A whole head of cauliflower, Middle Eastern style, roasted until charred and caramelized at the edges, and then covered in a smoky paprika dressing. This is one of the most beautiful and delicious vegetarian dishes I make. And serving it on tahini sauce makes this dish PERFECT.
There are 3 components to this whole roasted cauliflower head, and 2 of them can be made up to 4 days ahead.
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Want to make this recipe perfectly the first time? I want to help with that. So, check out this Table of Contents to see which sections of this post will help you the most.
Jump to:
- ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- 🧅 Cauliflower Ingredients
- 🧅 Tahini Sauce Ingredients
- 🧅 Smoky Paprika Dressing Ingredients
- 🔪 Recommended Equipment
- 📝 Instructions Overview
- 👩🍳 Tips for Making Any Tahini Sauce
- ⏰ Tips to Simplify and Save Time
- 🥬 Make it Vegan
- 🍽 Side Dish Ideas
- 🤷♀️ FAQ
- 📇 More Ways to Use Cauliflower
- Middle Eastern Whole Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
When I was in Israel, I had some wonderful food. So I bought a cookbook to bring home with me to try some dishes in my own kitchen. This is my first dish to make, and it is one of my favorite main dishes.
Whether you're planning a holiday meal, a dinner party, or a special dinner, this roasted whole cauliflower is a main dish that will impress everyone. It's full of drama. And it's a delicious side dish for the meat eaters at the table. Serve it with citrus roasted carrots, air fryer potatoes, or some rice.
Another great way to roast a whole cauliflower is this roasted cauliflower with breadcrumbs with crispy quinoa. Or roast it coated with a delicious tahini sauce and wrapped in foil, like this roasted cauliflower with tahini.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- There's very little meal prep involved.
- The cauliflower roasts tender inside, but lightly charred and caramelized on the outside.
- This baked cauliflower recipe fits well into a low carb or keto diet. Woo-hoo!
- Cauliflower is super healthy, gluten-free (without the optional breadcrumbs) and easily made vegan by substituting agave for honey.
- It's show stopper gorgeous.
- The tahini sauce and smoky paprika dressing are perfect contrasting flavors for the cauliflower.
🧅 Cauliflower Ingredients
- Whole cauliflower head
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Breadcrumbs (optional)
🧅 Tahini Sauce Ingredients
- Tahini
- Olive oil
- Lemon
- Honey - or Agave to keep this dish vegan.
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
🧅 Smoky Paprika Dressing Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Red chile - this isn't a red bell pepper. It's just call red chile in my market.
- Dried oregano
- Hot paprika - this is the one I've used for years.
- Pimenton de la Vera - a Spanish smoked paprika that's FABULOUS.
- Lemon
- Parsley
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
🔪 Recommended Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Cooling rack - to raise the cauliflower off the baking sheet
- Chef's knife
- Whisk
- Medium sauté pan
📝 Instructions Overview
I've cooked whole head cauliflowers in the past. I've tried several recipes, but have never been happy enough with them to make them again, or to post a recipe here. Mostly, they were too tough.
This recipe is the best one I've found, because it steams in the oven for the first half of the baking.
Step 1
Prep the cauliflower. Cut away the tough outer leaves, and the bottom of the stalk so that the cauliflower easily sits upright. Rub with olive oil, and lightly season.
Step 2
Steam. Place a cooling rack in a baking sheet, and the cauliflower on top of the cooling rack. You can see the cauliflower on a rack in the first photo above. Pour a little water into the baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet and cauliflower in foil. Roast (steam).
Step 3
Char. Increase the heat in the oven, and remove the foil from the cauliflower. Generously season. Roast until golden colored, and charred on some of the edges.
Step 4
Make the tahini sauce. Whisk together the ingredients for the tahini sauce. Set aside. See the below tips.
Step 5
Make the Smoky Paprika Dressing. Warm the oil, and add the garlic and minced red chile. Sauté for a few minutes, and add all the remaining ingredients except the lemon juice. Cook for another 20 - 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Set aside.
Step 6
Serve. Smear the Tahini Sauce on a serving platter, and place the cauliflower on top of it. Pour the Smoky Paprika Dressing over the top of the cauliflower and into any crevices. Serve warm.
👩🍳 Tips for Making Any Tahini Sauce
Tahini sauces are unusual in that they thicken when you add liquids. Adding lemon juice will thicken the sauce. So will adding cold water.
However, when the water is added, the sauce will separate. It's inevitable. Tahini is made up of fat and oil from the sesame seed. The sauce can appear to be broken, but in fact just hasn't formed an emulsion yet.
But if you continue to whisk in additional water, it will suddenly morph into a beautiful silky sauce.
⏰ Tips to Simplify and Save Time
- Whisk together the Tahini Sauce up to 4 days ahead.
- Make the Smoky Paprika Dressing up to 1 week ahead.
