Vegan Roast Dinner With All the Trimmings

This vegan roast dinner has all the trimmings! A succulent whole roasted cauliflower is covered in a tahini maple glaze, and surrounded by roasted carrots, yellow potatoes, and caramelized onions, then topped with fresh herbs. It’s a complete vegan meal that can be enjoyed during the holidays, Thanksgiving, or Sunday dinners with family!

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The holidays are fast approaching! They’ll be here before we know it! Just this morning I walked into Starbucks to find the entire place covered in holiday decorations!

I think we’re all a little eager for some holiday cheer! While the temperatures here are unusually warm for November, it’s never to early to plan for the holidays!

In the past I’ve made my vegan stuffed acorn squash, or vegan stuffed butternut squash, and store bought nut roasts for my Christmas dinners, but this year I was in the mood for something more traditional.

When I asked my husband what he thought of when he thought of the main event at his favorite holiday meals, he said without pause, a roast!

Well, I thought, I can make that happen!

Now, of course, this is not your typical roast! The star at the center of this vegan roast dinner is a whole head of cauliflower. But just like traditional roast dinners, I’ve added herb roasted potatoes and carrots, as well as caramelized onions on the side!

Most vegan roast recipes include ingredients like vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, olive oil, and tomato puree to create a seitan roast or vegan nut roast that mimics meat the flavor and texture of meat. There’s nothing wrong with this type of vegan holiday roast, I just wanted to make something that was much simpler, yet still had the flavor and feel of a traditional roast.

This complete meal is perfect for a special occasion like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter dinner! It’s also easy enough to make for a leisurely Sunday meal with family.

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!

Enjoy this vegan Sunday roast with your loved ones, vegan or not, and see how much they enjoy it!

Why You’ll Love this Vegan Roast Dinner…

• Easy Preparation
• Great option for the holidays!
• All 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!

Recipe 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 Dressing: The tahini dressing is made with soy sauce, maple syrup, lemon juice, garlic, and a touch of 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 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 both fresh and dried herbs. Rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, soy sauce and maple syrup coat the vegetables. The soy sauce and maple syrup give a nice undertone of sweet and salty, and also helps to roast the vegetables without the need for oil.

Tools and Equipment You Need

• Food processor to blend the tahini sauce ingredients together.
• Two baking sheets, one to roast the cauliflower, and the other to roast the potatoes, carrots, and onion.
• Aluminum foil or parchment paper to line the baking sheets to make it easier to remove the vegetables when they are done.
• Vegetable peeler to peel the carrots.
• Pastry brush to evenly distribute the tahini sauce over the cauliflower.
• Cutting board and vegetable cleaver to cut the carrots, potatoes, and remove leaves and stem from the cauliflower.

Instructions

Step 1: 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 or red onion into large slices.

Step 2: Prepare the tahini dressing for the cauliflower. Combine, 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 into a small bowl.

Step 3: Place prepared cauliflower on a baking tray lined with aluminum foil. Pour the tahini dressing over top. Use a pastry brush to evenly distribute the sauce 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.

Step 4: Prepare the potatoes, carrots, and chopped onions. 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.

Step 5: Transfer the potatoes and carrots to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. 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 been roasting for 20 minutes.

Step 6: 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 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. 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 in order to achieve the caramelization.

Is this vegan roast dinner healthy?

Yes, 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 completely satisfied, without that heavy feeling.

Low in Calorie and Fat-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 which is made from ground sesame seeds.

High in Vitamins and Nutrients: Cauliflower, carrots, onions, and potatoes are rich in numerous vitamins and nutrients including vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, calcium, and potassium.

High in Fiber-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!

How to Serve

This vegan roast dinner is a complete meal all on it’s 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 a savory bread to serve on the side? Give these dairy-free 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!

How to Store, Keep, and Reheat

If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container. This meal will keep for 2-3 days, however, it tastes best fresh out of the oven.

When ready to reheat, preheat the oven to 350 F. Transfer leftovers to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until heated through.

Variations and Substitutions

Low-Carb Version-If you’re looking for a low-carb version, sub 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 in place of the soy sauce. Soy sauce contains gluten, however tamari has a similar flavor profile without the gluten.

Add Parsnips and Leeks: If you’d like a bit more variety in your roasted vegetables, try adding some parsnips, and leeks. Parsnips are similar to carrots. They are also a root vegetable with a slightly sweet flavor profile. Leeks are not only beautiful, but when roasted they take on a caramelization and a subtle flavor.

Check out these other vegan holiday meal ideas!

• Vegan Thanksgiving Desserts
• Cinnamon Butternut Squash
• Stuffed Zucchini
• Vegan Pumpkin Risotto
• Vegan Prep Meals

If you’ve tried this Vegan Roast Dinner recipe please rate it and let me know how it turned out. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more plant-based family recipes your whole family will enjoy!