Serve this healthy vegan Whole Roasted Harissa Cauliflower for Christmas and win over your guests. It’s dramatic, extra flavorful, and utterly delicious. Roasted to perfection and served over dairy-free lemon-garlic yogurt sauce, topped with crispy fried shallots, red chili, and cilantro, and dressed with tahini sauce, this cauliflower is pure genius.
To prepare the cauliflower, snap off the green outer leaves, run it under cold water, then parboil in salted boiling water. Brush the cauliflower with a mixture of harissa paste, agave syrup, and olive oil, then roast it in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the topping. Stir-fry the shallots, chili, cilantro leaves, and sesame seeds. Next, prepare the lemon-garlic yogurt sauce. I use Greek-style vegan yogurt for this recipe. For a vegetarian version, sub in plain Greek yogurt. Once the cauliflower is charred in spots, remove it from the oven. Spread the lemon-garlic yogurt sauce over the serving platter and place the cauliflower on top. Drizzle the cauliflower with tahini dressing and top with the fried aromatics. Serve and enjoy!
To make the Whole Roasted Harissa Cauliflower, you will need the following ingredients:
Fill a large pot with salted water. Use a tablespoon of salt per 4 cups of water. Place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a rolling boil. Remove the outer leaves and core the cauliflower. Cover and parboil the cauliflower in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain well.
Preheat the oven to 325 °F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons harissa paste, 1 teaspoon agave syrup, and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Place the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the harissa mixture all over the cauliflower.
Roast the cauliflower for 40 minutes or until tender and just starting to char.
In a skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the diced shallot and chili pepper. Stir-fry until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Then, stir in the chopped cilantro and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a bowl, whisk together 1 cup Greek-style vegan yogurt, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons tahini, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon water. Add up to 2 tablespoons more water to thin the dressing if needed.
Spread the prepared lemon-garlic yogurt sauce on a large serving platter.
Carefully place the cauliflower on top of the sauce. Drizzle with tahini dressing and scatter the stir-fried aromatics over the cauliflower.
Slice and serve!
Try something different this Christmas and make this Whole Roasted Harissa Cauliflower for an impressive dish! It’s healthy, flavorful, and so delicious. If you try this recipe, remember to tag us @cookmerecipes on Instagram – we love seeing your creations!
Perfest for upcoming festive gatherings. Merry Christmas!
