Cauliflower Recipes

A smoky, mildly-spicy romesco salsa seeps into the filling of charred cauliflower florets in this well-balanced vegetarian taco. Pine nuts add crunch and richness to each bite. "Before we opened our restaurant, my husband, Edgar, and I were newly self-employed and looking for ways to stay afloat," says Sara Mardanbigi, co-owner of Nixta Taqueria in Austin, a 2020 Food & Wine Best New Restaurant, who shared this recipe. "We started hustling Airbnb Experiences at our house with cooking classes. One of the most-popular items guests raved about was the romesco salsa. Once Nixta opened, we ran the cauliflower taco topped with romesco salsa as a seasonal option, and then, because it was in such high demand, we made it a menu staple. To this day, we'll get Airbnb guests coming by to see our taqueria baby in real life — and to try the cauliflower taco, of course!"

Maydān, Rose Previte's Washington, D.C., restaurant and wood-fired homage to Lebanon, is justly famous for its massive hearth, where this whole marinated cauliflower is cooked. While the Maydan chefs truss and hang the cauliflower heads over the fire to slowly cook them, we've adapted the recipe to slowly grill-roast them over indirect heat with an oak or hickory log at the center of the grill, alongside lit coals (which imbues the dish with smoky flavor and a rich color) before lightly charring the cauliflower over the coals to finish. Simply put, this is one of the most delicious dishes we've ever grilled at home. Serve it as a hearty main course or as a side with herbal zhough and bright tahina sauces, garnished with sumac onions and herbs.

Justin Chapple’s riff on the Chinese-American classic, General Tso’s chicken, uses stir-fried cauliflower florets instead of deep-fried chicken, and adds Indonesian sambal oelek for a dose of heat. You can opt to use chicken broth, which will make it extra savory, or go with vegetable broth to make the dish vegetarian.

A quick spice blend of roasted fennel seeds, black pepper, and orange zest lend a sausage-like flavor to these roasted cauliflower steaks—without the meat. Browning the cauliflower before adding the toppings and melting the cheese ensures a tender, sweet, and nutty bite. Be sure to flip the cauliflower during roasting to ensure there are plenty of caramelized florets under the marinara and melty cheese. Use leftover cauliflower florets for soups and stews or in a fresh winter salad.

If there’s a better way to eat cauliflower than this gratin from Blacklock, we have yet to come across it. A powerhouse of English cheeses—Montgomery’s crumbly and nutty cheddar; Ogleshield, a washed-rind Jersey cow milk cheese; and buttery, blue-veined Colston Bassett Stilton—blankets cauliflower florets in a béchamel. 

Meera Sodha, author of Fresh India, adds ground almonds to her version of this yogurt-based curry, then folds in nutty roasted cauliflower. Toasting the almonds and the raisin garnish adds a striking smokiness and texture to the finished dish. Slideshow: More Cauliflower Recipes