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Sandra Valvassori

Sandra Valvassori

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Home › Side dish

Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Posted: December 16, 2022 | by Sandra Valvassori
Jump to Recipe

This stunningly beautiful Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce is a celebration of exquisite flavours. Best of all, it takes less than 15 minutes to prepare and is so delicious, you may just eat the whole thing yourself.

Whole roasted cauliflower drizzled with tahini sauce, fresh herbs and pistachios

A whole roasted cauliflower, if you haven’t tried it, is a pure delight. It will take a little more time than roasting florets but it makes an unbeatable visual impression, and is almost absurdly easy to make.

For a little extra drama, I like to dress it and carve it at the table, then pass around more of the lemon tahini sauce for drizzling. This is an exquisite low carb side dish for anything roasted, but it also makes a gorgeous vegetarian main course. No matter how you serve it, this is an easy and delicious way to turn the humble cauliflower into something luscious and delectable.

Table of Contents[Hide]
  • Whole Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
  • Ingredients And Notes
  • Variations
  • How To Make Whole Roasted Cauliflower
  • Pro Tip
  • Tahini Sauce
  • Can I Prepare The Cauliflower Ahead Of Time?
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Storing Suggestions
  • More Roasted Vegetables To Try
  • Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce
    • Ingredients  1x2x3x
    • Instructions 
    • Notes

Whole Roasted Cauliflower Recipe

The fascinating and popular method of roasting a whole cauliflower was made famous years ago by Eyal Shani, the chef at his Tel Aviv restaurant, Miznon. The dish was quickly imitated by chefs around the world, though they played with different flavours and textures to make it their own.

Chef Eyal’s original recipe parboils the whole head in salted water, then drains it and allows it to cool before rubbing it with a generous amount of olive oil and flaky salt. The cauliflower is then roasted in a hot oven for what seems like too long, but isn’t, and emerges golden and caramelized on the outside while the inside remains silky and tender.

At his restaurants, chef Eyal serves the slightly charred whole roasted cauliflower head with only a drizzle of olive oil and another sprinkle of flaky salt. Having made it exactly this way many times, I can attest you don’t need to mess with a good thing. The minimally seasoned, and undressed cauliflower is sublime. But eventually, I couldn’t resist adding a few more ingredients for a little more flavour and interest.

In this recipe, we sprinkle the parboiled cauliflower with a little ground turmeric which gives it a lovely golden hue and cumin seeds for some warm, earthy flavour. We then finish it with a lemony-garlicky tahini sauce, some chopped fresh mint, parsley and crushed pistachios nuts. Not going to say it’s better, but it is unquestionably one of my favourite dishes to date. I love it so much, I could eat the entire head all by myself.

ingredients for recipe

Ingredients And Notes

  • Cauliflower – We will be using a whole cauliflower head for this recipe. Though at its peak in the fall, cauliflower is available, and delicious, all year round. The size of your cauliflower will not matter too much but I typically look for a medium, compact whole head of cauliflower that weighs about 2 pounds. 
  • Extra-virgin olive oil – For coating the cauliflower before and after it roasts. 
  • Flaky salt, or sea salt – The crunchy pieces of salt are a great contrast to the subtly sweet cauliflower. 
  • Turmeric and cumin seeds – A sprinkle of ground turmeric gives the cauliflower a lovely golden colour while the cumin seeds add warm earthy flavours. 
  • Tahini sauce – A simple creamy tahini sauce is drizzled over top of the cauliflower once it is baked. This is optional but so easy to make and so delicious. The sauce is made with tahini, garlic cloves, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, ice water and salt.
  • Pistachios – I love pistachios with this dish but walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, or sliced almonds will also work beautifully. 
  • Fresh herbs – Some chopped fresh mint and/or fresh parsley adds a pop of colour and brightens all the flavours. Feel free to replace with other herbs such as dill.

Variations

  • Add a little lemon zest: The tahini sauce is delicious as is but I often zest the lemon before juicing it and add it to the sauce for a littl more flavour and brightness. 
  • Parmesan cheese: If you’re in a hurry, you can even skip the tahini sauce (but please don’t) and sprinkle the baked cauliflower with parmesan cheese. 
  • Add different/more spices: Use any Middle Eastern spice mix you enjoy; crushed coriander seeds, sumac, za’atar, smoked paprika, and even fennel seeds would all be wonderful. 
side-view of roasted cauliflower getting drizzled with tahini sauce

How To Make Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Some recipes omit the initial steaming/boiling step but I find it to be a more foolproof, and quicker, way to achieve a superlatively tender cauliflower that will melt in your mouth. Here is a short version of the steps involved. *Full instruction can be found in recipe card below.

