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    Home » Recipes » Side Dish Recipes

    Roasted Cauliflower

    Published: January 11, 2018 Updated: May 15, 2020 / By: Dawn | Girl Heart Food 66 Comments

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    Roasted cauliflower florets with tahini yogurt sauce and pomegranate arils.

    This recipe for roasted cauliflower will be your go to when you’re looking for a healthy side dish to pair with dinner. Oven-roasted cauliflower is topped with a simple tahini yogurt sauce and sweet pomegranate. It works lovely paired with chicken, fish or even in a rice bowl!

    Roasted cauliflower florets with tahini yogurt sauce and pomegranate arils.

    We are already so close to the weekend again. Can I get a woot woot?

    Growing up, the most common way we’d enjoy veggies was usually boiled or steamed (for the record, boiled veggies are particularly popular in Newfoundland; it’s called Jiggs Dinner).  Have you ever heard of it?

    It’s a traditional Newfoundland meal consisting of salt beef and a whole whack of boiled vegetables, like potatoes, carrots, turnips, cabbage, parsnips with pease pudding. 

    The meat and vegetables are cooked together and the salty beef flavours the veg. Though, I’m I don’t regularly cook Jiggs Dinner, I do enjoy it when my mother or grandmother prepares every so often. These days, I enjoy mostly roasted veggies, like this oven-roasted cauliflower recipe.

    What Does Cauliflower Taste Like?

    Cauliflower is pretty neutral in flavour and comes in a variety of colours, like orange, purple and green. White, however, is the most commonly found form of cauliflower.

    Like most veggies, when cauliflower is roasted it takes on a little more flavour and those crispy, caramelly bits are my absolute fave!

    Cauliflower can be enjoyed raw, roasted (like this healthy cauliflower recipe), boiled or steamed.

    These days, cauliflower is even used for pizza crusts, meatless wings and as a rice substitute. It’s particularly popular among those who are enjoying a low carb diet.

    Close-up of a roasted cauliflower floret.

    How To Roast Cauliflower

    Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:

    1. Cut cauliflower into florets. 
    2. Place cauliflower florets into a bowl and toss with oil, salt and pepper.
    3. Spread florets onto a baking sheet and roast.
    4. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once.
    5. Carefully remove from the oven, and serve as is or with a delicious tahini yogurt sauce.
    Hand holding half a pomegranate, showing the interior.

    Tahini Yogurt Sauce

    While the cauliflower is roasting, get on with the tahini yogurt sauce.

    It’s creamy, dreamy and simple to whiz up. Let out your inner artist and drizzle that sauce over the cauliflower.

    For this tahini yogurt sauce you just need:

    • Greek yogurt
    • Tahini
    • Maple Syrup
    • Stock
    • Garlic
    • Salt and pepper

    Combine all ingredients and drizzle over the oven-roasted cauliflower! Easy, right?

    Tips for Making This Recipe

    • Cut the florets into roughly equal pieces so they cook evenly.
    • If you want a little more (or less) bite to the cauliflower, reduce (or increase) bake time accordingly.
    • The darker your sheet pan, the more colour you will have on your roasted cauliflower.
    • For easier clean up you can line your sheet pan with parchment paper, but you may not get quite the same colour. No biggie, but it’s something to keep in mind.
    Forkful of a roasted cauliflower floret with tahini yogurt sauce and pomegranate arils.

    More Veggie Sides

    • Garlicky Green Beans
    • Brown Butter Mashed Turnip With Roasted Garlic

    If you make this recipe for roasted cauliflower, be sure to leave a comment below.

    Close-up of roasted cauliflower florets with tahini yogurt sauce and pomegranate arils.

