Ever since I started making my own sourdough bread, I've been eating toast regularly. I always liked avocado toast but now I absolutely love it. How can you not when you have amazing bread as your base? Today I wanted to make a different kind of toast, making cauliflower the star. This roasted cauliflower toast prepares cauliflower in two different ways, pureed and roasted. Finish the open-faced sandwich with toasted hazelnuts, brown butter parmesan breadcrumbs, and fresh chives and you have a restaurant-worthy lunch!
Recipe
Roasted Cauliflower Toast
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 3 cloves garlic divided
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- ⅓ cup panko
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 slices sourdough bread
- ¼ cup toasted chopped hazelnuts
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
- lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Cut cauliflower into small florets. Place about ⅔ of the florets on a sheet pan and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until charred, flipping cauliflower over halfway through. Remove from heat and keep warm.
- Pour stock in a medium sauce pot. Add rosemary and 2 cloves garlic and bring to a boil over high heat. Add remaining cauliflower and bring to a boil. Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and continue to simmer for 20 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender. Remove cauliflower and garlic with a slotted spoon and puree in blender until smooth. If cauliflower is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of broth. Add 2 tablespoons butter and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small saute pan over medium heat. Continue to simmer until butter turns golden brown and smells nutty. Add panko, tossing to coat, and cook until golden brown and toasted. Remove from heat and stir in grated parmesan and black pepper.
- Toast sourdough bread. Rub garlic clove on bread and spread cauliflower puree. Top with roasted cauliflower and sprinkle breadcrumbs, hazelnuts, and chives on top. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and finish with a squeeze of lemon. Serve immediately.
Watch how to make this:
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables because it's so versatile. You can dress it up or down and it'll be delicious either way. To pay respect to this vegetable, I decided to make it the star of this roasted cauliflower toast.
First, we're going to make cauliflower puree and use it as the "sauce". Cut a large head of cauliflower into small florets. Set aside about ⅔ of the florets and place the remaining ⅓ in a medium pot.
Add chicken or vegetable stock, rosemary, and 2 cloves of garlic, and bring it to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the cauliflower is very tender. Poke the thick stem of the cauliflower to test if it's ready. The fork should easily pierce through.
Remove the cauliflower and garlic with a slotted spoon and puree them in a blender until smooth. If the puree is too thick or can't blend smoothly, add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable stock. Add butter to the puree to give it some body, and blend until smooth. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and set it aside.
Meanwhile, toss the remaining cauliflower florets with olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Spread the vegetable in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast until charred, about 20 minutes. It can take more or less time depending on how big or small your florets are.
While the cauliflower is roasting, make the cacio e pepe brown butter breadcrumbs. This is another element that you can prepare ahead of time, up to 3 days in advance.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saute pan and continue to simmer until golden brown. It's easier to see the color if you use a lighter color pan.
Add panko and toss to coat, toasting the breadcrumbs until golden brown. Remove from heat and stir in the grated parmesan. Season with black pepper and set aside.
I used my sourdough as the base for this roasted cauliflower toast but you can use any bread you prefer. French bread, olive rosemary bread, and whole wheat bread would all work great.
Toast the bread and rub a raw garlic clove on top to infuse the bread with garlic flavors. Spread the cauliflower puree and top with roasted cauliflower, breadcrumbs, toasted chopped hazelnuts, and chives.
Finish the toast with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
I loved that this roasted cauliflower toast was loaded with cauliflower but it didn't feel overwhelming. Thanks to the cauliflower's subtle flavors, it still lets the hazelnuts, chives, lemon, and even the breadcrumbs all play a part. A different take on toast but a delicious one for sure!
For more toast inspiration check out this braised eggplant toast recipe!
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