22 Flavorful Roasted Cauliflower Recipes
Roasted cauliflower is not only super easy to make, but also delicious and extremely versatile. By using different spices and condiments — from cumin and turmeric to dijon mustard — you can transform the modest cauliflower into a fragrant side dish, salad, or even soup. Here are our top recipes, including a three-ingredient whole-roasted cauliflower, pan-roasted cauliflower with pine nuts and raisins, and more.
Sausage-Spiced Cauliflower Steaks
A quick spice blend of roasted fennel seeds, black pepper, and orange zest lend a sausage-like flavor to these roasted cauliflower steaks — without the meat. Browning the cauliflower before adding the toppings and melting the cheese ensures a tender, sweet, and nutty bite.
Roasted Cauliflower with Turmeric and Cumin
"I love this hot or cold, by itself or as part of a larger meal," says chef Sera Pelle about this roasted cauliflower recipe. The dish is a vibrant yellow from turmeric and fragrant with cumin, cilantro, and mint.
Oven-Roasted Cauliflower Florets
When roasted with a little olive oil, cauliflower florets turn wonderfully sweet, crisp, and caramel-brown. A squeeze of lemon brightens their flavor. This is a fantastic, easy way to serve cauliflower; the dish contains only a few simple ingredients and comes together in just 10 minutes of active time.
Roasted Cauliflower with Green Olives and Pine Nuts
Roasting cauliflower caramelizes the florets, making them super sweet. Tossed with crunchy pine nuts and salty olives and capers, this dish works well with roasted chicken or steamed fish.
Dijon-Roasted Cauliflower
© John Kernick
This roasted cauliflower from James Beard Award-winning chef Steven Satterfield makes a terrific side dish, but is also a great garnish for his Silky Cauliflower Soup.
Miznon's Whole Roasted Cauliflower
The cauliflower served at Miznon in New York City calls for the best quality ingredients, each essential for creating the dish. Fresh cauliflower with tight, closed florets surrounded by a crown of crisp leaves; sel gris (coarse gray sea salt), which packs a mineral flavor in bits of crunchy saltiness; and spicy, fruity extra-virgin olive oil. In 2018, Food & Wine named this recipe one of our 40 best.
Turmeric-Roasted Cauliflower
Cookbook author Su-Mei Yu roasts cauliflower with turmeric, white peppercorns, garlic, crushed red pepper, and coriander seeds, then tosses it with slivers of kumquat, shallot rings, and chopped cilantro.
Roasted Cauliflower and Sesame Spread
Chef Jerry Traunfeld toasts and grinds whole coriander seeds before pureeing them with roasted cauliflower, tahini paste, lemon, and cilantro. Alternatively, you can use ground coriander from a bottle to season this bright, tangy recipe.
Pan-Roasted Cauliflower with Pine Nuts and Raisins
© Kana Okada
The late Armenian cookbook author Arto der Haroutunian, who taught Paula Wolfert this dish, caramelized cauliflower on the stove before baking it with eastern Mediterranean flavorings: chopped tomatoes, plumped raisins, and Marash red pepper flakes.
Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Lentils and Dates
Main-course salads are perfect for light dinners. This one — with nourishing lentils, almonds, and plenty of spice-roasted cauliflower — is delicious and satisfying.
Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower and Crispy Capers
"I adore cauliflower in all of its preparations, but if I had to choose a favorite, it would be roasted. There’s a nuttiness that is coaxed out during its time in the oven that brings me to my knees," says cookbook author Colu Henry. "For a crowd-pleaser at any party, I combine sheet pan–roasted cauliflower with pasta along with some crispy capers for salty crunch; anchovies (just a few) for umami depth; sautéed garlic and red pepper flakes for oomph, and lemon zest for brightness."
Scallops with Roasted Cauliflower and Raisins
Chef Payton Curry drizzles deliciously caramelized cauliflower with vinaigrette, then tops the dish with meaty scallops.
Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Cumin
For this deeply satisfying soup, chefs Anna Trattles and Alice Quillet roast cauliflower with cumin seeds and curry powder to intensify the flavor, then simmer it with onion and water to make an unfussy, spice-inflected puree.
Roasted Cauliflower and Quinoa with Candied Walnuts
© Kristen Stevens
This simple and elegant dish makes an easy dinner party side. The candied walnuts are a beautiful complement to the caramelized cauliflower; toasted quinoa adds a touch of textural interest.
Potato and Roasted Cauliflower Salad
© Chris Court
Cauliflower florets are a sly substitute for half of the baby potatoes in this creamy salad. The white-on-white combo gets a zingy lift from briny capers, mustard, and freshly grated horseradish.
Wild Rice with Roasted Cauliflower and Nuts
This wonderful dish would be a welcome accompaniment to a simple roast chicken. It comes together in just 15 minutes of active time.
Curried Cauliflower and Green Bean Salad with Lemon Yogurt
For this delicious salad from the late James Beard Award-winning chef Mark Peel, roasted cauliflower and green beans are flavored with a mild curry powder.
Jerk-Spiced Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, and Chickpeas
Chef Jonathon Sawyer makes a fantastic jerk spice blend to sprinkle on a mix of chickpeas, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts after they’ve been roasted. You’ll have some left over, but the blend is also great on shrimp and chicken.
Cauliflower Korma with Blackened Raisins
Meera Sodha, author of Fresh India, adds ground almonds to her version of this yogurt-based curry, then folds in nutty roasted cauliflower. Toasting the almonds and the raisin garnish adds a striking smokiness and texture to the finished dish.
Roasted Eggplant and Cauliflower Salad with Tahini Green Goddess Dressing
A mix of roasted and fresh vegetables, layered into a big dish and topped with watercress, makes a striking presentation here. The dressing, made with yogurt, tahini, anchovies, and herbs, is the perfect topper.
Buttery Spaetzle with Roasted Cauliflower and Shallots
Smoky roasted cauliflower and nutty brown butter headline this satisfying vegetarian main course. Like tiny gnocchi, German spaetzle is delicious simply blanched but springs to a whole new level when crisped with butter in a pan. This recipe calls for store-bought dried spaetzle, which gets a finishing lift from fresh dill and crushed red pepper.
Quinoa and Cauliflower Salad with Popped Sorghum
Sorghum, a type of grass, has seeds that can be popped like popcorn. 1997 F&W Best New Chef Daniel Patterson tops his nutty, crunchy quinoa and roasted cauliflower salad with popped sorghum, which gives it a buttery flavor. You can also substitute regular popping corn.
