Roasted Whole Bejewelled Cauliflower

This perfectly roasted whole cauliflower is a fabulous vegan Christmas centerpiece! It’s topped with tahini sauce, pomegranate seeds and ground pistaccios and so delicious!

Are you still looking for a centerpiece for your Christmas dinner or lunch? This is a delicious vegan one that will leave your guests awed at how easy and tasty vegan food can be! And I mean, look at the beauty of it – those glistening pomegranate seeds always make me think of little rubies.

Once in the past I attempted to make a whole roasted cauliflower and ended up being severly disappointed by it. Somehow it ended up being too hard and a bit burnt on the outside and was just overall not nice. As a result, I never tried it again and wondered every now and then what all the fuss was about.

Fast forward a few years and here we are! I did some research and apperently you have to steam or boil it before roasting! Well, that makes a lot of sense… I ended up steaming it which I find easier but if you don’t own a steamer, go ahead and boil it. That way the cauliflower is already tender fork before roasting it and will only go softer on the inside and slightly crunchy on the outside when roasted in the oven.

For the sauce I decided on tahini mixed with garlic granules, salt, water and lime juice. It brings a little acidity to the dish which works very well! Generally, tahini is AMAZING added to many dishes. We always have tahini in the kitchen (and an extra jar in the pantry) because it’s fantastic. I love to add it to dressings, eat it on top of rice or as a sauce base. But I saw people also using it in baking and really should try that! What is your favorite way to use tahini?

The toppings are both pomegranate seeds and ground pistacchios. The pomegranate seeds provide a beautiful juiciness while being crunchy in texture. Plus pomegranate and tahini go extremely well together anyways. And pistacchio adds a deep nutty taste that adds another level of flavor. So good!

Will you make this roasted cauliflower soon? Or how about my Whole30 Cauli Steaks with Tahini Sauce?

Difficulty: Intermediate Prep Time 15 min Cook Time 100 min Total Time 1 hr 55 mins
Servings: 4

Description

This perfectly roasted whole cauliflower is a fabulous vegan Christmas centerpiece! It's topped with tahini sauce, pomegranate seeds and ground pistaccios and so delicious!

Ingredients

Roasted Cauliflower

Tahini Sauce

Toppings

Instructions

  1. Remove most leaves from a small head of cauliflower but leave the closest ones. 

    Place into a steamer and steam for 15 minutes until it's easy to insert a knife. 

  2. In the meantime, add salt, smoked paprika powder, baharat, ground white pepper, garlic granules and olive oil to a small bowl and mix all together.

    Pre-heat oven to 180°C (356°F). 

  3. Place the whole cauliflower into a casserole dish (I chose a round one similar in size to the cauliflower itself) and either pour the spicy oil mixture over it or brush with it. 

  4. Roast the cauliflower at 180°C (356°F) for 55 minutes, then remove from the casserole and put on a plate. 

  5. In a small-ish bowl, mix together tahini, garlic granules, salt and lime juice. Slowly add the water, not all at once. Whisk until smooth. 

  6. Pour the tahini sauce over the roasted whole cauliflower. Top with ground pistacchios and pomegranate seeds. Enjoy!

Keywords: vegan, vegan festive dish, vegetarian, Christmas dish, bejewelled cauliflower, cauliflower, whole30, whole30 Christmas dish, festive cauliflower, vegan, vegan cauliflower, vegetarian dinner, roasted cauliflower, roasted whole cauliflower, pomegranate seeds, pistacchios, tahini, cauliflower with tahini sauce,

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Andrea Epstein in her kitchen

Andrea Epstein

Hi, I'm Andrea, a full-time food blogger, mother of 1 wonderful son, 2 equally wonderful stepsons and wife to a darling husband. I live in Munich, Germany with my family. I loves traveling, sharing new recipes, and spending time with my family.

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