Roasted Garlic Cauliflower with Pistachio Mint Gremolata
This oven-roasted garlic cauliflower is ridiculously easy and served with a simple pistachio mint gremolata (way easier than pesto!) that makes it downright irresistible. This easy veggie side dish is absolutely crave-able!
The veggie side dish everyone is craving:
Roasted cauliflower as a side dish has kind of got a bad reputation for being super bland. Understandably so, I mean, most of the cauliflower dishes I’ve tried have been subpar.
But not this dish. This roasted garlic cauliflower with pistachio mint gremolata is the dish to make you actually crave cauliflower. I know. WILD.
It’s one of those dishes where you just needs to keep eating bite after bite until it’s all gone (thanks to the loads of garlic and nutty goodness). Let this dish stand as proof that packing in flavor does not need to be complicated.
And honestly, one of my top 3 favorite veggie side dishes that I make week after week, along with my roasted red cabbage and crispy skillet-roasted Brussels sprouts.
And while I highly recommend the pistachio mint gremolata (it’ll make this roasted cauliflower taste like it’s from a restaurant), it’s also lovely with this simple 2 minute yogurt dill sauce. YUM!
Serve during the week or even as a simple side dish at Thanksgiving (I’ve got loads of other side dish recommendations!), and you’ll be surprised at how quickly people start saying they love cauliflower 😉
Simple ingredients:
- Cauliflower
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Garlic powder & garlic bulb: Double the garlic- the garlic powder goes onto the roasted cauliflower. While we also roast the bulb of garlic, we’re adding that to the gremolata for an extra punch of flavor.
- Pistachios: I use unsalted unshelled pistachios, but salted pistachios is fine- just watch how much salt you add to the gremolata then.
- Parsley & mint: A traditional gremolata uses just parsley, but we’re jazzing it up with the addition of mint. Personally, I really love it, though you could just keep it as parsley!
- Lemon
- Sea salt
- Medjool dates: This is optional, if you want to copy the True Food Kitchen style roasted cauliflower dish. Which I personally love! I highly recommend the addition of chopped dates, though, because the sweet with the salty and nutty combination is just lovely.
How long to roast cauliflower:
I prefer to roast my cauliflower at 415F with olive oil and sea salt. Any higher, and you risk the olive oil smoking.
For small florets (less than 1″): Roast the garlic cauliflower for 15-20 minutes.
For medium florets (1-2″): Roast for 25-35 minutes.
What to serve this roasted garlic cauliflower with:
I could easily eat this entire dish of roasted cauliflower for myself.
But sharing is caring, and when paired with a few other perfect additions, this is a super satisfying meal.
I love this dish with homemade 15 minute garlic bread and some crispy tofu. It’s also great when served with a salad, like my roasted delicata kale salad or damn good vegan caesar salad.
You can’t go wrong with serving this roasted garlic cauliflower as a side for my pasta con broccoli or roasted sweet potato & lentil salad. YUM!
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Roasted Garlic Cauliflower with Pistachio Mint Gremolata
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This oven-roasted garlic cauliflower is ridiculously easy and served with a simple pistachio mint gremolata (way easier than pesto!) that makes it downright irresistible. This easy veggie side dish is absolutely crave-able!
Ingredients
Roasted Garlic Cauliflower:
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 bulb garlic
- 1 tbsp +1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 4–5 pitted medjool dates, chopped
Pistachio Mint Gremolata:
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup unsalted shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 415F, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash and clean the cauliflower. Chop it into small 1-2″ florets.
- Season the cauliflower: In a large bowl, add in the cauliflower, 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic powder, and sea salt. Toss together to evenly coat, then spread the cauliflower onto the baking sheet.
- Prep the garlic: Slice the butt end of the garlic bulb off, and drizzle with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil on the exposed garlic cloves. Place the garlic bulb with the olive oil coated side down onto the baking sheet as well.
- Roast: Bake the cauliflower and garlic for 35-40 minutes, or until the cauliflower has browned. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- While the cauliflower is roasting: Make the gremolata. Combine the chopped mint, parsley, pistachios, lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt together in a small bowl. We’ll add in the roasted garlic once it’s baked and cooled.
- Assemble: Add the roasted cauliflower to a serving bowl, along with the chopped dates sprinkled on top. Using oven mitts if the garlic is still hot, squeeze the roasted garlic into the gremolata and mash and mix into the sauce. Drizzle the gremolata over the roasted cauliflower.
- Serve and enjoy! Serve the roasted garlic cauliflower warm and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Notes
Pistachios: Swap in pine nuts or walnuts instead.
Olive oil: A high quality olive oil is key here for the best flavor.