  • Cut some of the bottom of the cauliflower off so it can stand straight up. Trim off any tough outer leaves but leave some of the bottom ones attached.
cutting the bottom off the cauliflower
  • Steam the cauliflower in a large pot of boiling water for about 8 minutes. Remove from pot and allow to drain and cool. Rub with a generous amount of olive oil and sprinkle with spices and salt.
steamed cauliflower cooling off on a rack before getting roasted
cauliflower rubbed with olive oil and spices before roasting
  • Place the entire head of cauliflower on a baking sheet, or large cast iron skillet. Roast in a preheated oven (450ºF) for about 45 minutes or until it has a lovely golden brown colour, is slightly charred in spots, and is completely fork tender.
whole roasted cauliflower just out of the oven
  • While the cauliflower is roasting, mix together the tahini sauce and chop the fresh herbs and pistachios. Serve the cauliflower warm drizzled with tahini sauce and garnished with herbs and nuts. Yum!!
side-view of roasted cauliflower drizzled with tahini sauce
close up of cauliflower drizzled with tahini sauce and garnished with herbs and nuts

Pro Tip

Set a timer so you don’t over-steam the cauliflower. You want the end result to be a tender, but not mushy, texture.

Tahini Sauce

The slightly tart tahini sauce pairs perfectly with the warm, earthy roasted cauliflower. You can certainly use this tahini dressing for the cauliflower but here I give you one that is almost the same, just with a few less ingredients. Use whichever you like—both are easy to whip up and they are both insanely delicious.

As for which tahini to use, try and buy a good quality, preferably runny, tahini that is made with sesame seeds that have been sourced from the Middle East. Soom is a great one.

Note that when you are mixing up the tahini sauce it will seem to seize up on you. Don’t worry, once you add the ice water it will turn into a perfect, pourable consistency.

To save a bit of time, you can make the sauce up to a week in advance then thin it out with a little more water before using. If you have leftovers, you can drizzle into grain bowls, salads or any other roasted veggies. So good!

side-view of sliced cauliflower

Can I Prepare The Cauliflower Ahead Of Time?

It is best to serve the cauliflower as soon as it comes out of the oven. But if you need to get some of the preparation done ahead of time, par-boil the cauliflower up to two hours ahead. It can then sit at room temperature until you are ready to roast it.

Serving Suggestions

This whole roasted cauliflower would be fabulous for dinner parties as part of a vegetarian main course or alongside any roasted meat protein.

Here’s a few suggestions for some vegetarian sides:

  • Chopped kale salad
  • Radicchio with fennel and pear
  • Wild Rice Citrus Salad with Persimmons
  • Lentil and Brown Rice Soup
  • Persian-Style Jewel Rice (this would be outstanding with the roasted cauliflower)

Non-vegetarian sides:

  • Roasted chicken with grapes (same roasting temperature so they can cook simultaneously!)
  • Chicken Marbella with Dates (Can increase the temperature for the chicken to cook simultaneously)
  • Shawarma Spiced Chicken and Chickpeas (again, can cook simultaneously!)
  • Grilled Turkey Kofta
side-view of roasted cauliflower drizzled with tahini sauce

Storing Suggestions

Once chilled, the texture of the cauliflower will change, becoming a little softer. That said, I still enjoy the leftovers immensely for days to come.

  • Store: Place leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.
  • Reheat: Reheat on the stovetop, in a small saucepan or skillet, over medium-low heat, until warmed through. Alternatively, gently heat the leftover cauliflower in the microwave.

If you give this Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce recipe a try, please feel free to leave a comment and/or a star rating below. We appreciate and welcome all your feedback. Thank you!

More Roasted Vegetables To Try

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic-Garlic Glaze
Honey Maple Roasted Carrots
Balsamic Roasted Shallots
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce

Author: Sandra Valvassori
This stunningly beautiful Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce is a celebration of exquisite flavours. Best of all, it takes less than 15 minutes to prepare and is so delicious, you may just eat the whole thing yourself. 
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Servings 4
Whole roasted cauliflower drizzled with tahini sauce, fresh herbs and pistachios

Ingredients  

  • 1 medium head of cauliflower (about 2 pounds)
  • 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt (I use Maldon flaky salt) divided

For the tahini Sauce

  • 1/3 cup tahini, stirred well
  • 3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic, grated (or minced)
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup ice cold water, plus more as needed

Optional garnish

  • ¼ cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • flaky salt (I use Maldon)

