The best Whole Roasted Cauliflower recipe transforms a humble vegetable into an impressive veggie side dish that's bursting with flavor and served with a tahini sauce.
Whole Roasted Cauliflower is my favorite way to jazz up this humble veg.
If you make one fun veggie side dish from my whole website, make it be this Whole Roasted Cauliflower. It manages to be both incredibly simple and totally impressive and it only takes about 10 minutes to prep, with basic ingredients I always have on hand. The best part is the toppings: the creamy tahini drizzle, fresh mint, and crunchy pepitas take it over the top. It’s one of those dishes that feels special enough for a holiday meal (I love serving it alongside Christmas Beef Tenderloin), but easy enough for a weeknight when I want something healthy and satisfying.
How to Roast a Whole Cauliflower:
Prep Cauliflower: Trim the stem so the cauliflower sits flat, keeping it whole. Rinse and pat dry thoroughly. Mix olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and salt. Brush the mixture all over the cauliflower, starting from the bottom and finishing on top.
Roast: Place cauliflower in a covered oven-safe pan with 1 tablespoon of water at the bottom. Roast at 400°F for 45 minutes, covered, then uncover and roast 10–15 more minutes until browned.
Serve: Place on a bed of arugula, slice into wedges or steaks, and drizzle with tahini sauce. Garnish with pepitas, mint, red pepper flakes, and flake salt.
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Whole Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cauliflower:
- 1 head cauliflower , 2lbs
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Tahini Sauce:
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice , fresh squeezed
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1-2 Tablespoon cold water , if needed, to thin sauce
Garnish:
- 2 Tablespoons pepitas
- 2 teaspoons fresh mint leaves
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- pinch Sea salt or flake salt
Optional for Serving:
- Arugula leaves tossed in olive oil , salt and pepper
Instructions
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Prep Cauliflower: Remove outer leaves away from the cauliflower and carefully cut the bottom so it’s flat, but be careful that it remains whole. Wash and dry thoroughly and carefully, with paper towels.1 head cauliflower
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
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Make seasoning: In a small bowl combine olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and salt.⅓ cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
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Season Cauliflower: Starting with the core up, drizzle seasoning all over, using a pastry brush to spread it around. Turn it head side up and season the top.
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Roast: Add 1 tablespoon of water to the bottom of an oven-safe pan. Place cauliflower on pan. Apply lid (or cover the pan with aluminum foil) and cook for 45 minutes. Remove lid and cook for 10-15 more minutes, until browned on top.
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Tahini Sauce: Mix the sauce ingredients together and set aside. Taste and adjust seasonings.¼ cup tahini, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, ¼ cup lemon juice, 2 cloves garlic, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1-2 Tablespoon cold water
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Serve and Garnish: Add a layer of arugula (optional) to a serving dish. Use a large spatula (or two—one on each side) to carefully lift the cauliflower from the pot and place on serving dish. Drizzle with tahini sauce and garnish with pepitas, chopped mint, crushed red pepper flakes and a pinch of flake salt.2 Tablespoons pepitas, 2 teaspoons fresh mint leaves, pinch crushed red pepper flakes, Arugula leaves tossed in olive oil , salt and pepper, pinch Sea salt or flake salt
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To serve, cut it into wedges, like slices of cake, or cut into cauliflower steaks.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe December 2023. Updated October 2025.
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