Loaded Mediterranean cauliflower nachos, piled high with feta cheese, hummus, olives, fresh crisp cucumber, tomatoes, and dill. Nach'o average nacho (sorry, had to do it).
I'm going to get right to it, this right here – this dish right here – is a game changer. I don't care if that sounds braggadocious, it's a total game changer. I mean what could possibly be better than cauliflower roasted to perfection and then piled high with all of your favorite greek inspired condiments. Nothing in the whole wide world is better. Except more. I want more. I want like 10 servings of this right now.
Greek/ Mediterranean flavors may be my favorite. I love how fresh and bright the flavors are. Also, I could eat feta cheese on top of anything and olives are pretty much my best friend. Olives are always there when I need them. Always. (Shout out to the most brilliant food marketing/packaging in the world with single serve, easy to grab-and-go, olive packets.)
I just got back from a weekend in Miami to celebrate my godson Tommy's 2nd birthday and whenever I am in Miami I love visiting my favorite restaurant Mandolin Aegean Bistro. Tucked away in Miami's design district, Mandolin hits all the right restaurant notes; atmosphere, service, and of course great food! (and a Greek white wine that I adore.) The dining room is a beautiful backyard garden that makes you feel like you've been whisked away to the Greek islands.
Mandolin was the spark that reignited my love for Mediterranean flavors and out of that spark loaded Mediterranean nachos were born, and we should all be grateful.
Cauliflower replaces tortilla chips in this nacho recipe and although cauliflower isn't inherently crunchy, it is the perfect vehicle for bright crisp cucumber, creamy hummus, and salty olives. When these are hot out of the oven with melty feta cheese you really don't miss the corn chip, not one bit.
I initially made a few different batches of these cauliflower nachos (#recipetesting) so the next day I had quite a bit leftover, and…well… if I were to tell you the truth I would tell you that I sent Jordan to the store to get me blue tortilla chips so I could eat the leftover nachos like a dip for tortilla chips, and that went well. Very well indeed. ????
The process is quite simple, you begin by roasting your cauliflower until crisp tender (don't over roast or else you'll have totally mushy nachos – that's not yummy!). Then top with feta cheese and scallion and pop into the broiler for about 5 minutes, enough time to allow the feta cheese to get all toasty and ooey gooey (is that a word?). Then load on the rest of your Mediterranean inspired goodness. I love Persian cucumbers, tomatoes of different colors and shapes, olives (obviously), hummus, more scallions, lots of fresh dill, and then cover with either a homemade tzatziki sauce (I love this recipe from Gimme Some Oven) or a store-bought. Tzatziki is simply greek yogurt, or thick strained yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic, and lemon juice. You can add dill if you want (why not!), and season well with salt and pepper.
There you have it, loaded Mediterranean cauliflower nachos. I made a little video for you so you can see the step by step. Opa!
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Loaded Mediterranean Cauliflower Nachos
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup feta cheese
- 4 sliced scallions
- 1/2 cup hummus
- 1 diced cucumber
- 1 cup diced tomato
- 1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup tzatziki
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°
- Slice cauliflower head into thick slices. Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle with feta cheese and half the scallions, broil for 5 minutes or until the cheese becomes toasty and melty.
- Remove from broiler and top with remaining ingredients. Eat immediately. You do not need to share 🙂
Video
Nutrition
