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Have you ever tried roasting cauliflower? This healthy, easily customizable vegetable side dish is surprisingly delicious. Ditch your basic steamed and boiled cauliflower. The easy method outlined below produces the best roasted cauliflower – tender, caramelized, sweet and delicious. I’ve also included a video so you can watch the whole process, step by step!

When you roast cauliflower, it’s transformed into something so tasty, you almost forget you’re eating veggies. All you need is a touch of oil, salt and pepper to turn ordinary cauliflower into something extraordinary. The dry heat of the oven makes the cauliflower perfectly tender, and the roasting pan caramelizes the flat surfaces and edges.

Before we dive into the recipe, here are a few important points about cauliflower.

Is Cauliflower Healthy?

Cauliflower is really healthy! Cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower are known to lower your risk of cancer, and nutritionists recommend that you eat them at least 3-5 times per week. It’s full of antioxidants, loaded with fiber, and brimming with anti-inflammatory properties. Even so, I was never too excited about cauliflower… until I discovered the magic of roasting.

How do you Cut Cauliflower for Roasting?

The key to getting the most flavor out of your roasted cauliflower is to make sure you have lots of flat surfaces on your florets. The more the flat edges come into contact with the hot baking sheet, the more caramelization you’ll achieve. Caramelization = flavor. I’ve provided instructions below for how to slice your cauliflower to ensure that you have lots of flat surfaces on your florets — this will maximize your caramelization.

How Many Florets are in a Head of Cauliflower?

It’s difficult to measure cauliflower florets (more technically known as curds) in cups because of their bulk and strange shape. I prefer to measure them by weight. Here is a rough guide that will tell you the weight of florets that differently sized cauliflower heads will produce. Keep in mind that each head of cauliflower is different, so this chart is a rough estimate:

1.5 lbs. cauliflower head = 1 lb. florets

2 lbs. cauliflower head = 1.5 lbs. florets

2.5 lbs. cauliflower head = 2 lbs. florets

3 lbs. cauliflower head = 2.5 lbs. florets

If you need to know how many cups of florets you’ll have, an average sized cauliflower (2 lbs.) will produce roughly 3-4 cups of uncooked florets. After roasting, the florets shrink up quite a bit.

How to Season Roasted Cauliflower

Olive oil, salt and pepper are really all you need to make mouthwatering roasted cauliflower. You can certainly add other ingredients to enhance the flavor; I’ve suggested a few ideas below. Parmesan cheese is popular. Garlic adds a lovely aroma. Italian seasoning, za’atar, turmeric, cumin, curry powder and cajun seasoning all give distinctly different flavors. Depending on the type of meal you’re making, you can enhance your roasted cauliflower with a variety of herbs and spices (smoked paprika is a favorite of mine). Feel free to get creative. However you dress it up, roasted cauliflower is downright delicious. Enjoy!

Recommended Products:

Chef’s Knife

Baking Sheet

Tongs

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