This roasted cauliflower with tahini is light and succulent with a tahini maple glaze! It pairs well with roasted carrots, yellow potatoes, and caramelized onions, topped with fresh herbs. It’s a complete meal that can be enjoyed during the holidays, Thanksgiving, or Sunday dinners with family!
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The holidays are fast approaching! In the past, I’ve made my vegan stuffed acorn squash or vegan stuffed butternut squash for my Christmas dinners, but this year, I was in the mood for something different. I’ve seen many roasted cauliflower recipes, and I thought they would make a delicious centerpiece for a vegan holiday meal.
The cauliflower is roasted whole and covered in a simple yet delicious tahini maple glaze. It’s paired with herb-roasted potatoes, carrots, and caramelized onions!
This complete meal is perfect for special occasions like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter! Making for a leisurely Sunday meal with your family is also easy.
💗 Why You’ll Love Roasted Cauliflower With Tahini
- Easy Preparation
- A great option for the holidays!
- Whole food plant-based ingredients
- No-oil
- Gluten-free option
- Succulent cauliflower is roasted until tender.
- Fresh herbs give the potatoes and carrots an authentic seasonal flavor.
- It’s a complete meal with all the trimmings!
🥣 Ingredients and Notes
Cauliflower: You will need one large head of cauliflower. I recommend buying organic. Thoroughly wash the cauliflower, but do not break it apart into pieces.
Tahini Sauce: The tahini dressing is made with soy sauce, maple syrup, lemon juice, garlic, and water. It creates a creamy sauce and a balance of nutty, sweet, and salty flavors. When coated on the cauliflower, it creates a golden brown crust.
Potatoes, Carrots, and Onion: Roasted root vegetables are the star! I used Yukon gold potatoes that I sliced into even chunks. This helps roast potatoes evenly. Wash and peel the carrots, then cut them into strips. I used large whole carrots rather than baby carrots, but you could also use baby carrots if that is what you have. For the onion, you can use either a yellow or red onion.
Herbs and Seasoning: The carrots and potatoes are seasoned with fresh and dried herbs. When using dried herbs, opt for teaspoon amounts. Fresh herbs, opt for tablespoons—rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, soy sauce, and maple syrup coat the vegetables. The soy sauce and maple syrup give a nice undertone of sweetness and saltiness and help roast the vegetables without needing oil.
👩🏻🍳 Variations and Substitutions
Low-Carb Version: If you’re looking for a low-carb version, substitute the potatoes for rutabaga. It is a third of the net carbs as potatoes but has a similar consistency.
Gluten-Free Version: The only substitution you need to make this recipe gluten-free is to use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. Soy sauce contains gluten. However, tamari has a similar flavor profile without gluten.
Add Parsnips and Leeks: If you’d like more variety in your roasted vegetables, try adding some parsnips and leeks. Parsnips are similar to carrots. They are also root vegetables with a slightly sweet flavor profile. Leeks are beautiful, but when roasted, they take on caramelization and a subtle flavor.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini
- Preheat oven to 450 F. Prepare vegetables. Prepare the accompanying side dish. Wash and scrub potatoes. Cut into chunks. Wash and peel carrots. Cut into even strips. Wash cauliflower. Remove leaves and stem on the bottom so that the cauliflower sits flat on an even surface. Cut a small yellow or red onion into large slices.
- Prepare the tahini dressing for the cauliflower. Combine the tahini, maple syrup, soy sauce, lemon juice, minced garlic cloves, and water (vegetable stock) in a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Remove the dressing and pour it into a small bowl.
- Place the prepared cauliflower on a baking tray lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Pour the tahini dressing over the top. Use a pastry brush to distribute the sauce evenly and cover the cauliflower on all sides. Place on the bottom rack of your preheated oven where you’ll have high heat, and bake for 50-60 minutes or until tender.
- Prepare the potatoes, carrots, and chopped onions. While the cauliflower is baking, combine the prepared potatoes and carrots in a large bowl. Sprinkle with herbs, salt, black pepper, soy sauce, and maple syrup. Toss until combined and evenly distributed.
- Transfer the potatoes and carrots to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Evenly spread over a baking sheet. If the baking sheet is overcrowded, use a second baking sheet. Place in the oven, and bake for 30 minutes.
- The cauliflower is already roasting. Place the potatoes, carrots, and onions in the oven after the cauliflower has roasted for 20 minutes.
- Remove cauliflower and vegetables from the oven—place cauliflower on the center of a serving tray. Add the potatoes, carrots, and onions all around it. Top with fresh chopped parsley, and garnish with fresh rosemary. Enjoy!
📝 Expert Tips
- It’s easiest to prepare all your vegetables at the same time. Prepare the carrots, potatoes, onion, and cauliflower so that when it’s time to roast them in the oven, they will be ready and come out at the same time to be hot and ready to serve!
- Thoroughly wash your cauliflower. It is a bit tricky to wash a whole head of cauliflower. I recommend removing the leaves and stems. With warm water, gently scrub the outer cauliflower with a vegetable brush. Turn the cauliflower over and repeat, doing your best to get in between the stalks.
