Whole Roasted Cauliflower
An elegant vegetarian dish, flavorsome and highly nutritious. This perfectly charred cauliflower with accompanying delicious sauces will even impress the most ardent meat eaters.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
Roasted Cauliflower
- 1 large cauliflower
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Feta and Yogurt Sauce
- 5 ounces block quality feta cheese, drained
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, crushed or minced
- 1 lemon, zested
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more as needed
Pomegranate Dressing and Garnish
- 2 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, homemade or store bought
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Pomegranate seeds
- Fresh mint leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the oven and baking sheet: Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with foil.
- Bloom the saffron: Grind a 1/2 teaspoon of saffron threads (about 10 threads) in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. This should yield about an 1/8 to a 1/4 teaspoon of ground saffron. Add 1/4 teaspoon of ground saffron to 3 tablespoons of water. Set aside until ready to use.
- Trim the cauliflower: Take the cauliflower, remove the larger tougher leaves, and trim the stalk a little. You still want the cauliflower to remain whole.
- Boil the cauliflower: Fill a saucepan, large enough for the cauliflower to fit in it and be fully submerged, with water. Add kosher salt, turmeric, bloomed saffron, bay leaves and chopped garlic. Bring the cooking liquid to a low boil over medium high heat. Slowly and carefully lower the cauliflower top side down into the saucepan. Cover the pan with the lid and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, depending upon the size of the cauliflower.
- Make the feta and yogurt sauce: While the cauliflower cooks, combine the feta, Greek yogurt, crushed garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper, in a food processor and blend. While the processor is running, drizzle the olive oil through the top opening, until whipped to a smooth texture. Set aside until ready to serve. Depending on the size of your cauliflower, You may have some leftover sauce for dips to use later in the week.
- Make the pomegranate dressing: Take a small bowl and make the dressing by stirring together the pomegranate molasses, maple syrup and olive oil until fully incorporated. Set aside until ready to serve.
- Drain the cauliflower and roast: Once the cauliflower is tender enough to insert a knife in the stem without resistance use a large, slotted spoon or a large fork and tongs to remove it from the pot. Set it in a colander to drain well. Place the cauliflower stem-side down on a foil-lined baking tray. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the cauliflower and roast in the oven for approximately 40 to 45 minutes.
- Assemble the dish: Once the cauliflower has cooked through and has charred a little on top, remove from the oven and assemble the final dish. Spread the feta and yogurt sauce on a serving dish. Place the whole roasted cauliflower on top of the feta and yogurt sauce.
- Garnish and serve: Drizzle with the pomegranate dressing and a little more extra virgin olive oil if you wish. Scatter pomegranate seeds and freshly chopped mint before serving.
Video
Notes
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams and spices.
- Olive oil should be high quality. It should have spice and or floral notes. In this dish I prefer to use Nocellara Olive Oil imported from Italy.
- Size matters: Cauliflower comes in different sizes. If you're cauliflower is on the smaller side, check it during the boiling process sooner. You want it tender but not mushy.
- Pomegranate Molasses: Depending upon where you live it may be easy or challenging to find pomegranate molasses, but you can probably find pomegranate juice. As long as you have the juice it's super easy to make homemade pomegranate molasses.
Nutrition
Calories: 227.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 18.5g | Protein: 7.3g | Fat: 14.9g | Saturated Fat: 4.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 21.9mg | Sodium: 695.1mg | Potassium: 390.8mg | Fiber: 2.7g | Sugar: 10.7g | Vitamin A: 107.5IU | Vitamin C: 57.3mg | Calcium: 172.5mg | Iron: 0.9mg
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