Lemony Roasted Tahini Cauliflower

a blue platter of tahini cauliflower topped with capers and parsley, with a silver serving spoon on the side

Lemony Roasted Tahini Cauliflower

Lemony Roasted Tahini Cauliflower is an easy and delicious vegetable side dish. Roast a whole cauliflower or break it down into florets, then serve on a puddle of tahini sauce. Simple, elegant, and healthy.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Roasted Cauliflower, Tahini

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 129kcal

Author Katie Trant

Ingredients

Roasted Cauliflower

1 medium cauliflower about 2 pounds / 900g
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper

Tahini Sauce

¼ cup tahini prefer runny tahini
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic crushed
3 Tablespoons water
salt and pepper to taste

To serve

2 Tablespoons capers
½ bunch parsley

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 225°C/450°F. Place a couple of rimmed baking sheets into the oven to heat up as well.
Break the cauliflower into florets. Place in a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.
Remove the hot pans from the oven. Add the cauliflower to the hot pans, shaking to spread it out.
Return the pans with the cauliflower to the oven and roast for about 20 minutes, until brown and crisped on the outside.
While the cauliflower is roasting, whisk together the ¼ cup tahini, garlic, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 3 tablespoon water (or more if your tahini is thick). Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the tahini sauce onto a serving platter.
Remove the cauliflower from the oven and transfer from the sheet pans to the serving dish, on top of the tahini sauce.
Scatter capers and parsley over the cauliflower.
Serve!

Notes

Nutrition values are an estimate only
As with any roasted vegetable recipe, roasted cauliflower is prone to shrinkage. You'll want to start with slightly more cauliflower than you think you need.
Ensuring that the pan is hot when the cauliflower is added to it, and that the cauli has plenty of space, is the secret to crisp roasted cauliflower. Note that the cauliflower will lose its crispness as it cools down, although is still every bit as delicious.
This dish can be made in advance, although I think that roasted vegetables are one of those dishes best served directly out of the oven.
Having said that, I think this dish is also delicious at room temperature, or even cold.
Since tahini cauliflower cooks up pretty quickly, an alternate is to chop the cauliflower and make the tahini sauce in advance, and then just roast the cauliflower and throw everything together at the last minute.

Nutrition