Whole Roasted Cauliflower. I must admit, the idea had never once crossed my mind … until I saw a recipe dating back to 2013 from Bon Appetit Magazine. Theirs was served with a whipped goat cheese and while I am sure some sort of vegan ricotta/cream cheese mixture may work as a substitute, I had other plans for this one.

When I delved further into the recipe, I found that prior to roasting, the cauliflower was basically poached or par-cooked in a flavorful broth. This intrigued me, so I decided to give it a try with a few tweaks of my own. Let me show you how it’s done…

The simmering broth is really full of flavor. It contains white wine, vegetable broth, olive oil, salt, lemon juice, vegan margarine, red pepper flakes, sugar, a bay leaf and water. Bring that to a boil.

Then you add the cauliflower (leaves and stem removed, but enough left to keep in intact). You’ll want to reduce the heat and simmer, turning occasionally until a knife easily inserts into the center. This took me about 15-20 minutes.

Using slotted spoons or a mesh spider, transfer the cauliflower to baking sheet. Be sure it has a rim to catch any residual juices. I used an oven-safe cooling rack over the top of a baking sheet. Bake at 475 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the entire cauliflower is evenly browned.

I didn’t discard the liquid. In a few days, I’ll be posting THE most amazing cauliflower chowder recipe for you which uses both the roasted cauliflower and a reduction of this broth. Of course, you could always just enjoy the roasted cauliflower with an herbed whipped ricotta or a simple tomato sauce.

You won’t be disappointed. It’s tender, full of flavor and makes for quite a stunning presentation!

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