Oven Roasted Whole Cauliflower Recipe with no Oil (vegan)

Introducing a Vegan Roasted Cauliflower Recipe: A healthy and delicious alternative to the classic Thanksgiving roast. Marinated with herbs and spices for a burst of flavor, this low-carb and low calorie dish is sure to impress your guests.

Not just for vegans, this whole roasted cauliflower is a favorite amongst meat eaters too! Easy to make and visually stunning, it serves as the perfect centerpiece for your holiday table.

Made with whole foods and free from oil, this cauliflower dish fits perfectly into a whole food plant-based diet. Take your Thanksgiving dinner to the next level with this nutritious and mouthwatering option.

If you're someone who loves incorporating vegetables into your meal plans, don't miss out on trying this incredible whole roasted cauliflower recipe.

This recipe pairs well with my vegan gravy recipe and my creamy vegan mashed potatoes. 

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Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Instructions
• Leftovers
• Serving Suggestions
• ​
• Storage
• Top Tips
• 📖 Recipe

Ingredients

A quick list of the simple ingredients you will need to make this whole roasted cauliflower head. 

You can find the ingredients with quantities and the recipe to print out on the recipe card below.

• entire head of cauliflower, medium-sized
• Vegetable broth
• Tahini
• Soy sauce, less sodium
• Lemon juice
• lemon zest
• Garlic cloves
• Ginger powder
• Black Pepper, ground
• Paprika powder
• Nutritional yeast
• Sage, dried
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Celery seed
• Tarragon, dried
• Tomato paste

Substitutions

• Tahini: Instead of tahini, you can also use cashew cream or almond butter. 
• Herbs and Spices: Instead of using the single spices you can use my vegan chicken broth powder instead and just mix it with the tomato paste, tahini, veggie broth and soy sauce. 
• Soy Sauce: If you want a soy free and gluten-free whole roasted cauliflower, you can use coconut aminos.
• Dried Herbs: You can also use fresh herbs instead. Sometimes I use fresh, especially when I have them in my garden ready.  

Variations

• Spicy: You want some kick to your cauliflower, add some red pepper flakes or chili powder to the marinade. 
• Cheesy: Top the cauliflower in the last 10 minutes with vegan Parmesan cheese. 

Instructions

First, remove the green leaves (tougher outer leaves) of the cauliflower.

Please make sure you do not remove the stem. This keeps the entire cauliflower head together. Now you can cut the stem crosswise.

And a few times with a knife in the cauliflower, the cauliflower softens.

Now prepare the marinade by simply mixing all the ingredients in a small bowl together until a creamy tahini sauce.

If you taste the marinade, it should have a strong taste. This is important that the cauliflower later has all the flavors we want. 

Now brush the whole cauliflower head with the marinade. You can take your fingers or take a pastry brush.

Place cauliflower in a cast iron skillet and preheat the oven to 400 Fahrenheit (200 °C).

Bake the cauliflower for 40 minutes in the preheated oven. Every 10 minutes, brush some more marinade on the oven-roasted cauliflower to get a lovely golden brown color. 

Serve it on a serving platter with some roasted veggies around it. 

Hint: How long does the cauliflower have to be roasted or baked? Basically around 40-60 minutes. Of course, it can be a little more or less. However, this also depends on your oven, as some ovens can hold temperatures better than others. I would just pierce the cauliflower with a knife or a fork and feel how soft this is. We want it to be fork tender. Some like the cauliflower a bit softer and others a little firmer. I start at around 30 minutes. If the cauliflower gets too dark, just cover it with some aluminum foil. 

Make this recipe, try some easy cauliflower recipes. These are some of my favorite ways to enjoy that vegetable. Buffalo Cauliflower Wings, Cauliflower soup, Thai Red Curry, Tikka Masala, Yellow Curry

Prep in Advance

Just marinade the whole cauliflower and leave it in the fridge in an airtight container overnight for a quick weeknight dinner. The next day, you just put in the heated oven, just minutes of prep for a busy day.  While it is roasting, you can do other things. 

Leftovers

You can cut the cauliflower into small pieces and roast crispy in a pan or oven.

Furthermore, you can cut the cauliflower into cauliflower steak and serve as a sandwich.

Serving Suggestions

Perfect side dish to add to the following recipes. 

• My vegetables stuffing with Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, cranberries
• Glazed carrots
• Green bean casserole
• Gravy
• Mashed potatoes
• Balsamico Brussel Sprouts

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Storage

Leftover cauliflower can be stored in an airtight container for about 5 days. I usually cut mine into pieces to store it easier in a container.  In the freezer, you can store it for 1 month.