Grilled Cauliflower with Winter Pesto

Grilled Cauliflower with Winter Pesto

dairy free Thanksgiving dish

Recipe by
Reviewed by Arturs Arnicans
Prep Time: 30m
Cook Time: 16m
Total Time: 46m
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
4.9 (20 Reviews)
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Ingredients

Adjust servings:

For the herb pesto:

Nutritional Information

215
Calories
6.9g
Fat
29g
Carbs
10.8g
Protein
0mg
Cholesterol
116mg
Sodium
Grilled Cauliflower with Winter Pesto

Recipe Description

This Grilled Cauliflower with Winter Pesto recipe is a fantastic Thanksgiving dish if you are cooking for a vegetarian or vegan. It’s gluten-free too. For the pesto in this recipe, use whatever nuts you have.

To make this dish, start by frying onions in oil to make crispy onions. Pre-cook the whole cauliflower in a large pot of boiling water. Make pesto. Warm cannellini beans through, mash and add some pesto. Cut the cauliflower into quarters. Grill the cauliflower quarters until charred and golden. To serve, place the bean mash on four plates. Top each one with a wedge of cauliflower, a drizzle of the herb oil and the crispy shallots.

To make my Grilled Cauliflower with Winter Pesto, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Grilled Cauliflower with Winter Pesto

Recipe Features

No specific features for this recipe

Steps to make

  1. 1

    Make crispy onions

    15 min
    Step 1 - Grilled Cauliflower with Winter PestoStep 1 - Grilled Cauliflower with Winter Pesto

    Peel and slice 3 shallots into thin rings. Heat oil in a pan and slowly fry the shallots for 15 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and place on kitchen towels to crisp up.

  2. 2

    Pre-cook cauliflower

    3 min
    Step 2 - Grilled Cauliflower with Winter PestoStep 2 - Grilled Cauliflower with Winter Pesto

    Place the whole cauliflower in a pan of salted water. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Remove from the saucepan. Drain and leave to cool.

  3. 3

    Coat cauliflower

    1 min
    Step 3 - Grilled Cauliflower with Winter Pesto

    Rub 1 teaspoon of chili into the cauliflower and season with sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle with a little oil and set aside.

  4. 4

    Make pesto

    5 min
    Step 4 - Grilled Cauliflower with Winter Pesto

    Place 25 grams of nuts in a dry pan and toast over low heat until golden. Grind the toasted nuts with a pestle and mortar or blitz in a food processor. Add the herbs and a pinch of salt to the nuts and blitz or bash again until you have a thin paste. Season with lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

  5. 5

    Make cannellini bean mash

    10 min
    Step 5 - Grilled Cauliflower with Winter PestoStep 5 - Grilled Cauliflower with Winter PestoStep 5 - Grilled Cauliflower with Winter Pesto

    Place 2 cans of cannellini beans in a pan with a few tablespoons of their liquid. Heat for 10 minutes over low heat until warmed through. Mash and stir in 1-2 tablespoons of the pesto.

  6. 6

    Grill cauliflower

    16 min
    Step 6 - Grilled Cauliflower with Winter Pesto

    Cut the cauliflower into quarters. Grill on a preheated griddle pan over high heat for 6-8 minutes until golden and charred.

  7. 7

    Serve

    2 min
    Step 7 - Grilled Cauliflower with Winter Pesto

    Divide the cannellini bean mash between 4 plates. Top with a wedge of cauliflower and a drizzle of pesto.

This Grilled Cauliflower with Winter Pesto is a delicious Thanksgiving dish to cook for the vegetarian or vegan in your life this year. If you try this recipe, please come back to leave a review to tell me what you think!

About the author

Lilly Mathuse

Lilly is an enthusiastic and cheerful young mom. She knows as well as any parent that children can be really picky when it comes to food. And she’s had plenty of experience trying to cook meals that are both tasty and nutritious, and able to satisfy the tastes of a fussy kid right away! To save you some precious time, Lilly's going to share with you all the tricks she learned the hard way, so you don’t have to! She has a wealth of recipes for quick and easy meals for kids and families on a budget.

Recipe Reviews

Have you made this recipe? Share your experience and help other cooks!

★★★★★
★★★★★
4.9 out of 5 (20 reviews)
Victoria Turner
April 19, 2025
Verified

Totally bomb dish!

Samantha
April 10, 2025
Verified

This was super easy to make and my husband loved it! Perfect for our Thanksgiving dinner.

Cathy
April 10, 2025
Verified

I tried this Grilled Cauliflower with Winter Pesto for my friends' Thanksgiving dinner, and it was a great delight. The smoky flavor from grilling added so much to the dish. I used walnuts for the pesto, and it turned out superb. I loved how simple yet fancy it looked on the table.

Rebecca Smith
March 17, 2025
Verified

Terrific!

Lulu97
November 21, 2024
Verified

Delicious, easy recipe!

Ian Thompson
September 22, 2024
Verified

Delicious and simple.

Ulysses
June 22, 2024
Verified

I made this Grilled Cauliflower with Winter Pesto for Thanksgiving last year, and it was a hit. The simplicity of the dish made it easy to prepare, and everyone loved the flavors. The crispy shallots added a nice touch. Definitely a keeper for my family gatherings.

Laura Smith
May 29, 2024
Verified

Delicious

Ivy
October 30, 2023
Verified

Turned out super tasty! Family loved!

Yvonne
October 15, 2023
Verified

Delicious! I made this for a family gathering, and everyone loved it, especially my kids who are picky eaters. The grilled cauliflower was perfect with the pesto, and it's a nice change for Thanksgiving.

David Johnson
July 18, 2023
Verified

Superb!

Hannah
June 2, 2023
Verified

Incredible! I made this for my Thanksgiving dinner and the flavors were suprisingly vibrant. Everyone loved it, including my non-veggie friends!

Catherine Johnson
May 25, 2023
Verified

Superb, delicious dish. My kids loved the grilled cauliflower. It's easy and healthy for Thanksgiving dinner. I made it last year, and it's now a family favorite. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a veggie option.

Paul
September 6, 2022
Verified

Superb

Isabella
August 18, 2022
Verified

OMG, this Grilled Cauliflower with Winter Pesto is legit! I made it for my Thanksgiving solo feast and it was a hit! Super easy and yum! The crispy shallots took it to the next level. So thankfull for this recipe!

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