If you've never made a whole roasted cauliflower, consider this your invitation. This truly is a show-stopping dish, that is surprisingly easy to prepare. Serve as a gorgeous and delicious vegetarian main dish, a dinner party side dish, or a holiday treat! Served with a zesty sage salsa verde on a bed of creamy goat cheese labneh.
Get ready for a reintroduction to Cauliflower. Most of us are probably accustomed to preparing this as fork-ready cauliflower florets, easy to deliver from plate to palate. While these bite-sized beauties make perfect sense allow me to offer a more dramatic and celebration-worthy presentation. Behold, the Whole head of cauliflower, roasted with a few simple ingredients and finished with a yogurt sauce, fresh herbs, and pomegranate seeds. This is sure to become your new favorite vegetable preparation when you are in need of something dramatic and delicious.
While we often think of this cruciferous queen as a perfect side dish (it is), the whole roasted cauliflower head is one of my favorite main dishes when I need a presentation-worthy vegetarian stunner for dinner parties and a holiday meal. A big head of roasted whole cauliflower never fails to elicit oohs and ahhs when taking center stage at a dinner party. It's just so dramatic and unexpected. This particular recipe is a real crowd-pleaser with the vibrant colors of pomegranate seeds, green herbs, and creamy white yogurt set against the lovely golden-brown of the whole baked cauliflower, it feels ready-made for special occasions.
Truthfully, I don't need an occasion to make this. I will happily get a whole cauliflower roast in the oven on any given Monday. It's that good, and also that easy!
If love this cauliflower roast and want to dive deeper into the world of this killer cruciferous, make sure to check out my Mom's healthier creamed cauliflower for some cheesy, creamy deliciousness or for a quick weeknight solution, you're gonna love this 10-minute cauliflower rice puttanesca.
You'll Love this Recipe
- Drama for you mama-(and anyone else lucky enough to be at the table). As I've said, this one whole cauliflower head shows up big time!
- Healthy and hearty- Let's not forget, that this is still a plant-based main dish, packed with flavor and nutrition.
- This is a pretty darn easy recipe. As my husband likes to say, the juice is worth the squeeze. While the entire head of cauliflower is cooking in the oven you leisurely assemble the yogurt spread and salsa verde. Once the head is roasted and fork tender, dress the whole thing with your sauces and pomegranate seeds and prepare to impress.
Let's Get Cooking!
Ingredients and Helpful Substitution Tips
- Cauliflower (a fresh whole head…of course) – I used a bright yellow cauliflower (to increase the drama!) but any color or variety will do. Make sure the cauliflower is fresh, with bright green leaves and firm intact florets.
- Sea Salt
- Sage, Parsley, Rosemary – Fresh herbs are key, the recipe calls for a freshly made salsa verde – with a twist! the sage and rosemary are quickly fried. You cannot sub dried herbs here, they are not interchangeable.
- Shallot – Milder than onion and garlic and used in the salsa verde
- Fresh Garlic– for some extra kick
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar- Acid is the flavor profile that really elevates this dish. It wakes everything up, as it dances on the palate in an exciting harmony with the sea salt. The marriage of acid and salt lends a pleasant bracing freshness to the overall flavor profile.
- Greek yogurt, goat cheese, lemon juice For the Goat Cheese Labneh – Labneh is double-strained Greek yogurt. The straining gives the yogurt an extra thick and creamy consistency. If you can find Labneh in your market you can just mix it directly with the goat cheese and skip the step of straining the yogurt. Here's a great Labneh recipe if you are interested in exploring this dairy delight some more.
Detailed measurements and ingredients can be found within the recipe card at the end of this post.
Tools
- Sharp Knife
- Cutting board
- Large pot or Dutch oven with a tall side for boiling the cauliflower.
- Baking Sheet
Step by Step Instructions – and Tips!
The best thing about a recipe like this is that you can prepare your dressings while the cauliflower cooks.
- Step One: Prepare the Cauliflower
- Start by pre-heating your oven to 450° and get a large pot of salted water boiling.
- While you are waiting for the water to boil and the oven to get hot, rinse the cauliflower under the sink. Here's a little unexpected pro tip. Leave the tough outer leaves on the cauliflower. They will become deliciously crisp and tender by the time this dish is finished cooking.
- Carefully submerge the whole head of cauliflower into the boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes and then remove from the pot. It should have some give but not be fork tender yet. Remember, this is going in the oven for 45 minutes.
- Place the head of cauliflower on a baking sheet and allow it to dry for 10 minutes. You don't want to send it to the oven too wet or else it will not brown.
- Once it dries off, drizzle it with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and load it into the hot oven. Cook for 45 minutes-55 minutes until the top of the crown begins to brown and crisp.
- Step Two: Make the Salsa Verde (you can do this while the cauliflower is roasting) – The recipe for the sage salsa verde is based on a recipe by Samin Nosrat. I made Samin's recipe for Thanksgiving and poured it on EVERYTHING on my plate, I knew it would shine here. I added more herbs and a bit less sage.
- Finely dice shallot, add to a small bowl and cover with red wine vinegar (about 1 -2 tbps) allow to sit for a few minutes. This will dampen the sharpness of the shallot and add the perfect amount of acid to the salsa verde.