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 450ºF and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Top the parchment paper with a wire rack. Alternatively, place a few paper towels on top of the parchment paper. (This is to drain the cauliflower.)
  • Rinse the cauliflower well. Leaving the main core intact, slice the bottom of the core off the cauliflower so that it sits evenly on the baking sheet. If the cauliflower has a lot of leaves covering the top, trim them down so that most of the top and sides of the cauliflower are exposed. You don’t have to trim all the leaves off the cauliflower since once roasted, they are super delicious to eat.
  • Fill a large pot with 3 inches of water and bring the water to a boil. Carefully place the cauliflower in the pot, head-side up, cover and simmer over medium heat for 8 minutes.
  • Using a large slotted spoon, or a spider, gently lift cauliflower from water and place on prepared baking sheet, stem side down. Let stand until cauliflower has cooled slightly and is dry to the touch, about 15 minutes. This can be done up two hours ahead.
  • Remove the rack and place the cauliflower back on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle the cauliflower with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and use your hands to coat it well. Sprinkle all over with turmeric, salt and cumin seeds. Drizzle again with a little more olive oil (don't rub this time) and transfer to the oven.
  • Roast in the oven until tender and golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes. The exact time will depend on how hot your oven is and the size of your cauliflower so keep an eye on it. Remove it from the oven when it looks sufficiently golden-brown to you with a bit of char in some places.
  • While the cauliflower roasts, make the tahini sauce. In a medium bowl combine the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and salt. Add the ice water and whisk until smooth and lighter in colour, adding a little more if it needs to be a little looser.
  • Once the cauliflower is roasted, let sit for 5 minutes then transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle the top of the cauliflower with tahini sauce and garnish with the fresh herbs, pistachios, and a pinch or two more flaky salt. Pass the extra tahini sauce around the table for everyone to drizzle a little more.

Notes

  • Store: Place leftovers in a covered container in the fridge up to 4 days.
  • Reheat: Reheat on the stovetop, in a small saucepan or skillet, over medium-low heat, until warmed through. Alternatively, gently heat the leftover cauliflower in the microwave.
Keywords: best whole roasted cauliflower, whole roasted cauliflower, roasted cauliflower with tahini,
Tried this recipe?Tag @sandra_valvassori on Instagram or hashtag #sandravalvassori!

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Reader Interactions

5 from 20 votes

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Recipe Rating




  1. Toni

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! I cut the recipe in half because I needed some cauliflower for another recipe and used lime juice in the tahini sauce. It was packed full of flavor and was easy to make. I will definitely be making it again.

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      So happy to hear this, Toni! Love using lime juice in tahini sauce – so good. Thank you so much for making this recipe and for leaving such a kind review!

      Reply
  2. Kelly

    why does the ingredient list for sauce show olive oil..when does that get added?

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      Sorry about that, Kelly. It gets added along with the other ingredients for the sauce. It has been fixed now. Thank you for pointing that out.

      Reply
  3. Kim

    5 stars
    Delicious. Will definitely make again.

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      Happy to hear this, Kim! Thank you so much for writing and rating the recipe, really appreciate it!

      Reply
  4. Kelly

    5 stars
    This was a small side in our big dinner feast, yet it was the clear winner of the whole meal. Fantastic!

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      So thrilled to hear this, Kelly! Thank you so much for taking the time to write and rate the recipe! 😊

      Reply
  5. Lauren

    5 stars
    Delicious. I hate cutting cauliflower into small pieces so this whole head roasting is great. I overcooked it in the steaming portion so I will cut that time down a minute or two in the future. We loved the sauce and ate the whole head as our meal.

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      So happy to hear you enjoyed the cauliflower, Lauren! I agree that cutting up cauliflower is more time consuming and messy which is why I love roasting a whole head, too. Thank you so much for your kind review and for rating the recipe ☺️

      Reply
  6. Bethg

    5 stars
    💜💗💕❤️. Easy peasy and packed with flavor. Made it with za atar spice mix. Sooo good

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      So happy to hear this, Beth! Thank you so much for making the recipe and for leaving such a kind review 😊

      Reply
  7. Francois

    5 stars
    Just tried your recipe and found wonderful , I must also say that the side notes are great and very insightful, thank you

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      I’m so happy to hear that, Francois! Thank you so much for making this recipe, and for leaving such a kind review!

      Reply
  8. Barry

    5 stars
    Sandra, the roasted cauliflower was a tremendous success and real eye-candy too. Your recipes are all tasty, thank you 😊 so much!!

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      So happy to hear this, Barry! Thank you so much for taking the time to review the recipe and for your very kind words, really appreciate it!

      Reply
  9. Jen

    5 stars
    This was fantastic! I didn’t read the instructions and I roasted mine until cooked through (rather than boiling them roasting). Worked just fine for me. I don’t care for turmeric so I left it out and added fennel seeds instead. The tahini sauce was just perfect!

