Roasted cauliflower gets an upgrade with crunchy pistachios, sweet golden raisins and a lemon tahini sauce drizzle. Pair it with a piece of grilled fish for an elevated, yet simple, weeknight dinner.

roasted cauliflower with tahini drizzle on a sheet pan

Cauliflower seems to be the “it” vegetable right now, doesn’t it? Everyday on Instagram I see a new twist. Today cauliflower is PIZZA CRUST.

Gnocchi.

Rice.

Wings.

Taco “meat” (hey, I love this one).

But what if we got back to the basics and learned to really love and appreciate cauliflower for all of her inherently wonderful qualities? That’s why I’m bringing you this (extremely basic) roasted version, doctored up with an assortment of toppings that will take it from ordinary to extraordinary.

Ingredients

head of cauliflower (we’re using the whole thing because why do recipes ever call for half? like what are we supposed to do with the rest?)
curry powder
pistachios
golden raisins
tahini + lemon juice (aka match made in heaven)
cilantro (to all the haters, you can sub parsley!)

The cauliflower gets a nice coat of olive oil before a dusting of curry powder, which is where that trademark yellow color comes from. Confession: I’m seriously digging the monochromatic look of this (sans the cilantro garnish of course).

Vegetables are so forgiving when you roast, as in the temperature doesn’t have to be perfect and you can give or take five minutes on the time based on how you prefer them to be cooked.

Browning is always a good thing, so I recommend turning them once to maximize that.

roasted cauliflower on a sheet pan with tahini and cilantro

golden raisins, pistachios, cilantro, tahini and lemon wedge on a wood cutting board

Once out of the oven, just scatter those add-ons evenly around the sheet pan, drizzle with tahini sauce and thoughtfully arrange the cilantro leaves. Who even needs a protein really? I ate much of this standing over the stove top with my hands, dipping each floret into the side dish of sauce. You make the rules.

pan of roasted cauliflower with tahini drizzle

Roasted cauliflower with tahini, nuts and dried fruit: making vegetables taste great yet again! And the perfect way to spruce up your plate with something fresh and flavor-packed.

Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini, Nuts & Dried Fruit

Roasted cauliflower gets an upgrade with crunchy pistachios, sweet golden raisins and a lemon tahini sauce drizzle. Pair it with a piece of grilled fish for an elevated, yet simple, weeknight dinner.

Author: Leanne Ray, MS, RDN
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Category: Sides
Method: Oven
Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale

1 medium head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup pistachios, chopped
1/4 cup tahini
1/2 lemon, juiced
cilantro leaves to garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Add cauliflower florets to a large bowl and add olive oil, mix to make sure it’s evenly distributed. Add curry powder and toss well to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to sheet pan.
Roast the cauliflower for 30-35 minutes, turning once to brown on all sides.
Meanwhile, make the sauce: add tahini and lemon juice to a small bowl and use a fork to stir. Slowly stream in hot water until thin and pourable (up to 1/2 cup). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
When cauliflower comes out of the oven, top with pistachios, raisins, and a drizzle of tahini sauce. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve any remaining sauce on the side.