    Roasted Cauliflower

    Dawn | Girl Heart Food
    This recipe for roasted cauliflower will be your go to when you're looking for a healthy side dish to pair with dinner. Oven-roasted cauliflower is topped with a simple tahini yogurt sauce and sweet pomegranate. It works lovely paired with chicken, fish or even in a rice bowl!
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 116 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     

    Oven-Roasted Cauliflower

    • 5 cups cauliflower florets, approximately half a head of cauliflower
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil, or avocado oil
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Tahini Yogurt Sauce

    • ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
    • 1 tablespoon tahini
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
    • 1 tablespoon water or milk, or more (depending on desired consistency of sauce)
    • 1 clove garlic, finely minced
    • pinch salt
    • pinch freshly ground black pepper

    Garnish

    • 2 tablespoons pomegranate arils

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • In a bowl, stir together the cauliflower, oil, salt and black pepper.
    • Place cauliflower florets onto a large sheet pan and spread them out in a single layer. Roast 25 to 30 minutes, carefully stopping to turn the cauliflower florets halfway through.
    • While the cauliflower is roasting, make the tahini yogurt sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, tahini, maple syrup, water, garlic, salt and black pepper until well combined.
    • Transfer the roasted cauliflower to a serving dish. Drizzle tahini yogurt sauce over the cauliflower and sprinkle with pomegranate arils. Serve and enjoy!

    Notes

    • Cut the florets into roughly equal pieces so they cook evenly.
    • If you want a little more (or less) bite to the cauliflower, reduce (or increase) bake time accordingly. 
    • The darker your sheet pan, the more colour you will have on your roasted cauliflower.

    Nutrition (estimate only)

    Nutrition Facts
    Roasted Cauliflower
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    116
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    6
    g
    9
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    6
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    1
    mg
    0
    %
    Sodium
     
    191
    mg
    8
    %
    Potassium
     
    450
    mg
    13
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    13
    g
    4
    %
    Fiber
     
    3
    g
    13
    %
    Sugar
     
    7
    g
    8
    %
    Protein
     
    5
    g
    10
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    5
    IU
    0
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    61
    mg
    74
    %
    Calcium
     
    60
    mg
    6
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Based on 1 serving.
    Nutrition information provided is an estimate only.

    Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and should be considered an estimate only. Ingredients can vary and Girl Heart Food makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

    Keyword baked cauliflower in oven, oven roasted cauliflower, side dish recipe, tahini yogurt sauce

    Tried this recipe?

    If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!

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    © Girl Heart Food Inc. All photographs and content are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Emily Leary

      November 06, 2018 at 6:07 am

      5 stars
      I love roasted vegetables and cauliflower is one of my favourites. Your recipe sounds so tasty and perfect to add a mid-week vegetable dish, topped with that delicious tahini yogurt sauce!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        November 07, 2018 at 4:17 pm

        Thanks so much, Emily! Cauliflower is a fave in our home too 🙂

        Reply
    2. Eileen Kelly

      November 05, 2018 at 3:05 am

      5 stars
      Yum, roasted cauliflower is amazing and topping with Tahio Yogurt Sauce and enjoy! This is so delicious!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        November 05, 2018 at 8:02 pm

        Thanks Eileen 🙂 It really is tasty!

        Reply
    3. Sharon

      November 04, 2018 at 9:35 pm

      5 stars
      What a wonderful winter side dish! The sauce looks so good, a great addition to the cauliflower.

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        November 05, 2018 at 7:57 pm

        Thanks so much, Sharon 🙂

        Reply
    4. Vanessa Vickery

      November 04, 2018 at 5:58 pm

      5 stars
      This looks amazing and the great recipe for the gut cleanse I am doing. I would need to sub the greek yoghurt as we cannot have dairy. Do you think coconut yoghurt would work instead?

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        November 05, 2018 at 7:57 pm

        I bet that would work just perfectly! Hope you love it 🙂 Thanks Vanessa!