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      So happy to hear you loved the recipe, Jen! That’s great you skipped the boiling step and it still worked for you and I love that you added fennel seeds — yum. Thank you so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and write such a kind review 🤗

      Reply
  10. Asmita

    Hi Sandra! Tried the recipe today and it’s definitely one of the best roast I’ve ever made! 🤤🤤
    Your instructions were so easy to follow as well! Will definitely look at more recipe’s here! Thanks a lot!!
    With love, from India ❤️❤️

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      Hi Asmita! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe – your sweet comment truly made my day! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a kind review 🤗

      Reply
  11. alison

    5 stars
    delicious! Just what I was looking for. The mint/parsley/pistachios with the tahini sauce was yummy.

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      So happy to hear this, Alison! Thank you so much for taking the time to rate and review the recipe 😊

      Reply
  12. Jane

    5 stars
    So delicious and easy. Looks so gourmet if you are making this dish to impress some friends.

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Jane! Thank you so much for making it, and for leaving a review!

      Reply
  13. Angela

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious 😋

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      I am so happy to hear you enjoyed the cauliflower, Angela! Thank you so much for making this recipe, and for leaving a review!

      Reply
  14. Shelly

    5 stars
    Used my Instantpot “Steam” function for 1 minute and quick pressure released to prep the cauliflower. Super easy since you could prep the next step while it was in the IP and oven. Very flavorful and filling.

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      I am so happy you enjoyed it, Shelly! Love that you used the Instant Pot to steam the cauliflower. Thank you so much for your review!

      Reply
  15. Elaine

    5 stars
    This recipe is incredibly delicious!! I’ve made it twice so far. Also easy and using ingredients I have on hand. Thank you!!!

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Elaine! Thank you so much for making it and taking the time to leave a review!

      Reply
  16. Dipak Mistry

    5 stars
    Sandra, awesome recipe and super easy to cook.
    I didn’t have any tahini so I blized lemon juice, water, garlic, cream, water, roasted sesame seeds and chick peas with a bit of snap! Worked a treat.
    Served with pistachio, lemon zest and mint on top of the sauce.
    Thank, have made this twice now.

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      Fantastic to hear this, Dipak! Love how you made your own version of tahini – sounds delish! Thank you so much for sharing and leaving such a kind review.

      Reply
  17. Cindy

    5 stars
    Made this last night as a side dish and it was delicious and a HUGE hit! I can’t wait to make it again, thank you Sandra!

    Curious if anyone has made this without boiling it first?

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      Yay! So happy to hear this, Cindy! I have not tried roasting the cauliflower without boiling it first but I’m pretty sure the inside will remain a little too tough and crunchy. If you ever give it a try, please come back and let us know the result. Thank you so much for taking the time to review and rate the recipe, really appreciate it!

      Reply
  18. Athena Jones

    5 stars
    Great Recipe! Thank you for sharing this quick, easy and nutritious recipe. Can I use ghee oil instead of olive oil?

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Athena! Ghee would be absolutely delicious to use instead of olive oil, just make sure it’s melted for both brushing over the cauliflower, and for the tahini sauce. Thank you so much for your review!

      Reply
  19. Keren

    This cauliflower was SO GOOD. I had an event and everyone was talking about it. I never post comments on recipes, but here I am. Do yourself a favor and make it.

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      So thrilled to hear you loved the cauliflower, Karen! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, really appreciate it!

      Reply
  20. Olivia Flament

    Could I parboil the cauliflower one day ahead? You say up to two hours, why is that?

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      Hi Olivia, the reason for parboiling the cauliflower only a few hours ahead, is because it could get a little too soft and/or soggy if done further ahead. If it helps you out a lot to parboil it a day ahead, simmer it for only 5 minutes. Let it dry and cool completely, then wrap it in a clean kitchen towel, or two, before refrigerating. Hope this helps, and please let me know how it turns out. Your feed back will be very valuable to other readers 😊

      Reply
  21. J

    5 stars
    It was very easy and very delicious! My husband said “that was excellent”! It was also a stunning presentation! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      Yay! So happy to hear this, J! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a kind review!

      Reply
  22. Jack

    my tahini sauce separated after I added the water…. any suggestions?

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      Hi Jack, this has never happened to me so it’s hard to say without seeing exactly what happened with your sauce. Perhaps it seized? I would think if you keep adding water a little at a time while whisking aggressively, the sauce should come together again. Hope this helps and please let me know if you were able to fix it!

      Reply
  23. Jackie DeArmond

    5 stars
    This is absolutely superb! Have shared the recipe with several friends. This is definitely a keeper.

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      Yay! So happy to hear this, Jackie! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a kind review and rating!

      Reply
  24. Andi

    5 stars
    I had whole roasted cauliflower like this at a wonderful middle eastern restaurant. This is even better. I’m making this weekly. Thanks for an incredible recipe!

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      Oh I love hearing this, Andi! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!

      Reply
  25. Laurie

    5 stars
    Very good! I will make this again! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sandra Valvassori

      So happy to hear this, Laurie! Thank you for making this recipe and taking the time to comment!

      Reply

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