I love vegetables prepared in many ways and I couldn’t resist trying roasted cauliflower slices. A very flavorful side dish that is very satisfying. Prepared this way, the cauliflower stays firm and gives the sensation of eating a vegan steak. The spices make it very aromatic and tasty and of course it’s very light.
The only slightly tricky part of this recipe is cutting the center of the cauliflower into even slices; you’ll be left with the ends that can be used to make other dishes or simply frozen and added when you make a soup.
Nothing of the cauliflower goes to waste here: the central part provides lots of fiber and keeps you fuller. The flavor can be easily varied — just change the spices. Vegetarian and vegan friends, but also anyone looking for a nutritious and light dish: let’s see how to make it…
Here are some other cauliflower recipes:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower (large enough to obtain 4 large slices)
- 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil (measuring teaspoons)
- 2 tbsp spices (dried mix: thyme, rosemary, sage and sweet paprika)
- 1 lemon
- to taste baby spinach (optional)
- A few sprig parsley
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- Total points (4 slices) = 4 WW points
- Points per serving (2 slices) = 2 WW points
Tools
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Bowl
- Brush
- Baking tray
- Parchment paper
Steps
First, prepare all the ingredients, especially the spices you’ve chosen, and mix them well.
Remove the outer leaves of the cauliflower and then, with a long, very sharp knife, cut 4 nice slices about 1 inch thick. Be careful not to cut yourself — I once managed to get four stitches on my thumb with the knife in the photo when it was brand new…
In a bowl, mix all the spices with salt, pepper and oil. Using a brush or your fingertips, thoroughly coat the cauliflower slices with this mix. Place the seasoned slices on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 392°F, then bake until the cauliflower is well roasted and the firmer center can be easily pierced with a fork: this will take about 20 minutes. If you like a more browned finish, you can also turn on the grill at the end for a few minutes.
I haven’t tried it in the air fryer because only one slice fits in the basket of my model. But if your air fryer is large, cook the cauliflower at 356°F for 15 minutes and then test with a fork.
Our roasted cauliflower is almost ready to serve. Cut the lemon in half: squeeze half of it and slice the other half for the final garnish. Drizzle the juice over the cauliflower slices and serve them on a bed of greens of your choice — I used a handful of baby spinach. Garnish with lemon slices and small sprigs of parsley and we’re ready to eat!
I thought the portion would be unsatisfying but two slices are very filling — I was pleasantly surprised! They were still delicious even after cooling down.
At home I can’t get my boys to eat cauliflower, so I kept the other portion in the fridge and ate it a couple of days later: just as tasty, maybe even better. Try this recipe and tell me if you liked it as much as I did.
Enjoy your meal!
by Giovanna Buono
Storage
As mentioned, you can store roasted cauliflower in the fridge for 3 days. You can reheat it in the oven for a few minutes or simply take it out of the fridge a couple of hours before serving so it can be served at room temperature.
I haven’t tried freezing it and I wouldn’t recommend it — I think the cauliflower slices would change texture and become too soft.
