A Roasted Cauliflower Recipe That Will Win Anyone Over.
Roasted cauliflower is quite possibly our favorite vegetable. We make it frequently, crave it often, and love it every single time we eat it, so it’s safe to say that an entire post dedicated to those little florets of perfection has been a long time coming. Soon after our cauliflower obsession began, we discovered it was one of veggies our kids prefered as well, so long as it was roasted to caramelized perfection first. It is now on weekly rotation in our house and hopefully will be in yours as well!
How Nutritious Is Cauliflower?
While broccoli outperforms cauliflower in many of the vitamin and mineral categories, cauliflower shouldn’t be written off. This white, cruciferous vegetable is loaded with Vitamin C and is super low in both carbs and calories. If you’re following a ketogenic diet, or watching your carbs, cauliflower is where it’s at. Besides all that, roasted to crispy perfection and topped with parm, it’s just about as delicious as a vegetable side dish can be. Enough said.
How Do You Season Cauliflower?
There is a reason cauliflower is taking restaurant menus by storm. It is extremely versatile both in texture and flavor. Cauliflower rice, cauliflower mash, cauliflower pizza crusts, and of course the infamous TJ’s cauliflower gnocchi.
Our roasted cauliflower recipe calls for parmesan cheese, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and our secret weapon... smoked paprika! But, if you’re looking to mix it up, here are a few of our other favorite roasted cauliflower toppings:
- Za’atar (if you don’t know this spice, get acquainted asap!)
- Chili powder
- Taco seasoning
- Whole garlic cloves
- Cheddar cheese
- Chili garlic paste
- Soy sauce
- Nutritional yeast
- Lemon juice
How to Roast Cauliflower in the Oven:
Believe it or not, it’s possible to mess up something as simple as roasted cauliflower! Don’t worry though, we’re going to teach you how to do it right. Roasted cauliflower is all about actual ROASTING. Roasting is not the same as baking, and the difference between the two terms is HEAT. To “roast” infers high heat. You want the inside of your roasted cauliflower to be soft and the outside to be crispy, therefore high heat is your friend here. Have the heat too low, and you’ll end up with mushy cauliflower. What kind of heat are we talking? We’re talking high! Crank that oven to 425°F.
How Long Does it Take to Roast Cauliflower at 425°F?
After 45 minutes in the oven, your cauliflower should be perfect! Don’t trust a recipe that tells you roasted cauliflower can be cooked in 15 or 20 minutes. Cauliflower takes significantly longer than most other vegetables and if you pull it out too early you’re missing out on all that fantastic nutty flavor and incredible texture that only shows up when cauliflower cooks down to half its size. So trust us when we say that patience pays off.
Tools You Need:
More Simple Roasted Vegetable Recipes:
Sometimes including a veggie side dish with your dinner is as simple can be. These four recipes are healthy, simple and delicious:
Congratulations! You’re Now an Expert on Roasted Cauliflower
While you should definitely try this recipe, we’d also love to hear what combinations you’re coming up with in your own kitchen, because we are convinced that one can never have too many cauliflower recipes. Share your creations with us by tagging @themodernproper or #themodernproper on Instagram so we can drool along with you!
