Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini (Printable)

Tender golden-roasted cauliflower with creamy lemony tahini sauce

# What You Need:

→ Cauliflower

01 - 1 large head cauliflower, leaves trimmed but core intact
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
04 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
06 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
07 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Tahini Drizzle

08 - 1/3 cup tahini
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
11 - 1 small garlic clove, grated or minced
12 - 2–4 tablespoons cold water (as needed for consistency)
13 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Garnishes

14 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
15 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
16 - Pomegranate seeds (optional)

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Rinse the cauliflower and pat dry. Place the whole cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet.
03 - In a small bowl, mix olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, salt, and black pepper. Rub this spice mixture all over the cauliflower, ensuring even coverage.
04 - Roast for 45–55 minutes, or until the cauliflower is golden-brown and a knife inserts easily into the thickest part. If it browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
05 - In a bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt. Gradually add cold water, whisking, until the sauce is creamy and pourable.
06 - Transfer the roasted cauliflower to a serving platter. Drizzle generously with the tahini sauce. Sprinkle with parsley, sesame seeds, and pomegranate seeds if using. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The tahini sauce transforms simple roasted cauliflower into something luxurious and restaurant worthy
  • It's one of those dishes that looks impressive but requires almost zero hands on effort
02 -
  • The tahini sauce will seize up and look curdled when you first add the lemon juice, just keep whisking and adding water, it always comes back together
  • Don't under roast it, the difference between tender and truly tender is about ten minutes and those last minutes are where the magic happens
03 -
  • Pat the cauliflower completely dry before applying the spice rub, any moisture will create steam instead of roasting
  • Let the roasted cauliflower rest for about five minutes before cutting, it holds together better and the juices redistribute

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