- Lightly frying the sage and rosemary in avocado oil. Heat avocado oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, when hot drop in sage leaves and fry for 1 minute until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate covered in paper towels to drain. Sprinkle sea salt on top. Repeat with rosemary, rosemary will take 20 seconds, do not burn!
- Finely chop fresh parsley add 1 clove of garlic, add to a bowl, crumble fried sage leaves, and rosemary, add to bowl with parsley.
- Using a slotted spoon, spoon out shallot and add to bowl. Add a generous pinch of salt, and 1 tbsp red wine vinegar.
- Slowly stir in olive oil, taste for seasoning (add more salt or vinegar if you'd like it more punchy
- Step Three: Prepare Goat Cheese Labneh
- In a small bowl stir together goat cheese, greek yogurt, lemon, and salt. Set aside
- Step Four: Assemble
- Spread a layer of labneh on a large plate or platter. Place cauliflower on top of labneh, spoon salsa verde over cauliflower, and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.
Storage and Prep Ahead Tips
- This is best enjoyed the day it is made, however you can easily prep in advance (especially if you are making this for the holiday!)
- Prepare cauliflower through boiling and resting stage and store in fridge, day of pop into the oven
- Prepare salsa verde and labneh in advance, store in fridge, prepare pomegranate seeds (open pomegranate and tap seeds out, store in fridge in an airtight container)
Dietary Modification for Whole-Roasted Cauliflower
This recipe is gluten free and vegetarian and modifiable in the following ways:
Vegan/Paleo/ Whole30 – Eliminate goat cheese labneh
Frequently Asked Questions
When par-boiling the cauliflower you don't need it to be fully cooked but you should be able to insert a knife without too much trouble. You will know its ready to come out of the oven when the top begins to brown
Some people have difficulty with cruciferous vegetables. Generally speaking, things like cauliflower and broccoli are more challenging for sensitive stomachs in their raw form. Once cooked through, most find they have an easier time digesting these delicious magic tress, (as my father-in-law used to call them).
You boiled it too long! Parboil the cauliflower for a few minutes and then roast for 35. If your cauliflower is a smaller head check it at 25 minutes.
More Vegetarian Main Dish Recipes You Should Try
Hearty Vegetable Stew
Vegetarian Stuffed Sweet Potato
Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
Baked Feta Spaghetti Squash
I can’t wait for you to try this Whole Roasted Cauliflower! When you make it, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @abrapappa or use the hashtag #abraskitchen so I can feature your photo!
If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to rate it and leave a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!
Show Stopping Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Sage Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower keep the stems and leaves on
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
For the Sage Salsa Verde
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 cup fresh sage leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 small shallot finely diced
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
For the Goat Cheese Labneh
- 1 cup greek yogurt full fat
- 2 tbsp goat cheese
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Topping/Garnish
- 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
Instructions
Cauliflower
- Start by pre-heating your oven to 450° and get a large pot of salted water boiling. While you are waiting for the water to boil and the oven to get hot, rinse the cauliflower under the sink. Here's a little unexpected pro tip. Leave the tough outer leaves on the cauliflower. They will become deliciously crisp and tender by the time this dish is finished cooking. Carefully submerge the whole head of cauliflower into the boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes and then remove from the pot. It should have some give but not be fully fork tender yet. Remember, this is going in the oven for 35 minutes. Place the head of cauliflower on a baking sheet and allow it to dry for 10 minutes. You don't want to send it to the oven too wet or else it will not brown. Once it dries off, drizzle it with a tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and load it into the hot oven. Cook for 35 -45 until the top of the crown begins to brown and crisp.
Salsa Verde
- Finely dice shallot, add to a small bowl and cover with red wine vinegar allow to sit for a few minutes This will dampen the sharpness of the shallot and add the perfect amount of acid to the salsa verde.
- Heat avocado oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, when hot drop in sage leaves and fry for 1 minute until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate covered in paper towels to drain. Sprinkle sea salt on top. Repeat with rosemary, rosemary will take 20 seconds, do not burn!
- Finely chop fresh parsley and garlic, add to a bowl, crumble fried sage leaves, and rosemary add on top.
- Add shallot and red wine vinegar to bowl. Slowly stir in olive oil, taste for seasoning (add more salt or vinegar if you'd like it more punchy). Start with 1/4 cup olive oil you may need up to 1/2 cup. All herbs should be covered in oil.
For the Goat Cheese Labneh
- In a small bowl stir together goat cheese, greek yogurt, lemon, and salt. Set aside
Assembly
- Spread labneh on a plate, place cauliflower on top, drizzle with salsa verde and top with pomegranate.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Make sure to keep the leaves on the head of cauliflower they get crispy and delicious in the oven
- Storage – This is best enjoyed the day it is made, however you can easily prep in advance (especially if you are making this for the holiday!)
- Prepare cauliflower through boiling and resting stage and store in fridge, day of pop into the oven
- Prepare salsa verde and labneh in advance, store in fridge, prepare pomegranate seeds (open pomegranate and tap seeds out, store in fridge in an airtight container)
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