any large florets in half, as needed, for more uniform pieces. Slice the red pepper into 1-inch pieces and slice the onion into ½-inch strips.
In the same mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and spices. Toss the veggies in the spiced oil.
Add the veggies to the sheet pan with the chickpeas, spreading everything into a single layer. Return to the oven to roast until the cauliflower is tender and the peppers and onions are blackening in places, about 25-30 minutes. It may take longer if the florets are very large. Remove from the oven and stir at the 15 minute mark.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a bowl, whisk together the hot sauce, tahini, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of the honey, and a pinch of salt. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed, until it reaches a drizzle-able consistency. Taste for honey, adding the remaining 1 teaspoon as needed.
Serve the vegetables over rice with a hearty drizzle of buffalo tahini. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Notes

Rice: I cook white (basmati) rice in my Instant Pot. I do an equal amount of well-rinsed rice to water, cook on high pressure for 4 minutes, let pressure release naturally for 4 minutes, then release pressure manually. Fluff the rice then return the lid and let it sit until the rest of the meal is ready. For stovetop rice, increase to 1.5 cups water for every 1 cup rice and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes.
Hot sauce: Cholula is my go-to "everything" hot sauce. Valentina, Tapatio, and Frank's are all good swaps for buffalo sauce.
Tahini sauce: If you don't have tahini on hand, an easy swap is just to use an equal amount of mayonnaise. It changes the sauce slightly (less nutty, a little creamier) but it's still good.
If you don't care about crispy chickpeas, you can add everything to the sheet pan at the same time.
Nutrition calculations are an estimation and will vary based on ingredients used. I typically grab low sodium canned chickpeas or cook them from dry, which is an easy way to cut on sodium in this recipe.

Nutrition