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Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Green Tahini Sauce

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.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Mediterranean
Servings 6 Servings

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!
Storage Notes:
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.