Tahini Roasted Cauliflower with Herb Vinaigrette
It’s the last day of September. And I have an end-of-summer-blues (fall began last week, I’m sorry to say), comforting, hearty, wholesome, vegan recipe for you.
This. cauliflower. dish. has. my. name. written. all. over. it. it’s. uncanny.
Seriously. I love every single aspect of this roasted cauliflower recipe: the tender, charred, caramelized cumin roasted cauliflower florets; the toasted, golden pine nuts; the creamy, rich, tangy tahini sauce; the earthy, tart, herb-filled, flavorful vinaigrette.
I CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF IT.
Also. This tahini roasted cauliflower is so simple and quick to prepare. IT’S CRAY.
Okay. First things first. The roasted cauliflower.
A head of cauliflower is broken into florets of uneven size and roasted with generous olive oil and cumin (I LOVE CUMIN SO MUCH) and salt and pepper. Towards the end of the roasting period, pine nuts are sprinkled onto the baking sheet (two birds with one stone, cuz you don’t gotta bother toasting the pine nuts as a separate step) and the cauliflower continues roasting until browned and succulent and charred and caramelized and tender and the pine nuts are toasty and golden and extra crunchy.
And while all this is going down, i.e. the cauliflower and pine nuts are getting all toasty and golden in the oven, you prep the tahini sauce and the herb vinaigrette.
The tahini sauce. For this herby roasted cauliflower. It’s tahini and water and lemon juice and salt and pepper.
Whisk the tahini dressing up in seconds until it’s smooth and creamy but thin enough to be pourable and spreadable.
The tahini sauce is rich and nutty and tangy and, instead of being drizzled over the roasted cauliflower, is spread onto the bottom of your serving platter so that the cauliflower is sitting in a bed of velvety tahini sauce and every floret gets a considerable and equal undercoating.
SO YUM.
And. Last up. The herb vinaigrette. That gets sprinkled over the tahini roasted cauliflower.
A large handful of fresh mint leaves. A smaller handful of fresh parsley leaves. Some olive oil. A spoonful of apple cider vinegar. Freshly minced garlic. Salt and pepper.
Chop the herbs up. Stir them with the rest of the vinaigrette ingredients. And you’ve got a rich, tangy vinaigrette chock-full of fresh, bright, cooling herbs.
The herby vinaigrette gets spooned over the tahini sauce and roasted cauliflower and pine nuts and this dish is ready to be served up, hot and heavy.
It’s easy. It’s wholesome and vegan. It’s hearty and comforting. It’s rich and flavorful. It’s tangy and nutty. It’s herby and succulent.
Tahini roasted cauliflower with herb vinaigrette — think I’m gonna make you my middle name.
Tahini Roasted Cauliflower with Herb Vinaigrette
Yield: about 6 servings
1 large head cauliflower, broken into florets
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup pine nuts
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3 tablespoons tahini
3-4 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
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Large handful mint leaves, chopped
Smaller handful parsley leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 large clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1. Preheat oven to 500 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Toss the cauliflower florets with the olive oil, cumin, salt, and pepper and roast for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Add pine nuts to baking sheet and roast for another 5-10 minutes, until pine nuts are golden and cauliflower is browned.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the tahini sauce: in a small bowl, whisk together the tahini sauce ingredients until smooth and pourable.
4. In another small bowl, stir together all the herby vinaigrette ingredients.
5. Spread the tahini sauce in a thin layer onto the bottom of a large serving platter. Layer the roasted cauliflower and pine nuts over the tahini. Spoon the vinaigrette over and serve warm.
Adapted from “Dining in” by Alison Roman
