Charred Cauliflower with Pomegranate Tahini Sauce

This incredibly delicious charred cauliflower with pomegranate tahini sauce can easily outshine any main course. With a chili crisp honey glaze, fresh herbs, and crunchy pepitas, the vegetable side dish is a beautiful marriage of flavors and textures.

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Cauliflower: A cruciferous vegetable that belongs to the Brassicaceae family. It's composed of tightly packed, undeveloped flower buds and stems and has a mild, slightly sweet flavor.
• Spices: We're using a combination of turmeric, cumin, and smoked sweet paprika to season the cauliflower. If you can't find smoked paprika, use regular paprika instead.
• Greek yogurt: Strained yogurt with most of the whey removed, resulting in a thicker and creamier consistency than regular yogurt. You can also use labne.
• Pomegranate molasses: A syrup made from reduced pomegranate juice, offering a sweet-tart flavor. If you can't find pomegranate molasses, you can make your own by simmering pomegranate juice with sugar until reduced and thickened.
• Tahini: A paste made from ground sesame seeds, often used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines.
• Chili crisp: A spicy condiment typically made with crispy fried onions, garlic, shallots, and red pepper flakes infused in oil. I used Lao Gan Ma brand for this recipe.
• Honey: The sweetener is used for the spicy chili crisp honey glaze, adding sweetness to the dish.
• Fresh herbs: Use a combination of fresh dill, parsley, and mint to garnish the cauliflower.
• Pepitas: Also known as pumpkin seeds, pepitas add a crunchy texture to the cauliflower. You can also use sunflower seeds or toasted pine nuts.

Substitutions and variations

• Dairy-free: Substitute the yogurt with dairy-free yogurt.
• Non-spicy: You can omit the chili crisp or use a mild version.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Roast cauliflower

To prepare this delicious side dish, start by cutting a head of cauliflower into eighths. If the cauliflower is particularly small, you can cut it into sixths.

Toss the pieces with olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, turmeric, and black pepper until the cauliflower is evenly coated on both sides. Then, lay the seasoned cauliflower on a sheet pan in a single layer and roast it for 25 minutes or until tender, flipping the cauliflower over halfway through the cooking time.

If you're making this dish for a larger party, you can easily double or triple the recipe as needed. You can also play around with other vegetable substitutes and try this dish with roasted Brussels sprouts, broccoli, or cabbage. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time as needed.

Step 2: Make sauces

While the cauliflower is roasting, make the pomegranate tahini sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons tahini, 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice until well combined. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

In a small saucepot, combine ¼ cup honey and 1 tablespoon chili crisp. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and continue to simmer for 1 minute before removing it from the heat.

If you can't find chili crisp, you can heat ¼ cup honey with 1 teaspoon of red chili flakes. You can also make your own chili crisp by infusing oil with fried onions, garlic, shallots, and chili flakes.

You can make both of the sauces beforehand, however the chili crisp honey will thicken as it cools. If it's too thick to easily drizzle, reheat the sauce either in the microwave or stovetop until warm.

Step 3: Putting it all together

Once the cauliflower is done, spread the pomegranate tahini sauce on the bottom of a serving plate. Place the roasted cauliflower on top and drizzle the chili crisp honey over it. Garnish the dish with chopped dates, toasted pepitas, and plenty of fresh parsley, dill, and mint.

To say that I enjoyed this charred cauliflower with tahini pomegranate molasses sauce would be an understatement. I absolutely loved it. From the creamy tart sauce to the smoky cauliflower to the sweet and spicy glaze, everything just works! I might even add seared halloumi and braised beans to this recipe to make it a full meal all on its own.

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: The pomegranate tahini sauce can be prepared the day before. You can also prepared the honey chili crisp the day before but it will harden as it cools. Gently reheat it before serving.
• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container, storing the pomegranate tahini sauce on the side if possible. Hold in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Frequently asked questions

More cauliflower recipes

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Recipe

Print Recipe

Charred Cauliflower with Pomegranate Tahini Sauce

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: vegetarian

Servings: 2

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower cut into eighths
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• salt and pepper
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 tablespoon chili crisp
• ¼ cup chopped dates
• 2 tablespoons toasted pepitas
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Toss cauliflower with olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, turmeric, and pepper until cauliflower is well coated. Lay vegetable on a sheet pan in one even layer. Roast for 25 minutes or until tender, flipping cauliflower over halfway through.
• Meanwhile, make pomegranate tahini sauce. Whisk together yogurt, tahini, pomegranate molasses, and lemon juice in a medium bowl until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
• Combine honey and chili crisp in a small saucepot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and continue to simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
• Spread pomegranate tahini sauce on the bottom of a serving plate. Place roasted cauliflower on top and drizzle crisp honey on top. Garnish with chopped dates, pepitas, and fresh herbs. Serve immediately.

Notes

If the chili crisp honey cools, it will harden slightly. Simply reheat the sauce in a saucepan or the microwave until warm.

The pomegranate tahini sauce can be prepared the day before.