        Reply
    5. Julie

      November 04, 2018 at 5:36 pm

      I love tahini. LOVE tahini. We put it on/in everything from appetizers to meat marinades to all our desserts. This is so up my alley – can’t wait to slather it on cauliflower now, too!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        November 05, 2018 at 7:56 pm

        Woo hoo! Thanks Julie 🙂

        Reply
    6. Sam | Ahead of Thyme

      November 04, 2018 at 2:58 pm

      Yum, I love cauliflower!! This is my kind of recipe, looks so easy, healthy and yummy! Pinning to try this week!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        November 05, 2018 at 7:56 pm

        Love it too! Thanks Sam – enjoy 🙂

        Reply
    7. Nicoletta Sugarlovespices

      November 03, 2018 at 10:18 pm

      5 stars
      Love cauliflower! And as Italians, we like to roast our veggies, so this is just perfect. Full of flavor and incredibly healthy.

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        November 04, 2018 at 2:16 pm

        Same here – so yummy! Thanks Nicoletta 🙂

        Reply
    8. Shannon

      November 03, 2018 at 6:06 pm

      I’ve never heard of a jigg’s dinner before. Definitely sounds like something I would enjoy! I love a large helping of vegetables especially if it includes roasted veggies like your tasty looking cauliflower. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        November 04, 2018 at 2:16 pm

        It’s a classic Newfoundland dish and so yummy! I bet you would 😉 Thanks Shannon!

        Reply
    9. Renee Gardner

      November 02, 2018 at 10:53 pm

      I can always use another cauliflower recipe and I think this one is just the ticket! Sounds delicious!!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        November 04, 2018 at 2:15 pm

        Yay! Thanks Renee 🙂

        Reply
    10. Anna Hettick

      November 02, 2018 at 5:03 pm

      5 stars
      Ok, I see Tahini everywhere lately and I’ve never had it! This Tahini Yogurt sauce looks so good on the roasted cauliflower though! Just might have to give it a try!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        November 04, 2018 at 2:14 pm

        Yes! So yummy! Hope you love it, Anna 🙂

        Reply
    11. Shelley

      November 02, 2018 at 11:56 am

      5 stars
      Oh, Dawn! I’m so excited about this recipe! I absolutely adore roasted cauliflower, and the unique tahini-yogurt sauce here sounds phenomenal! Plus the sweet-tart little flavor bursts from the pretty pomegranate arils! Brilliant! Bonus – it’s so darn easy, too – perfect easy on busy weeknights! Yay!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        November 04, 2018 at 2:14 pm

        Yay! So happy to hear that, Shelley 🙂 It’s a favourite for sure!

        Reply
    12. Courtney

      November 02, 2018 at 11:00 am

      5 stars
      Roasting cauliflower is my favourite way to prepare it. Love all the flavours in this sauce! It sounds like a topper for roasted cauliflower!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        November 04, 2018 at 2:13 pm

        Love it too! Thanks Courtney 🙂

        Reply
    13. lauren

      November 01, 2018 at 10:51 pm

      5 stars
      Yes yes yes! Roasted cauliflower is THE BEST. I have a head in my produce drawer and now I know what to do with it. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        November 04, 2018 at 2:12 pm

        So yummy, right?? Thanks Lauren – enjoy 🙂

        Reply
    14. Gloria

      October 29, 2018 at 5:12 pm

      5 stars
      Oven roasted cauliflower is the BEST. Love the sweetness it produces, along with a little savoury char as well. This looks like the perfect side dish, or fun appetizer with that sauce.

