Mediterranean Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini
This Mediterranean Roasted Cauliflower recipe is an easy, healthy vegan side dish! It's topped with lemon tahini sauce, pine nuts, and mint.
Servings: 5
Calories: 269kcal
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower yields 6-8 cups
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
- ½ cup pine nuts or nut of choice
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp. water
- ⅓ cup fresh mint or herb of choice optional
Instructions
Roast The Cauliflower:
- Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Thoroughly wash and dry 1 large head of cauliflower. Remove the outer leaves and discard. Remove the core from the cauliflower and cut it into florets. The cauliflower florets should be relatively the same size to ensure even cooking (yields 6-8 cups).
- Divide the cauliflower florets between 2 baking sheets. It's best not to crowd the baking sheets and to allow adequate space between the cauliflower so that it roasts and does not steam in the oven.
- Add half of the cauliflower florets to each baking sheet. Drizzle each one with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper, and 1 tsp. garlic powder. Toss the cauliflower until it is completely coated in the oil and spices.
- Place the baking sheets in the oven and roast for 22-24 minutes. Stir the cauliflower around once during the cooking process so that it roasts evenly. Rotate the baking sheets if necessary to ensure that both sheets cook evenly.
- Toast the pine nuts while the cauliflower is roasting in the oven. Place a small skillet on the stove top and heat to medium-low.
- Add ½ cup unsalted pine nuts (or nut of choice) to the skillet and roast for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the nuts don't burn. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Prepare The Lemon Tahini Sauce:
- Stir a jar of tahini and add ¼ cup to a small glass bowl. Add ¼ cup fresh lemon juice and 3 Tbsp. of water to the tahini.
- Add a pinch of salt and pepper and stir all of the ingredients until completely combined.NOTE: The tahini mixture may appear 'curdled' at first and this is completely normal. Simply continue to stir the liquids into the tahini paste until it becomes smooth and creamy. Feel free to add more lemon juice or water if necessary.
- To serve: Once the cauliflower is tender and golden brown around the edges it may be removed from the oven. Serve with a generous drizzle of the lemon tahini sauce and top with the toasted pine nuts. Mince ⅓ cup or so of fresh mint (or herb of choice) and garnish the top of the dish. Feel free to add more salt and pepper if needed.
Notes
Use as much or as little of the tahini lemon sauce as you like over the top of the cauliflower. Leftover tahini may be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Feel free to thin it out with extra lemon juice or water if necessary.
The tahini sauce makes a great dip for veggies or topping for any roasted vegetables.
Feel free to sub any nut or seed for the pine nuts or leave them off altogether.
Feel free to sub any fresh herb you like for the mint or leave it off altogether.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 249mg | Potassium: 698mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 143IU | Vitamin C: 87mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 2mg