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    Home > Vegan Sides

    Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Herb Tahini Sauce

    By My Pure Plants on 09/15/2022 - May contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure.

    Jump to Recipe Print Pin

    Imagine mildly spicy roasted cauliflower florets drizzled with a creamy lemon herb tahini sauce. This recipe will turn cauliflower into an elegant and delicious side dish to accompany any main course. If you love cauliflower, you will absolutely adore this flavorful and colorful recipe.

    Black plate full of roasted cauliflower florets drizzled with a light green creamy sauce and sprinkled with fresh parsley. a small white bowl with the green creamy sauce is next to it.

    If you are looking for more cauliflower recipes, try these cauliflower steaks with green peppercorn sauce or this creamy vegan cauliflower soup.

    Table of Contents hide
    1. What can you expect?
    2. Ingredients
    3. Instructions
    4. Top tips to make it perfectly
    5. Other sauces to serve with roasted cauliflower
    6. FAQs
    7. Allergen info
    8. More cauliflower recipes
    9. More vegetable side dishes
    10. Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Herb Tahini Sauce

    What can you expect?

    Cauliflower can be kind of a bland-tasting vegetable, don’t you think? The best thing that can happen to it is if you roast it in the oven with a flavorful spice mix. That way it will be slightly caramelized. We chose this smoky and spicy seasoning combination to enhance its natural flavors.

    Why you should serve roasted cauliflower with tahini sauce? You get a rich dip with a lemony, herby, and slightly nutty flavor. It counteracts the spicy seasoning perfectly.

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    Black plate full of roasted cauliflower florets drizzled with a light green creamy sauce and sprinkled with fresh parsley

    Ingredients

    Well, apart from the main ingredient, the cauliflower here is the list of the homemade spice mix we used to make it delicious. We used dried herbs and ingredients since sometimes they are better for a marinade.

    • Garlic powder
    • Smoked sweet paprika powder
    • Hot red pepper flakes
    • Dried oregano
    • Dried basil
    • Dried rosemary
    • Olive oil
    • Black pepper
    • Salt

    🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    If you are making our lemon herb tahini sauce, here are the ingredients.

    • Tahini paste
    • Freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • Fresh dill
    • Fresh parsley
    • Capers
    • Garlic
    • Olive oil
    • Black pepper
    • Salt

    Instructions

    Cut cauliflower into florets

    1. Choose a cauliflower that is firm, heavy, and tight without any brown spots.
    2. Peel off the leaves as much as you can. You may not be able to get rid of all leaves by hand.
    3. Cut off the stem at the bottom with the remaining leaves.
    4. Place the cauliflower head on a wooden cutting board with the stem above.
    5. Hold it steady by the stem. Take a sharp knife and start cutting the stem of each floret off the main stem.
    6. If you end up with larger florets, cut them in half.

    Spice it up!

    1. Take a small bowl and add all ingredients of the marinade.
    2. Mix it well with a whisk or spoon.

    Roasting the cauliflower florets

    1. Preheat the oven to 395 Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
    2. Take a sheet pan with parchment paper or a non-stick baking sheet and place florets in the middle.
    3. Drizzle them with the marinade.
    4. Use your hands to really rub in the marinades and the florets are covered on all sides with it.
    5. Spread the florets in one layer. Try to space them out to avoid overcrowding.
    6. Bake them for approx. 40 minutes. Depending on the size of the florets the baking time may be shorter, so check them halfway and adjust the time accordingly. They are ready if they are tender.
    Cauliflower florets drizzled with a brown spicy marinade is spread out in one layer on a sheet pan

    How to make tahini dressing for cauliflower

    1. Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor (tahini, lemon juice, garlic clove, olive oil, black pepper, salt, water, dill, parsley, and capers).
    2. Blend it until you get a smooth sauce. (See the reference in the below picture.)

    If you need more info or details about substitutions, please visit our lemon herb tahini recipe.

    A blender from above with a creamy green sauce.

