Never roasted a whole cauliflower before?

My friend, you are in for a T-R-E-A-T.

I can’t emphasize enough how delicious this is.

Actually my friend Darya Rose has a roast cauliflower recipe called ‘How to get Cauliflower to Taste as Good as French Fries’.

And this whole cauliflower beats hers.

Actually from a taste perspective they’re on equal footing.

But my cauli wins on effort because there’s no chopping involved.

I’ve served the cauli here with hummus (one of cauliflower’s best friends) but don’t let that limit your imagination.

It’s equally good with Italian flavours or Indian or Mexican or I could be here all day ?

Whole Roast Cauli with Hummus

Total Time 2 hours

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

1 whole cauliflower
2 cups hummus
800 g cooked protein
1 bunch flat leaf parsley basil or mint
large handful roast nuts

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Turn your oven to 250C (480F). Trim the base of the cauliflower so it sits flat and will fit into your pot or a small roasting tray - you want the cauliflower to fit snugly so you don't loose too much water to evaporation. Discard any rough leaves but keep a few of the inner ones.
Place in said pot. Add water to pot - enough to cover the base by about 2cm (1in). Sprinkle over a generous 3 fingered pinch of salt.
Roast uncovered for 60 minutes until the cauliflower is deeply browned. Top up the water. Cover with the lid of your pot or foil.
Roast covered for another 60 minutes or until the cauli is so soft you can cut into it with a spoon.
While the cauli is cooking, pick the leaves or chop the herbs. Chop the nuts. If you want your protein warm get it ready.
Discard the water and serve cauli on a bed of hummus with cooked protein on the side and herbs and nuts sprinkled over.

Variations & Substitutions for Whole Roast Cauli with Hummus

short on time – cut the cauli into bite sized florettes and roast in a baking tray large enough to hold them in a single layer without the water until well browned and no longer crunchy. Recipe here Roast Cauli & Onion

different vegetables – whole celeriac (celery root) works really well with this treatment. I haven’t tried it but thinking now a whole cabbage or heads of broccoli would be delicious. Sweet potato is great, as is parsnip (see here for cooking times). Eggplant or mushrooms.

different protein ideas – canned boiled or poached eggs, cooked chicken, sausages, chickpeas, crumbled feta, goats cheese, shaved parmesan, sardines, canned tuna, canned salmon, smoked chicken, smoked trout, smoked salmon and leftover cooked meat.

vegetarian – cooked chickpeas, cooked white beans, diced firm tofu (tossed with 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and sea salt flakes), boiled eggs, cooked lentils, falafels.

more substantial (carb lovers) – serve with pita or tortillas.

more substantial (low carb) – low carb wraps, extra protein, extra nuts.

different sauces – Lemon Tahini Sauce, Amazing Avo Sauce, Almond ‘Hummus’, Avo ‘Hummus’, Tomato Almond Pesto.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

cauliflower – will keep for weeks in a plastic bag in the fridge. Can be frozen but the texture isn’t as good when defrosted.

hummus – will keep in the fridge for a few weeks. Can be frozen.

basil – make basil oil by packing washed and dried leaves in a clean jar and covering with extra virgin olive oil. Or you can freeze the leaves, they’ll wilt but will still be delicious.

mint – best to use for another meal. leaves can be frozen but will wilt when defrosted so not ideal. Alternatively make a mint oil by packing washed and dried leaves in a clean dry glass jar and covering with extra virgin olive oil.

parsley – will keep in the fridge wrapped in a plastic bag for a few weeks. Can be frozen or make a parsley oil by packing the leaves into a clean jar and covering with extra virgin olive oil.

roast nuts – keep them in the pantry.

Problem Solving Guide

bland – more salt!

no oven – you’ll need to cut and simmer the cauliflower in a little water until tender.

burning – It’s important to have enough water in the base of the pan to create steam and avoid burning.

taking too long – different ovens vary in heating speed. And once you open the door to check it takes time to come back to temperature. So be patient!

Prepare Ahead

Yes! Just cook as per the recipe but keep the herbs and nuts separately. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 1-2 weeks or can be frozen.

More Simple Recipes like this Whole Roast Cauli with Hummus

With Love

Jules x

Tags: basil, cauliflower, cooked protein, flat leaf parsley, hummus, mint