Whole Roasted Cauliflower. I must admit, the idea had never once crossed my mind … until I saw a recipe dating back to 2013 from Bon Appetit Magazine. Theirs was served with a whipped goat cheese and while I am sure some sort of vegan ricotta/cream cheese mixture may work as a substitute, I had other plans for this one.
When I delved further into the recipe, I found that prior to roasting, the cauliflower was basically poached or par-cooked in a flavorful broth. This intrigued me, so I decided to give it a try with a few tweaks of my own. Let me show you how it’s done…
The simmering broth is really full of flavor. It contains white wine, vegetable broth, olive oil, salt, lemon juice, vegan margarine, red pepper flakes, sugar, a bay leaf and water. Bring that to a boil.
Then you add the cauliflower (leaves and stem removed, but enough left to keep in intact). You’ll want to reduce the heat and simmer, turning occasionally until a knife easily inserts into the center. This took me about 15-20 minutes.
Using slotted spoons or a mesh spider, transfer the cauliflower to baking sheet. Be sure it has a rim to catch any residual juices. I used an oven-safe cooling rack over the top of a baking sheet. Bake at 475 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the entire cauliflower is evenly browned.
I didn’t discard the liquid. In a few days, I’ll be posting THE most amazing cauliflower chowder recipe for you which uses both the roasted cauliflower and a reduction of this broth. Of course, you could always just enjoy the roasted cauliflower with an herbed whipped ricotta or a simple tomato sauce.
You won’t be disappointed. It’s tender, full of flavor and makes for quite a stunning presentation!
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Whole Roasted Cauliflower {Vegan}
Ingredients
- FOR THE POACHING LIQUID:
- 1 C White Wine
- 1-1/2 C Vegetable Broth
- 1/3 C Olive or Grapeseed Oil
- 1 Tbl Salt
- 2 Tbl Lemon Juice
- 2 Tbl vegan Margarine such as Earth Balance
- 1-1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Tbl Sugar
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 3 C Water
- 1 head of Cauliflower leaves & most of the stem removed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
- Combine all ingredients to a boil in a large pot.
- Add the cauliflower, reduce to a simmer, turning occasionally until a knife inserts easily. This should take about 15-20 minutes.
- Using two slotted spoons, or a mesh spider, transfer the poached cauliflower to a rack over a rimmed sheet pan. This will help to catch any remaining juices.
- Roast, turning halfway through, until golden brown all over. This should take approximately 35-40 minutes.
- Serve as is, with a tomato sauce or use for a cauliflower soup (recipe coming soon).
Claudia @ HomeMade with love says
Wow this looks so delicious! I love Cauliflower and this sounds like a great way to cook it. 🙂
Gerry Ahrens says
What an intg idea, thanks. I’m going to try that asap as I’ve been in a roasted veggie slump trying to dial the heat down a little so I don’t burn the oils, tasty as that may be. I’m going to try something other than tomato soup though, and that poaching liquid is going to graduate to at least a curry, and maybe a fish chowder since I’m hungry for that. Happy Holidayze.