    Top tips to make it perfectly

    • Cold vs room temperature – We recommend taking the cauliflower out of the fridge early on so that it can reach room temperature. It is easier to bake the florets crispy if the oven remains hot at all times.
    • Adjust baking time – We cannot empathize enough that baking time largely depends on the size of the florets. If you have a small cauliflower head, you may end up with smaller florets. Then 40 minutes will be too much. Check them at least at halftime after 20 minutes.
    • How to add the marinade? – While you can marinate the florets in a large bowl, we like minimizing the number of items you need to wash up after cooking. Therefore, we do the marinating directly on the sheet pan.
    Black plate full of roasted cauliflower florets drizzled with a light green creamy sauce and sprinkled with fresh parsley is at the corner. And a small white bowl with the green creamy sauce is in the middle.

    Other sauces to serve with roasted cauliflower

    We really love this roasted cauliflower with this lemon herb tahini sauce, but cauliflower also pairs well with the following sauces and condiments:

    • vegan green peppercorn sauce (see below picture)
    • vegan spinach pesto
    • vegan red pesto
    • vegan onion gravy
    • hummus
    • cashew alfredo sauce
    • chimichurri sauce
    • vegan queso dip
    • vegan bechamel white sauce
    • vegan BBQ sauce
    A large slice of cauliflower steak drizzled with a light green sauce with green peppercorns and placed on top of mashed potatoes. A fork and a knife is about to cut in it.

    FAQs

    How to store it?

    We recommend storing roasted cauliflower and tahini sauce separately in the refrigerator. They might lose some of their crispy texture while storing, but they will still taste delicious after reheating.

    Black plate full of roasted cauliflower florets drizzled with a light green creamy sauce and sprinkled with fresh parsley. A hand is holding a fork and taking one floret.

    Allergen info

    This Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce recipe is meat-free, dairy-free, and egg-free.

    • Vegan – All ingredients are supposed to be vegan.
    • Nut-free – Tahini is made of sesame seeds, which means it is nut-free. In any event, check for cross-contamination issues in any products you buy.
    • WFPB-friendly (whole foods plant-based) – It is not a compliant recipe since we use oil to marinate cauliflower. We use 1 Tablespoon of oil for the tahini sauce. You can skip that and add a bit of water to make it into the same consistency.
    • Gluten-free – All other ingredients are supposed to be gluten-free, but always check the packaging for cross-contamination info.
    • Soy-free – All other ingredients are supposed to be soy-free.

    More cauliflower recipes

    If you are looking for more cauliflower recipes, try these recipes below:

    • Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese (Cauliflower Walnut Meat)
    • Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Soup (With Potato & No Cream)
    • 2 crispy brown yellow cauliflower slices in a cast-iron skillet surrounded by roasted garlic cloves and wilted rosemary twigs.
      Perfect Cauliflower Steak in 20 Mins!

    More vegetable side dishes

    You can browse through our vegan sides recipe gallery or check out

    • Frying pan with matchstick carrots in a glaze. A hand is holding a slotted turner and taking some from the pan.
      Sauteed Julienned Carrots in Maple Thyme Glaze
    • Easy Grilled Vegetable Kabobs (+5 Marinades)
    • Sheet Pan Fajita Veggies (Flavorful & EASY!)
    • Black cast iron skillet from above with crispy brown oyster mushroom, sliced red pepper, garlic slices and chopped fresh green herbs.
      Pan-fried Green Herb Oyster Mushroom
    • White plate with roasted asparagus and mushrooms styled as messy sprinkled with extra seasoning
      Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms
    • Golden brown sliced button and shiitake mushrooms in a frying pan topped with freshly chopped greens. A wooden spoon is next to it as well as some raw ingredients.
      Sauteed Mushrooms in Soy Sauce Glaze

    THANK YOU so much for visiting our website. Please comment below if you have tried this recipe. We LOVE hearing from you! If you loved the recipe, please don’t forget to give us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ RATING. We appreciate all of our readers.  

