Fresh cauliflower is seasoned and roasted until caramelized, served with toasted pine nuts, fresh mint and a drizzle lemon tahini dressing. It’s a creative and tasty way to prepare cauliflower that makes an ideal side for any dinner.

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why You'll Love This Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini
• 🛒 Ingredients for Cauliflower with Tahini
• 🔪 How to Make Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Dressing
• 💡 Tips
• ☑️ Storage Instructions
• 🍴 What to Serve Roasted Cauliflower With
• 🔄 Substitutions and Additions
• What are some common mistakes when roasting cauliflower?
• Should cauliflower be blanched before roasting?
• How do you roast cauliflower with tahini?
• Is tahini good on vegetables?
• 🍽️ More Tasty Side Dishes

❤️ Why You'll Love This Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini

• Seasoned cauliflower roasted until caramelized
• Toasted pine nuts and chopped fresh mint
• Drizzled with homemade lemon tahini dressing
• Perfect easy low carb side
• Vegetarian friendly

When I first created the lemon tahini dressing used in this recipe, it honestly turned out so better than I had expected. Here I was thinking I was making a simple, but flavorful dressing, but when I tasted it, I thought, wow, I need to find other ways to use it. And so this recipe was born! What I love about this is the contract in textures: crispy edges on the cauliflower, creamy dressing and crunchy toasted pine nuts, it's a combination that's spectacular.

Cauliflower is one of those healthy veggies that you can make in so many different ways, there are almost no limits, honestly. Roasting it in the oven, is probably my preferred method, as it really brings out such a deep caramelized flavor that's almost sweet.

Add in some toasted pine nuts and a drizzle of my new favorite dressing, and you've just turned ordinary cauliflower into something special. The chopped fresh mint really is the perfect finishing touch. In fact I tend to use it often in Mediterranean-style dishes.

🛒 Ingredients for Cauliflower with Tahini

• Cauliflower
• Lemon Tahini Dressing
• Pine nuts
• Olive oil
• Mint
• Garlic salt
• Smoked paprika
• Ground black pepper

*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.

🥣 Recommended Tools

• Bullet blender
• Baking sheet

🔪 How to Make Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Dressing

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Add the ingredients for the Lemon Tahini Dressing into a bullet blender and blend until creamy and emulsified. Set it aside to allow the flavors to meld, while you prepare the cauliflower.

Tip: Make the whole batch of dressing, you will want leftovers for other veggies and salads!!

Wash, dry and chop your cauliflower into small florets.  Pour them out onto a baking sheet, then drizzle with the olive oil, smoked paprika, ground black pepper and garlic salt.

Toss to combine, then bake for 25 minutes or until the edges are caramelized.

While the cauliflower is roasting, add your pine nuts to a small skillet and toast them for a few minutes on the stovetop.

Once the cauliflower is ready, transfer to your serving platter, drizzle a generous amount of the dressing and pour the toasted pine nuts over the top.

💡 Tips

• Don’t skip preheating your oven.  The key to perfectly caramelized cauliflower is to roast it in a piping hot oven.
• Don’t crowd the pan.  If you don’t allow enough space to surround each floret, the cauliflower will steam instead of roast and you’ll miss out on those sweet crispy edges.
• Make sure the olive oil is evenly coating the cauliflower, as this will help to roast the cauliflower and keep it from drying out.
• Do use the garlic salt and don’t be tempted to use fresh garlic.  Because the cauliflower is roasting at such a high temperature, fresh garlic will burn quickly and make your cauliflower bitter.
• Add the dressing right before serving and not beforehand. This will help the cauliflower keep from getting soggy and retain those crispy edges. I recommend only pour the dressing over the portion that you plan to serve right away, storing the rest away for leftovers.
• If you find it easier to toss the cauliflower, olive oil and spices in a bowl first, by all means, you do you!  I find it’s just as easy to toss using my hands right on the baking sheet and that’s one less bowl that I have to wash!

☑️ Storage Instructions

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

🍴 What to Serve Roasted Cauliflower With

There are many different proteins this cauliflower will pair well with, these are some of my favorite options:

• Greek Lemon Chicken
• Stuffed Pork Chops
• Greek Chicken Souvlaki
• Salisbury Steak
• Paprika Chicken Thighs

🔄 Substitutions and Additions

• The Lemon Tahini Dressing is so flavorful, I encourage you to make a whole batch.  You will only need half the batch for the cauliflower, but once you taste it, you’re likely going to want more to pour over salads. You can also use the extra to pour over other roasted vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, sweet potatoes, carrots and much more. 
• If you don’t care for mint, you can use fresh chopped dill, rosemary or parsley instead.
• If you can’t find pine nuts, you can substitute with cashews, slivered almonds or even walnuts.  Just be sure to toast them first to help enhance their natural flavor.
• Add an extra drizzle of fresh lemon juice to brighten up the flavors even more.
• Instead of serving the tahini dressing as a drizzle, you can thicken up the dressing by cutting back on the water you add and serve it on the side as a dip for the cauliflower instead.
• A pinch or two of red pepper flakes will help add a little heat to the cauliflower.

What are some common mistakes when roasting cauliflower?

Overcrowding the pan is probably the number one mistake people make. If you don't allow enough space around each piece of cauliflower, the steam cannot escape and you won't get those perfectly caramelized edges.

Should cauliflower be blanched before roasting?

I have found that if you cut your florets small enough, blanching is not needed. Also, if you don't get it dry enough before roasting, you won't end up with those crispy edges.

How do you roast cauliflower with tahini?

Personally I end up with a much better result if I first roast the cauliflower with olive oil and seasonings, then drizzle the tahini over the top. Adding the tahini before roasting can prevent your cauliflower from roasting properly.

Is tahini good on vegetables?

It sure is! In fact, as I mentioned earlier, I highly recommend making the full batch of the Lemon Tahini Dressing so that you have extra leftovers to use on other vegetables or salads.

🍽️ More Tasty Side Dishes

• Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes
• Glazed Carrots
• Garlic Potatoes and Green Beans
• Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower
• Air Fryer Baked Potatoes