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        November 01, 2018 at 10:49 am

        It is! Those little brown, crispy bits are my fave 🙂

        Reply
    15. Sylvie

      January 22, 2018 at 7:09 am

      It looks delicious! When it comes to oven roasted veggies, Im a sucker for butternut squash with a little bit of balsamic vinegar to help caramelise. So yum!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        January 23, 2018 at 8:40 pm

        Thanks Sylvie! Yum! Gotta love butternut squash too 🙂

        Reply
    16. Kay

      January 18, 2018 at 6:32 am

      I LOVE roasted cauliflower! My sister and I are obsessed with roasting it after rubbing it in harissa at the moment. We are eating so much we’re worried we willget bored of it but this Tahini yoghurt dressing sounds incredible and like it could mix up things a little for us. I can’t wait to give it a go! Thanks so much 😀

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        January 18, 2018 at 10:38 am

        Yum! Harissa sounds awesome with it! Hope you enjoy this one. Thanks Kay 🙂

        Reply
    17. Thao @ In Good Flavor

      January 17, 2018 at 11:52 pm

      I love roasted vegetables, especially broccoli and brussels sprouts. This looks delicious!! I can eat the whole sheet pan in one sitting. I never heard of jigg’s dinner, but it sounds really good!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        January 18, 2018 at 10:37 am

        Love those too!! I did eat this whole pan of cauliflower for lunch, lol. It was too good 😉 Thanks Thao!

        Reply
    18. Matt

      January 14, 2018 at 2:04 pm

      Looks delicious! Yogurt sauces are seriously some of the best out there! Never thought to try with roasted veggies. Great recipe!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        January 15, 2018 at 4:32 pm

        They totally are 🙂 Thanks Matt!

        Reply
    19. Jolina

      January 14, 2018 at 11:58 am

      Another delicious dish Dawn! Roasting veggies is awesome, brings out their natural sweetness. And that tahini sauce YUM. We love roasting veggies too but we also sometimes steam them and dunk them in sauce (which I realize might defeat the purpose of eating HEALTHY veggies LOL but I’m eating them!). Happy Sunday!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        January 15, 2018 at 9:46 am

        Thank you so much, Jolina!! Hahaha – I hear ya 😉 Have a wonderful week!

        Reply
    20. Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop

      January 14, 2018 at 11:17 am

      Roasting brings out the very best in vegetables. Those little browned bits look tasty. I love the pops of red from the pomegranate!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        January 15, 2018 at 9:44 am

        It totally does! Thanks Kathy 🙂

        Reply
    21. Katherine | Love In My Oven

      January 12, 2018 at 11:40 pm

      I’m a HUGE fan of roasted veggies too!! I grew up eating vegetables the same way you did! Also, I’m so intrigued by all of these fun Newfoundland classics. I really need to come visit!! Love this dish my friend – pinned!! Have a great weekend! XO

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        January 13, 2018 at 11:19 am

        You really do!!! Thanks Katherine! Have a great weekend too! XO

        Reply
    22. Riz - Chocolates & Chai

      January 12, 2018 at 6:27 pm

      Roasted cauliflower was my FAVOURITE vegetable growing up…I’ve never tried it with tahini, and I think it’s time to change that. Thanks for the inspo!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        January 13, 2018 at 11:18 am

        It’s pretty delish! Thanks Riz 🙂

        Reply
    23. Marissa

      January 12, 2018 at 4:24 pm

      We are all about roasting veggies these days. I’m swooning over that tahini yogurt dressing and the sweet pop of pomegranate seeds in this!

      You’ve got me interested in that jigg’s dinner too – never heard of it, but it sounds like I’d love it.

      Cheers to a wonderful weekend, my friend!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        January 13, 2018 at 11:16 am

        Thanks Marissa!! I’m sure you would love it! Have a lovely weekend too 🙂

        Reply
    24. Nicole

      January 12, 2018 at 4:14 pm

      I can never get enough roasted cauliflower! Next time I roast some, I’ll definitely be trying your yogurt sauce. That sounds right up my alley! Happy weekend, Dawn!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        January 13, 2018 at 11:16 am

        Thanks Nicole!! Happy to hear that 🙂 Have a great weekend too!