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    Black plate full of roasted cauliflower florets drizzled with a light green creamy sauce and sprinkled with fresh parsley

    Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Herb Tahini Sauce

    My Pure Plants
    Imagine mildly spicy roasted cauliflower florets drizzled with a creamy lemon herb tahini sauce. This recipe will turn cauliflower into an elegant and delicious side dish to accompany any main course. If you love cauliflower, you will absolutely adore this flavorful and colorful recipe.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Baking time 40 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Appetizer, Main Course, Sauce
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 347kcal

    Equipment

    • Non-stick frying pan (10.5 inch / 26 cm)
    • Non-stick baking sheet

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 Cauliflower
    • ½ tsp Garlic powder
    • ½ tsp Sweet paprika powder
    • ¼ tsp Hot chili powder or flakes
    • ½ tsp Oregano dried, ground
    • ½ tsp Basil dried, ground
    • ½ tsp Rosemary dried, ground
    • 3 Tbsp Olive oil
    • 1 pinch Salt and Pepper to taste

    Lemon herb tahini sauce

    • ½ cup Tahini
    • 1 Lemon (only juice, freshly squeezed)
    • 1 clove Garlic
    • 1 Tbsp Olive oil
    • ⅓ cup Water
    • ¼ cup Fresh dill
    • ¼ cup Fresh parsley
    • 2 Tbsp Capers
    • ⅛ tsp Black pepper
    • ¼ tsp Salt
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    Instructions
     

    Cut cauliflower into florets

    • Choose a cauliflower that is firm, heavy, and tight without any brown spots.
    • Peel off the leaves as much as you can. You may not be able to get rid of all leaves by hand.
    • Cut off the stem at the bottom with the remaining leaves.
    • Place the cauliflower head on a wooden cutting board with the stem above.
    • Hold it steady by the stem. Take a sharp knife and start cutting the stem of each floret off the main stem.
    • If you end up with larger florets, cut them in half.

    Spice it up!

    • Take a small bowl and add all ingredients of the marinade.
    • Mix it well with a spoon or spatula.

    Baking the florets

    • Preheat the oven to 395 Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
    • Take a sheet pan with parchment paper or a non-stick baking sheet and place florets in the middle.
    • Drizzle them with the marinade.
    • Use your hands to really rub in the marinades and the florets are covered on all sides with it.
    • Spread the florets in one layer. Try to space them out to avoid overcrowding.
    • Bake them for approx. 40 minutes. Depending on the size of the florets the baking time may be shorter, so check them halfway and adjust the time accordingly. They are ready if they are tender.

    Lemon herb tahini sauce

    • Wash the fresh dill and parsley.
    • Squeeze one lemon to capture the juice.
    • Peel garlic clove.
    • Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor (tahini, lemon juice, garlic clove, olive oil, black pepper, salt, water, dill, parsley, and capers).
    • Blend it until you get a smooth sauce.
    Tried this recipe? Can we see it?Please share a picture with us by uploading an image to Pinterest below ours.

    Notes

    • Cold vs room temperature – We recommend taking the cauliflower out of the fridge early on so that it can reach room temperature. It is easier to bake the florets crispy if the oven remains hot at all times.
    • Adjust baking time – We cannot empathize enough that baking time largely depends on the size of the florets. If you have a small cauliflower head, you may end up with smaller florets. Then 40 minutes will be too much. Check them at least at halftime after 20 minutes.
    • How to add the marinade? – While you can marinate the florets in a large bowl, we like minimizing the number of items you need to wash up after cooking. Therefore, we do the marinating directly on the sheet pan.
    • Which blender to use for the sauce? – The amount of the ingredients may be too small for your blender. In that case, take a thin long container and use a hand blender aka immersion blender. Since there are no hard ingredients, your lemon herb tahini sauce will still be creamy and smooth.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Herb Tahini Sauce
    Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
    Calories 347 Calories from Fat 270
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 30g46%
    Saturated Fat 4g25%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 9g
    Monounsaturated Fat 16g
    Sodium 318mg14%
    Potassium 639mg18%
    Carbohydrates 16g5%
    Fiber 5g21%
    Sugar 3g3%
    Protein 9g18%
    Vitamin A 735IU15%
    Vitamin C 81mg98%
    Calcium 95mg10%
    Iron 3mg17%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    1. Dawn

      November 02, 2022 at 3:18 am

      Can this be air fried?

      Reply
      • Nandor

        November 08, 2022 at 8:12 am

        We don’t have an air fryer, but I cannot see any reason why not.

        Reply

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