This dish is a showstopper: The presentation is dramatic, it is low effort and you can season or dress it to your taste. If you get a large enough cauliflower (or roast two smaller ones), the leftovers form the base for a delicious and healthy soup for tomorrow’s menu.
I roasted my cauliflower with garlic, lemon, salt, pepper, oil and a bit of yogurt (use mayonnaise or non-dairy yogurt if a pareve dish is required). As it roasted, the drippings created a sauce, which ultimately helped flavor the soup I made the next day. Serve this as a vegetarian meal presented whole and cut into wedges at the table or as a side to accompany a meat or fish main.
If soup is not your jam, the leftover roasted cauliflower is excellent cut into florets and tossed into a salad.
Showstopping Roasted Cauliflower | Dairy or Pareve
Serves 6 as a side or 3-4 as a main
The preparation below offers a simple, straightforward flavor profile, but because cauliflower is somewhat of a blank canvas, you can experiment and switch up the seasonings to your preference. See the note for variations.
1 large or 2 medium heads of cauliflower
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small red onion, chopped
¼ cup yogurt
Chopped fresh parsley, pickled onions, olives, or jalapenos if desired for garnish
Heat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a round, deep baking dish generously with parchment, allowing excess parchment to come up and out of the sides of the pan.
Remove the leaves and stem from the cauliflower, keeping the head whole. Coat the cauliflower with oil, including the underside. Mix the remaining ingredients except for the parsley in a small bowl, and coat the cauliflower generously, top and bottom.
Place the cauliflower in a parchment-lined dish and bake it for 45-50 minutes. You want the cauliflower to be soft through — but not mushy — and lightly brown on the top.
Remove it from the oven, plate the cauliflower and pour the drippings over the top. Garnish as desired. Slice it into wedges for serving.
Note: Try the following combos to mix up the flavor profile:
Lime juice, sour cream, cumin, salt and cayenne
Lemon, garlic, oregano, salt,
pepper and yogurt
Lemon, sumac and olive oil
Pureed black olives and pepper
Harissa
Curry powder, lime juice and yogurt
Za’atar, olive oil and salt
Balsamic vinegar, salt and oil
Olive oil, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and garlic
Roasted Cauliflower Soup | Pareve or Dairy
The quantity of this varies depending on how much cauliflower is left from the roast. I based this on half of a large head as surplus. If you wish to make this a cream soup, you can add about ⅓ cup of half-and-half or cream after pureeing. Or serve it with a dollop of sour cream and a few snips of chives for a glitzy presentation.
Half a head of roasted cauliflower, including drippings and sauce
1 small onion
1 tablespoon oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups vegetable broth, or enough to nearly cover cauliflower
Heat the oil in a medium soup pot and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the cauliflower with drippings and sauté to coat.
Add the broth, salt and pepper, bring it to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook covered for about 20 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup, check for seasonings and serve.