        Reply
    25. Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen

      January 12, 2018 at 12:22 pm

      Roasted veggies are my favorite! Although I did grow up eating mostly steamed. But the caramel-y parts on the roasted ones are the best right? I like to let mine stay in the oven longer than they should so every piece is just one sweet caramelized bite. And now I’m adding cauliflower to my shopping list :). Have a great weekend, Dawn!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        January 13, 2018 at 11:15 am

        Totally the best!! Thanks Kelsie! You too 🙂

        Reply
    26. Leanne | Crumb Top Baking

      January 11, 2018 at 9:09 pm

      I’m with you Dawn. Definitely trying to increase my veggie consumption this month! And I can totally relate to the boiled veggies. That’s all we ate growing up. Now I’m all about the roasted veggies! And this roasted cauliflower looks great! I’m definitely trying the tahini yogurt sauce. It sounds so versatile. Happy weekend!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        January 12, 2018 at 10:12 am

        Thanks Leanne! That sauce really is! Happy weekend to you too 🙂

        Reply
    27. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen

      January 11, 2018 at 3:14 pm

      Oven roasted veggies are my favorite Dawn! This cauliflower looks delish and I LOVE that sauce. Can’t wait to try!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        January 12, 2018 at 10:10 am

        Thank you Mary Ann! Hope you enjoy it 🙂

        Reply
    28. Sarah

      January 11, 2018 at 1:45 pm

      I’m so on a cauliflower kick right now! I roasted a whole head the other day (which was a much bigger pain than I thought- an hour and a half!!!), and we could only eat half of it.. So I turned the rest into soup! This sounds delicious too- tahini is an amazing idea!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        January 12, 2018 at 10:09 am

        Whoa! I beet it tasted awesome, though!! Thanks Sarah 🙂

        Reply
    29. Milena | Craft Beering

      January 11, 2018 at 12:26 pm

      I am with you, Dawn! Best way to eat cauliflower is roasted, then charred on the grill or in a hot, hot pan, then pickled. But roasted is my favorite:) I will try mixing tahini in my yogurt sauce next time, sounds delicious. Cheers to cauliflower and the weekend!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        January 12, 2018 at 10:08 am

        Grilling sounds pretty awesome too! Yum!! Thanks Milena! Have a fantastic weekend 🙂

        Reply
    30. Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers

      January 11, 2018 at 11:58 am

      I love what roasting does to vegetables. Like healthy candy 🙂 And that tahini yogurt sauce is perfect!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        January 12, 2018 at 10:07 am

        I hear ya!! Haha – true! Thanks Jennifer 🙂

        Reply
    31. Tracy | Baking Mischief

      January 11, 2018 at 10:21 am

      Love this! I’m not usually a cauliflower person, but all roasted up like this and with yogurt sauce, it looks so good!! And I’ve never heard of jigg’s dinner, but if I’m ever up that far north, I’ll totally have to try it! 🙂

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        January 12, 2018 at 10:07 am

        You definitely would have to!! Thanks Tracy! Hope this recipe changes your mind about cauliflower 😉

        Reply
    32. David @ Spiced

      January 11, 2018 at 10:18 am

      Roasted veggies are totally how we roll around here, too, Dawn! They’re just so easy and delicious. And there’s something magical that happens when you roast cauliflower. It turns buttery with those crispy brown little bits on the edges…oh yeah, I’m craving this recipe now! And that tahini yogurt sauce sounds like an easy way to boost the flavor!

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        January 12, 2018 at 10:06 am

        Definitely! Now, you’re making me hungry, lol! Thanks David! Have a great weekend 🙂

        Reply
    33. [email protected]

      January 11, 2018 at 10:09 am

      Wow! You’d think there was a sale on tahini! You know what they say…great minds think alike; they must crave alike too! 😉 I adore oven roasted cauliflower and your sauce puts it over the top! Have a great weekend, lovely! XOXO

      Reply
      • Girl Heart Food

        January 12, 2018 at 10:06 am

        Haha! Right?? Thanks Annie! You too! XOXO

        Reply

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