This Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Green Tahini Sauce is the perfect easy main course recipe or side dish for any meal. Impressive for a weekend dinner party but easy enough to make for a weeknight, it’s a vegan recipe that’s a crowd-pleaser and totally restaurant-worthy.
To roast the cauliflower, it’s a special method to ensure the outside is golden brown and crispy while the inside is fork tender. You begin by partially boiling the cauliflower first, then roasting it to finish until perfectly golden.
The tahini sauce is extremely addicting – I definitely can tell you that you’ll want to make a double batch because it’s perfect for all different salads, fish recipes, and to top other roasted veggies. With a base of nutty tahini paste, preserved lemon, garlic, and lots of fresh herbs, it really is the perfect recipe.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Easy Impressive Recipe: For any beginner cooks out there, this recipe looks like a professional chef made it, but I swear it’s so easy to make.
- 9 Ingredient Recipe: With just 9 fresh ingredients, you can have a roasted vegetable dish that’s full of lots of flavor!
- Vegetarian Main Course or Side Dish: The best news is that this is perfect as both a main course or side dish recipe, up to you!
Ingredients
- Cauliflower: Be sure to buy 2 to 3 small to medium whole heads of cauliflower.
- Olive oil: For drizzling the cauliflower to roast as well as adding a nice velvety texture to the tahini sauce.
- Tahini: A Middle Eastern ground sesame paste, it’s nutty and rich in the best savory flavor. It’s a flavorful base for any sauce.
- Preserved lemon: Adds a tangy, umami flavor plus a hint of fruitiness to the sauce recipe. It’s really the secret ingredient everyone will be asking about.
- Garlic: Compliments the tahini so well and adds that signature garlicky flavor in each bite.
- Fresh herbs: I recommend parsley, chives, cilantro and dill here for so much fresh flavor to blend and infuse in the sauce.
- Jalapeno: Be sure to remove the seeds for a mild spice level. Adds a fresh vegetable flavor to the sauce.
- Pumpkin Seeds: great to use as a garnish, they add an extra crunch and richness to each bite.
How to Make Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Green Tahini Sauce
Scroll down to the recipe below for exact ingredient amounts.
This recipe takes minimal equipment and steps to make a gourmet plant-forward recipe at home!
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the heads of cauliflower and par-boil until slightly tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Carefully remove from the boiling water using tongs and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or in a baking dish. Pat the cauliflowers very dry using paper towels.
- Drizzle each head of cauliflower with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and very tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
- Meanwhile, make the green tahini sauce. In the carafe of a blender add the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, preserved lemon, garlic cloves, fresh herbs, and jalapeno. Blend until smooth adding water as needed until a nice sauce forms. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Drizzle the sauce all over the heads of cauliflower and serve.
- Optional, grill half of a lemon on a grill pan and squeeze over the cauliflower to garnish.
Pro Tips and Variations
- Customize the herbs. Use your favorite fresh herbs in this tahini sauce, this changes up the flavor every time!
- Add spices as desired. Feel free to add spices to the cauliflower or tahini sauce. Ground cumin and coriander would both be delicious.
- Make the sauce spicy. Keep some of the seeds in the jalapeno for a spicy sauce.
- Change up the vegetable. This sauce is so delicious on any roasted vegetables – broccoli, carrots, celery root – the list is endless!
Storage & Meal Prep Instructions
For any leftover roasted cauliflower, place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. The sauce stores well in the fridge for up to one week. I don’t recommend freezing either component since it changes the texture of the recipe.
Another perk is that it happens to be great for meal prep, feel free to prep in advance and store for easy lunches. It’s a filling lunch on top of quinoa or greens with lots of the tahini sauce.
More Easy Veggie Recipes
- Tofu and Chickpea Bowl
- Miso Eggplant with Farro
- Lemon Garlic Broccoli and White Beans
- Vegetable Ribbon Pasta
I can’t wait for you to make this recipe, please drop your feedback using a star or comment! If you’re on Instagram, tag me @runningonveggies, I would love to see a photo of your recipe.
Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Green Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 heads cauliflower medium in size
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1/2 cup tahini well stirred
- 1/4 cup water as needed
- 1/2 preserved lemon roughly chopped
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves
- 3/4 cup fresh mixed herbs such as cilantro, chives, parsley, mint and/or dill
- 1 jalapeno seeded and roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds for garnish
- 1/2 lemon grilled for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the heads of cauliflower and par-boil until slightly tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Carefully remove from the boiling water using tongs and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or in a baking dish. Pat the cauliflowers very dry using paper towels.
- Drizzle each head of cauliflower with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and very tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
- Meanwhile, make the green tahini sauce. In the carafe of a blender add the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, preserved lemon, garlic cloves, fresh herbs, and jalapeno. Blend until smooth adding water as needed until a nice sauce forms. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Drizzle the sauce all over the heads of cauliflower, sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and serve.
- Optional, grill half of a lemon on a grill pan and squeeze over the cauliflower to garnish.
Notes
- Customize the herbs. Use your favorite fresh herbs in this tahini sauce, this changes up the flavor every time!
- Add spices as desired. Feel free to add spices to the cauliflower or tahini sauce. Ground cumin and coriander would both be delicious.
- Make the sauce spicy. Keep some of the seeds in the jalapeno for a spicy sauce.
- Change up the vegetable. This sauce is so delicious on any roasted vegetables – broccoli, carrots, celery root – the list is endless!
[…] for these snacking cookies. I also use them in other sweet and savory recipes as well. Try my Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Green Tahini Sauce, Tofu and Chickpea Brown Rice Bowl, and Gluten-Free Maple Sesame Peach […]