Middle Eastern Whole Roasted Cauliflower Recipe

Whole roasted cauliflower, with tahini sauce and smokey paprika dressing.

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Middle Eastern Whole Roasted Cauliflower Recipe

A whole cauliflower, Middle Eastern style, roasted until charred and caramelized at the edges, and then covered in a smoky paprika dressing is one of the most beautiful and delicious vegetarian dishes you'll make. Placing it on a tahini sauce makes this a main dish. (Modified from The Mezze Cookbook).

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: vegan main or side dish

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Keyword: middle Eastern cauliflower, roasted whole cauliflower

Servings:

Calories: 454.3kcal

Author: Susan Pridmore

Equipment

a sturdy baking sheet
Cooling rack or other rack to raise the cauliflower from the water
Chef's knife
Whisk
small pan

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.

Nutrition