Simple, easy, and tasty! The best way to describe this whole roasted cauliflower. It only takes 5 minutes of prep for this showstopping side dish. With very simple ingredients this is a perfect throw together recipe.Â
Cauliflower is such a wonderful vegetable however when it is steamed it isn’t one of my favorites. This whole roasted cauliflower head is one of my favorite ways to make it since it is just some herbs and spices in oil and butter. You can never go wrong with any of those. One of the best parts is that it looks really cool on the table next to the other dishes. Oh did I mention it is really really easy to make?
In this recipe
There really isn’t a lot in this dish and that is one of my favorite things. If you happen to have some cauliflower already in your refrigerator then you can just whip this right on up.Â
Cauliflower: a whole head is best for this. You want to make sure that the cauliflower is still nice and light and the florets are firmly packed.Â
Olive oil: adds a depth of flavor as well as allowing the oils from the herbs and spices to penetrate the cauliflower.Â
Butter: adds a richness and depth of flavor to the cauliflower.Â
Paprika: adds some additional smokiness to the dish.Â
Want an extra flavor punch?
If you have a few extra minutes and you want an extra kick of flavor then bloom the spices. Blooming spices means that you cook them in oil over high heat. This allows the oils within the spices to leach into the oil and intensifies the flavors. Then when the oil coats and permeates the cauliflower you will have an even better tasting dish. The best part is you only need to cook them 3-5 minutes on medium high heat to get the results you want. Do not include the minced garlic as it could burn.Â
Salt is your friend
One of the things that you will run into is that cauliflower will need some salt. Although the recipe calls for a teaspoon of salt you may decide that you want more. This will also be important when it comes to the size of the cauliflower head. In this recipe I use a head of cauliflower that is about 2 pounds or about 0.9 kg. If you have a bigger head than that you will want to add an additional 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt.Â
Cover and cook
Once you have coated the entire head with the spice mixture then all that is left is for you to put on the lid and cook for about 40 minutes. The best way to test if it is done is to see if a knife passes into the stalk easily. One of the things you want to keep in mind is to not open the lid often to keep the steam in the Dutch oven. The water in the cauliflower will help keep the florets from scorching or drying out.Â
Looking for other side dish recipes?
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Equipment
- Dutch oven
- Mixing Bowl
- Pastry brush or spoon
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F, 200°C or gas mark 6.
- Rinse the cauliflower and pat dry. Cut out the leafy part of the cauliflower stem. Leave enough that all of the florets still remain attached to the main stem.
- In a bowl mix the oil, butter, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic, thyme, oregano, basil and paprika.
- In a Dutch oven turn the cauliflower head upside down. Spoon or brush â…“ of the seasoning mixture into the bottom of the cauliflower to let the oil coat the inside. Flip over and spoon or brush the remaining spice mixture over the top of the cauliflower.
- Cover and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the cauliflower is easily pierced with a knife or skewer.
- Before serving brush or spoon the oil at the bottom of the Dutch oven to cover the roasted cauliflower.
Nutrition
