There is something so comforting about oven-roasted veg. Whether served as a side dish or a vegetarian main, this whole roasted cauliflower topped with sweet & savory almonds is definitely up their with one our most favorite ways to serve this vegetable. It's cozy, it's tasty and its incredibly easy to prepare.

One of the things we love the most about whole roasted cauliflower is how low maintenance it is, it takes 5 mins to prep and once it's in the oven, your job is basically done. So let's get started!

How To Prepare Whole Roasted Cauliflower:

Cauliflower is a blank canvas for flavor, so this roasted cauliflower can be prepared in a multitude of ways, it all depends on how you're serving it! You can mix some Italian herbs with oil and garlic and brush it over the head, rub it with Cajun seasoning to make it spicy or top it with some browned butter almonds like we've done here. Since we don't want an overwhelming mix of flavors we're going to keep it simple and drizzle it with olive oil, season it with salt and add some whole garlic cloves to the skillet. 

1. Boil the trimmed, whole cauliflower for 10-12 mins then drain and set aside.
2. Heat the oven to 350°F
3. Put the cauliflower in the center of a deep baking dish or cast iron skillet.
4. Drizzle olive oil all over it and season with salt.
5. Add the garlic cloves & put the skillet in the oven.
6. Cook the cauliflower for 30 mins, then broil it for 10 mins or until golden brown.

How To Make Browned Butter Almonds:

Though we absolutely love the subtle nutty taste of cauliflower after being slow roasted, this is the deal breaker for us. The flavor and texture that these brown butter almonds bring to the dish is wonderful and just like the cauliflower, they are extremely easy to prepare. Even as a snack on their own, they go down a treat!

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
2. Add the almonds and cook for 2-3 minutes stirring until the nuts and butter become fragrantly nutty and begin to brown.

An important note - Don't leave the almonds unattended while they are cooking on the pan as they can turn from perfectly roasted to burnt in a matter of seconds.

Should I use whole almonds or sliced almonds?

You'll want to use sliced almonds for this recipe as they will be easier to eat along with the cauliflower. Also pan roasting almonds that have been blanched can prevent them from having that burnt, over-roasted taste.

How To Serve Whole Roasted Cauliflower:

Regardless of whether you're serving this cauliflower as a main, or making it to serve alongside some roast chicken or lamb it's going to be a huge hit. You can either cut off the individual florets to serve or you can cut into the core and serve it as steaks. Serve it up alongside some roast chicken, beef or lamb, sirloin steak, salmon, a delicious pot roast or alongside some mashed potato and steamed mix veg- winner, winner veggie dinner!

Whole roasted cauliflower can be a vegetarian main dish or a healthy low carb side dish.

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Browned Butter Almonds

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Category

Vegetarian Main, Side Dish, Roast

Servings

4

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

50 minutes

Author:

Gillian Brady

A simple yet impressive vegetarian alternative to a roast chicken!

Ingredients

Roasted Cauliflower

• 1 medium head of cauliflower

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 5 garlic cloves, skin on

• 1/3 cup olive oil

Browned Butter Almonds

• 2 tbsp butter (use vegan butter if you want to make it vegan)

• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

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Directions

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil.

2. Trim the outer cauliflower leaves. Trim away and discard the stalk so the cauliflower can sit flat.

3. Carefully lower the cauliflower into the water and boil for 10-12 mins, then drain and set aside.

4. Heat the oven to 350°F

5. Put the cauliflower in the middle of a deep baking dish or cast iron skillet. Drizzle olive oil all over it and season it with salt. Add garlic cloves.

6. Put the skillet in the oven. Cook for 30 mins and then broil it for 10 mins or until golden brown.

7. To make the brown butter almonds, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the almonds and cook for 2-3 mins, stirring until the nuts become fragrantly nutty and begin to brown.

8. Sprinkle the almonds on top of the roasted cauliflower and serve.