This Roasted Cauliflower with Pomegranate and Tahini is a quick and easy side dish. Cauliflower has made a real comeback lately and is far from how you may remember having it as a child. People are making cauliflower into ‘rice’, ‘pizza crust’ and all sorts of weird concoctions. But cauliflower can shine on its own as well as it lends itself to so many flavours.
This Roasted Cauliflower with Pomegranate and Tahini, drizzled with some lemony tahini dressing is a great way to highlight this versatile veggie. Pomegranates add some sweetness and color and fresh herbs brighten everything up. I’ve also drizzled this with pomegranate molasses which is a middle eastern ingredient you can likely find in the ethnic aisle at any well-stocked grocer these days. It is optional if you can’t find it but it adds a nice sweetness.
The dressing is a great one to keep in your fridge to use as a dip for veggies or for a dressing for salads. You can thin it out more or less with water depending on the consistency that you like. This amount for the dressing will make extra so you can store it in your fridge for other uses for the week.
Tahini is found nowadays in most well-stocked grocers as well, and if you aren’t familiar it is just ground up sesame seeds, which adds a nice nutty taste to the dressing.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 whole head of cauliflower roughly chopped
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- Pomegranate Seeds for garnish (about 1/4 cup)
- Chopped Parsley for garnish (About 2 tbsp)
- Pomegranate Molasses (about 1 tsp or so drizzled), optional
For the Dressing:
- 3/4 cup Tahini
- 5 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2-3/4 cup water
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp salt
Preheat your oven to 425F. Toss your cauliflower with olive oil and salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet. Roast for about 17-20 minutes until done.
For the dressing, whiz all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Start with 1/2 cup water and add more if you like until it reaches the consistency you want. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
Once the cauliflower is done drizzle with tahini dressing, pomegranate, parsley, and drizzle with a touch of pomegranate molasses if you like. Garnish with lemon wedges.
Serves about 4-6 as a side dish.
If you like this recipe why not try: Easy Weeknight Chickpea & Sweet Potato Curry