🥬 Make it Vegan
This recipe is already vegan! Yay! But be sure to use agave in place of the honey.
🍽 Side Dish Ideas
A big leafy salad is perfect with this whole roasted cauliflower.
Citrus Roasted Carrots with Ginger
Roasted Tomato Soup with Basil (No Cream)
Umbrian Lentils & Roasted Tomatoes
Mujadara with Roasted Tomatoes and Greens
🤷♀️ FAQ
Can I use a cast iron skillet to roast a whole cauliflower?
Yes. As long as you set it up for steaming first, you'll be fine. The most important thing is to use some kind of grate that the cauliflower sits on so that it's not in the water. And if you use a cast iron skillet, perhaps because it's black, the water seems to evaporate more quickly. So add more water to the skillet.
Then follow all the directions for adding a little water and covering with foil.
Can't I just roast the cauliflower like I roast everything else?
Yes, but the texture of the cauliflower under the charred crust won't be as tender. I've roasted many of them, and they always come out just a little tough.
Why do I need to add water to the tahini sauce?
Liquids thicken a tahini sauce. I know it's counter-intuitive, but it's true. There's science behind it, all connected to the molecular structure of tahini.
You can't use all lemon juice, or the sauce would be way too tart. So you need to add water to get the thicker consistency of a sauce.
📇 More Ways to Use Cauliflower
Cauliflower Steaks + Lentil Salad
Cauliflower Tetrazzini with Poblanos
Roast or air fry florets in the oven and add to salads, for example, this Winter Citrus Salad.
Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini and Dates
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Middle Eastern Whole Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
Equipment
- Cooling rack or other rack to raise the cauliflower from the water
- Chef's knife
- Whisk
Ingredients
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
- 1 large cauliflower about 2 ¾ pounds
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt or ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup water
Tahini Sauce
- ½ cup tahini
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ lemon, zest and juice
- ½ teaspoon honey, or agave to keep it vegan
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 5 - 6 tablespoons ice water
Smoky Paprika Dressing
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves minced, or 1 ½ tablespoons garlic paste
- 1 ½ red chile finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon hot paprika
- 1 teaspoon Pimenton de la Vera smoked paprika
- ½ lemon, juiced
For Serving
- ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
- Set up. Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Insert a rack into a baking sheet (like a cooling rack) that the cauliflower will rest on during roasting. Pour ½ cup of water into the baking sheet. The rack will keep the cauliflower out of the water.
- Prep the Cauliflower. Using a sharp chef's knife, cut away the leaves around the base of the cauliflower. Trim the center stalk so the the cauliflower sits evenly. Rub the surfaces of the cauliflower with olive oil. The easiest way to do this is to pour the olive oil into a large bowl. Place the cauliflower face down in the bowl, and move it all around the bowl in the oil. Use your hands to rub any excess oil onto the cauliflower. Depending on the size of the cauliflower you may need a little extra oil.Generously season with salt and pepper.
- Roast. Place the cauliflower on the rack. Be sure you've added the water to the baking pan, and cover the cauliflower and pan with foil. Tightened the foil around the edges as best you can.Roast for 40 minutes (at high altitude, roast for 50 minutes).Remove from the oven, and increase the oven temperature to 425˚F (at high altitude, the best charring will be at 450˚F). Remove the foil, season again with salt and pepper, and slide back into the oven. Roast until lightly caramelized and charred, about 25 minutes (at high altitude, roast for 30 minutes). Check for doneness by inserting a knife into the base. It should be soft enough to easily slice into, and shouldn't require a steak knife to do that. Cook longer if needed. Tip: I've made this several times now, and the time varies a little each time, so be sure to test it.
Tahini Sauce
- Whisk. While the cauliflower roasts, whisk together all of the ingredients for the tahini sauce in a medium sized bowl, except for the water. Taste and adjust for seasoning.Slowly whisk in the water, a couple of tablespoons at a time. The sauce will separate, but keep adding the water while whisking. It will magically become a silky sauce. Tip: Dampening a dish towel, and wrapping it around the bottom of the bowl will help keep it in place while you whisk.Check the seasoning again, adjust if necessary, and set aside.
Smoky Paprika Dressing
- Sauté. While the cauliflower roasts, warm the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and chile, and sauté for about 3 minutes, or until very fragrant, and the garlic begins to take on some color.Add the remaining ingredients except for the lemon juice. Sauté for another 30 seconds to lightly toast. Remove from the heat, and stir in the lemon juice. Set aside.
For Serving
- Spread the Tahini Sauce on a serving platter, and place the roasted cauliflower centered on top of it (as shown in photos in the above post). Gently spread the florets of the roasted cauliflower, and pour the Smoky Paprika Dressing over the top. It will run down into the cauliflower and down the outside of it too. Sprinkle the coarsely chopped parsley over the top.
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