• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Cardamom and Tea
  • Blog
  • Recipes
  • cookbook
  • About
  • Subscribe

za’atar cauliflower

October 24, 2019 by Kathryn Pauline 2 Comments

This October has been all about za’atar, and today I’m finishing up the series with one of my favorite ways to cook cauliflower: roast it with some za’atar, garlic, olive oil, and a little cheese, and then top it with an herby tahini sauce, cilantro, and pomegranate seeds. Za’atar cauliflower is delicious on its own, and just a little more composed with all the fixins.

It’s so incredibly simple and delicious, and can be easily veganized by leaving out the little bit of cheese. But if you do include the cheese, don’t forget to scrape up those bits of frico stuck to the bottom of the pan. They’re culinary gold! Oh and if you want to make this keto, simply leave out the pomegranate arils. This dish is wonderful piping hot and right out of the oven. But it’s even better at room temperature, so it suits just about any occasion.

Print

za’atar cauliflower

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds cauliflower, cut into florets (900g, from a 1100g head)
  • 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (30g)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil (60g)
  • 1/2 cup za’atar (50g)
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1/4 cup grated hard cheese, e.g. parmesan or cheddar (20g), optional
  • 1 tightly packed cup cilantro leaves (25g) (plus a few for garnish)
  • About 30 chives (10g)
  • 1/4 cup tahini (60g)
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice (45g)
  • 3 tablespoons water (45g)
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (35g)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
  2. Add the cauliflower and garlic to a large mixing bowl (or sheet pan), and toss together with the oil until it’s evenly coated. Sprinkle on the za’atar and salt to taste (about 3/4 teaspoon), and toss together again until evenly coated. Move to a sheet pan, spread into an even layer, and top with the cheese (if using).
  3. Roast for about 20 minutes, until the cauliflower is al dente and charred in a couple spots.
  4. While the cauliflower is roasting, add the the cilantro, chives, salt to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon), tahini, lemon juice, and water, to a food processor and pulse a few times to blend. Scrape down the sides, and run until pureed.
  5. Scrape up the cauliflower, transfer to a mixing bowl, garnish with the sauce, extra cilantro, and pomegranate seeds, and serve. It’s wonderful warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Make ahead: The cauliflower and garlic can be coated in the za’atar, salt, and oil ahead of time, and then roasted with the cheese closer to the last minute. Or you can roast everything ahead of time, refrigerate it, and rewarm the cauliflower in the oven closer to the last minute. The sauce can be made a couple days ahead of time and refrigerated until serving.

find us on instagram and let us know what you made!

Filed Under: dairy free, dinner, every recipe, gluten free, lunch, main courses, side dishes, vegan, vegetarian, weeknight Tagged With: cauliflower, chives, cilantro, fall, herbs, lemon, pomegranate, tahini, winter, za'atar

Previous Post: « fennel salad with za’atar dressing
Next Post: frosted brownies with pistachio and orange blossom »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Saneeah

    December 8, 2019 at 8:13 pm

    Made this recipe again today, delicious every time.

    Reply
    • Kathryn Pauline

      December 12, 2019 at 11:25 pm

      Oh I’m so glad you’re enjoying it! 😀

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Primary Sidebar

Welcome! I’m Kathryn Pauline, recipe developer and photographer here at Cardamom and Tea, where I hope you’ll find something delicious to make.

My second cookbook, Piecemeal, is available wherever cookbooks are sold! (And so is my first book, A Dish for All Seasons)

And don’t miss my recipe archives, where you’ll find hundreds of well-organized favorites.

Footer

read our privacy policy

© 2017 - 2025 Kathryn Pauline