This recipe for vegan Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic takes an ordinary head of cauliflower to a whole new level of deliciousness. Cauliflower florets roast alongside whole cloves of garlic to make this savory side dish super nutritious and perfect for your next family gathering.
I have been roasting cauliflower for many years with oil, salt, and pepper. Trying to boost our immune systems during the pandemic, I added a lot of fresh garlic to everything we eat! Cauliflower is an excellent source of fiber, folate, Vitamin K, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C. Garlic is a powerful antioxidant, and it's used as an anti-fungal remedy to cure disease. I love this recipe!
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How to Buy and Store Cauliflower
Choose cauliflower heads with clean, densely packed florets free of grey/brown spots and leaves that are crisp and green. Brown spots indicate age. If you're in the store and it looks like the brown areas were cut away, do not purchase.
To store your cauliflower, remove it from its original packaging and place it in a clean, sealed plastic bag. Preferably, leave it whole, but it will still be good for about two days if you cut it up.
What You Need
- Cauliflower
- Garlic
- Olive Oil (or another neutral oil)
- Salt and Pepper
- Fresh Parsley
How To Roast Cauliflower with Garlic Cloves
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Trim off the green leaves and stems of the cauliflower. Detach the florets and cut through the base of each one to create smaller florets; place in a large mixing bowl.
- Smash the garlic cloves with the side of a large knife; add to mixing bowl.
- Add oil, salt, and pepper, and toss with your hands until all the cauliflower is evenly coated.
- Spread cauliflower and garlic in a single layer on a baking sheet leaving a little space between each piece. Roast about 30 minutes until spotty-brown. Remove from oven.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot or at room temperature.
How to Get Crispy Roasted Cauliflower
Roasting is a dry heat method of cooking, meaning that it needs hot air circulating all around the food to get it crispy.
Do not crowd the pan because your cauliflower will steam instead of roast.
This recipe is for one standard 15" sheet pan, half of a big cauliflower, or 4 cups of florets. For 6 cups of cauliflower, it would be best to use a half sheet pan. You can also use two sheet pans in the oven and rotate their positions halfway through the roasting process, so it doesn't burn.
You can see in this photo that there is plenty of room around the cauliflower and garlic and they caramelized nicely and got super crispy. The crispy bits of garlic are delicious!
What to Do with Leftovers
Place leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Roasted cauliflower is a great salad topper. If you want to add cheese, evenly sprinkle a cup of grated parmesan or cheddar on top of the cauliflower for the last two minutes of roasting, or place the pan under the broiler after you remove the parchment paper.
Roasted cauliflower is also a great salad topper! When I have leftovers, I add them to my salads the next day.
Try These Roasted Vegetables Recipes
Low in calories and high in fiber, this recipe for Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic is healthy and tastes great! Try these other recipes to add tasty roasted vegetables to your diet.
- Roasted Broccoli and Garlic
- How To Roast Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Oven Roasted Broccoli
- Roasted Baby Eggplant Poppers
Carbohydrate content of roasted cauliflower can vary depending on how it's prepared. Overall, roasted cauliflower is a nutritious vegetable that can be a great addition to a balanced diet.
If you overcrowd the baking sheet, the cauliflower may have steamed instead of roasting, resulting in a mushy texture.
Yes, cauliflower is a vegetable. It belongs to the Brassicaceae family, which also includes broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. Cauliflower can be eaten cooked or raw, and it is a good source of fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K.
"📖 Recipe"
Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic
Ingredients
- 4 cups cauliflower florets broken into 2" pieces, about half of a large-sized cauliflower.
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 head of garlic broken into cloves and unpeeled
- ½ teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Trim off the green leaves and stems of the cauliflower. Detach the florets and cut through the base of each one to create smaller florets. Place in a large mixing bowl.
- Smash the garlic with the side of a braid knife. Trim the woody stem and any paper that is hanging off each clove of garlic. Place in the mixing bowl with the cauliflower.
- Add oil, salt, and pepper, and toss with your hands until all the cauliflower and garlic is evenly coated.
- Spread cauliflower and garlic in a single layer on a baking sheet leaving a little space between each piece. Roast about 30 minutes* until spotty-brown. Remove from oven.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
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