My husband is not a huge fan of the food holidays...bummer right? I guess when you are a vegetarian eating holiday meals with a meat-centric crew of loved ones it can be hard.
I have spent the last nine years developing holiday dishes for him that really make his taste buds sing and light the fire in his foodie holiday spirit and this Herb-Orange Whole Roasted Cauliflower is my contribution to this year's feast!
Last year when I was surfing Pinterest for holiday inspiration I came across this Thanksgiving turkey recipe from Salt & Wind seasoned with sage, thyme and orange. I have thought of this flavor combo from time to time over the past 12 months and I knew I had to find a way to incorporate that combination into our feast this year.
This fall I have been obsessed with roasting whole heads of cauliflower. I love how they look when presented at the table and the flavor combinations are virtually endless because cauliflower seems to go with pretty much all of our favorite herbs and spices.
This cauliflower is literally packed with flavor to the core! The long marinating time really lets the citrus and herb flavors soak all the way into the cauliflower for one unforgettably tasty meal!
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PrintHerb-Orange Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Don't be intimidated by the prep time - all but 20 minutes is inactive time that the cauliflower spends marinating. If sage, thyme and citrus isn't your thing try rubbing a blend of gluten free miso paste and red curry paste over the cauliflower instead. It's so delicious!
- Prep Time: 8 hours 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 9 hours
- Yield: serves 5-6 1x
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic, quartered
- zest from 1 orange
- ⅛ cup fresh thyme leaves,
- 8 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 (1-2 pound ) cauliflower, leaves removed and core trimmed to flatten
- Herbalicious Citrus Cashew Sauce, recipe follows
- ⅛ cup fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Place the garlic, zest, thyme, sage, salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste on a cutting board. Chop until the mixture is a rough paste, similar to cornmeal. Rub the head of cauliflower all over with the olive oil then rub the paste all over the cauliflower. Transfer to a large storage bag and seal tightly. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator 6-8 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place the cauliflower into a baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes. Bake time will depend on the oven and the size of the cauliflower. Check to see if the cauliflower is done by inserting a sharp knife into the center - it should slip right through. Once the cauliflower is tender you may want to place it under the broiler for 3 or 4 minutes to caramelize the outside.
- Serve with Herbalicious Citrus Cashew Sauce and fresh parsley.
Herbalicious Citrus Cashew Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
Ingredients
- ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup raw cashews, preferably soaked and drained
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Serve drizzled over Herb-Orange Whole Roasted Cauliflower.
Emma says
Mmm, this looks awesome! <3 I have never tried to roast a cauliflower. Must-try! 🙂
Ella Barry says
I was searching a good recipe with cauliflower and I see this. I with clean heart I can say that this is the best recipe 🙂 It look so tasty, unique and healthy. Thank you so much for sharing it 🙂 I`ll definitely try it 🙂
Caitlin says
Looks great and I love the idea of having a whole cauliflower in the centre of the table!
Meg says
Thanks so much Caitlin!
rachel @ athletic avocado says
i love this idea of roasting cauliflower whole, it saves so much time and effort! that sauce looks so good id eat it by the spoonful 🙂
Meg says
Thank you so much Rachel!! I don't know that I will go back to breaking down a cauliflower after this - it was just too easy. 🙂
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Really love the look of that sauce! It sounds magical with the cauliflower. Yum!
Meg says
Thanks Katrina! The cauliflower really turns into a show stopper with that sauce 🙂
Suzy | The Mediterranean Dish says
Just brilliant, Meg! I love how your roasted the cauliflower whole! And the flavor combination here is just perfect!
Meg says
Thank you SO much Suzy!!! I so wish we could share a big slice 🙂