- When blending the sauce for the cauliflower, a food processor works best. However, if you don’t have a food processor, you can whisk the ingredients together in a glass bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Make sure that your oven is hot! You need a high temperature, not a medium heat, to roast the vegetables to achieve caramelization.
❓ FAQS
Yes, if you prefer, you can cut your cauliflower into florets, and toss them in the tahini sauce, and then roast. Since the cauliflower florets are smaller than the whole cauliflower, it will not take as long to roast, so you can reduce the time to 20 minutes.
This vegan roast dinner is much healthier than a typical roast dinner! It won’t leave you feeling overly full and bloated. Instead, you will be delighted without that heavy feeling. One serving, including the cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, and onions, contains only 265 calories and 8 grams of fat. The fat in this dish comes from the tahini made from ground sesame seeds. Cauliflower, carrots, onions, and potatoes are rich in vitamins and nutrients, including C, K, iron, calcium, and potassium. Cauliflower, potatoes, and carrots are excellent sources of fiber. This meal comes in at 7 grams of fiber per serving. That’s about a third of your daily recommended amount!
🍽 Serving Suggestions
This roasted cauliflower with tahini is a complete meal all on its own! However, if you’d like to add to this meal, here are a few suggestions…
- Vegan Gravy pairs nicely with this roast. Drizzle it overtop the cauliflower, potatoes, and carrots for a true comfort meal!
- Need savory bread to serve on the side? Give these vegan biscuits a try! They’re buttery, soft, and flaky without any milk or butter! Or, if you’re in the spirit, try making these delicious vegan Yorkshire puddings!
- How about a holiday-themed drink to serve with this meal to make it complete? This cranberry mocktail is super simple to make and suitable for all ages! Or serve with a glass of your favorite red or white wine!
❄️ Storage
Refrigerator: If you have leftovers, allow them to cool completely. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge. This meal will keep for 2-3 days. However, it tastes best fresh out of the oven.
Reheat: When ready to warm, preheat the oven to 350° F. Transfer the leftovers to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until warmed through.
⚖️ Serving Size
The finished product serves 4-6 generously. It’s completely whole-food plant-based and uses no oil. With a simple adaptation, this meal can also be gluten-free!
🎥 Video
Please comment below if you found this article helpful or have any additional questions. You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more family-friendly vegan recipes!
Recipe
Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini
Equipment
Ingredients
Roasted Cauliflower
- 1 whole cauliflower head
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
- 2 tablespoon water
Roasted Potatoes, Carrots, and Onion
- 1 lb yellow potatoes chopped into small chunks
- 1 lb carrots peeled and cut into strips
- 1 small yellow onion cut into large slices
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
- ½ teaspoon rosemary
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ tsp fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 F. Prepare vegetables. Wash and scrub potatoes. Cut into chunks. Wash and peel carrots. Cut into even strips. Wash cauliflower. Remove leaves, and stem on the bottom so that it sits flat on an even surface. Cut a small yellow onion into large slices.
- Prepare the tahini dressing for the cauliflower. Combine, tahini, maple syrup, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, and water in a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Remove the dressing, and pour into a small bowl.
- Place prepared cauliflower on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Pour the tahini dressing over top. Use a cooking brush to evenly distribute the sauce and cover the cauliflower on all sides. Place on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes or until tender.
- Prepare the potatoes, carrots, and onion. While the cauliflower is baking combine the prepared potatoes and carrots in a large bowl. Add herbs, salt, pepper, soy sauce, and maple syrup. Toss until combined and evenly distributed.
- Transfer the potatoes and carrots to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Add the chopped onion. Evenly spread over baking sheet. If baking sheet is overcrowded use a second baking sheet. Place in the oven, and bake for 30 minutes. Note: The cauliflower is already roasting. Place the potatoes, carrots and onions in the oven after the cauliflower has already been roasting for 20 minutes.
- Remove cauliflower and vegetables from the oven. Place cauliflower on the center of a serving tray. Add the potatoes, carrots, and onions all around it. Top with fresh chopped parsley, and garnish with fresh rosemary. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- It’s easiest to prepare all your vegetables at the same time. Prepare the carrots, potatoes, onion, and cauliflower, so that when it’s time to roast them in the oven they will be ready and come out at the same time so that they are hot and ready to serve!
- Thoroughly wash your cauliflower. It is a bit tricky to wash a whole head of cauliflower. I recommend removing the leaves and stem, then gently scrubbing the outer cauliflower with a vegetable brush. Turn the cauliflower over and repeat scrubbing, doing your best to get in between the stalks.
- When blending the sauce for the cauliflower, a food processor works best. However, if you don’t have a food processor you can whisk the ingredients together in a glass bowl until smooth and creamy.
Michelle
I love roasted vegetables. And the full roasted cauliflower head is so pretty and smart!
Lizet Bowen
This is going to look lovely on our dinner table!! and that tahini sauce has my name all over!
Maria
Perfect together, great combination! My family would love this for sure <3
Pam Greer
Thank you so much for this recipe!! I’ve had someone request a vegan option at Thanksgiving this year and this is perfect!
Jess
The Tahini Maple Glaze is everything!