Name: Roasted Cauliflower with Harissa Sauce
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 Head of Cauliflower ((cut into florets)); 2 tbsp Olive Oil; 1 tsp Sumac; 1 tsp Za'atar; ¾ tsp Paprika; 1 ¼ tsp Kosher Salt; ½ tsp Black Pepper; 6 Medjool Dates ((pitted and roughly chopped)); 3 Tbsp Roughly Chopped Pistachios; Zest from ½ a Lemon; 2 Tbsp Roughly Chopped Fresh Mint Leaves; 2 Tbsp Roughly Chopped Fresh Parsley Leaves; ¼ cup Greek Yogurt; 1 Tbsp Mayo; 1 Tbsp chopped Parsley; ¾ Tbsp Harissa paste; 1 Garlic Clove ((grated)); ⅛ tsp Kosher Salt; Pinch of Black Pepper; ¼ cup Hot Honey; 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

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Restaurant Quality at Home

I don’t know about you, but I feel like there are certain vegetables that just taste better when made at a restaurant. Even when you try to recreate the dish at home, it still tastes like there’s something missing. For me, it’s green beans, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. When ordered at restaurants, they have the perfect amount of char and flavor that seems impossible to get at home. However, today I’ve cracked the code to making restaurant style cauliflower at home. My recipe for Roasted Cauliflower with Harissa Sauce is a culmination of different cauliflower dishes I’ve eaten at restaurants. It has a combination of ingredients and flavors that I’ve tasted, incorporated into one dish. And I’ve got to say… this tastes like restaurant quality cauliflower.

This Roasted Cauliflower with Harissa Sauce consists of perfectly roasted cauliflower that’s seasoned with sumac, paprika, and za’atar. It’s tossed together with chopped dates and served on a schmear of harissa yogurt sauce. A lemon vinaigrette is drizzled on top and it’s finished with chopped pistachios, lemon zest, mint, and parsley. It’s definitely inspired by flavors and ingredients from the Middle-East. There’s a really great balance between the hearty, spiced cauliflower and the fresh produce. Having a great depth of flavor and variety of texture really helps to make this taste like it came from a restaurant.

overhead shot of Roasted Cauliflower with Harissa Sauce

Roasting 101

To get started on this recipe, we need to preheat the oven to 425℉. There are two main points in this recipe to making the perfect roasted cauliflower. First, place a baking sheet into the oven as it preheats. This will allow the cauliflower to develop those charred edges because the pan will be hot and ready to conduct heat to it.

Second, make sure the cauliflower florets are dried well. Cauliflower already holds a lot of moisture, so any excess water will encourage it to steam instead of roast. We definitely want those charred bits, so take the extra time to pat the florets dry.

Once you’ve got those two steps down, you’re set for success! Add the cauliflower florets into a bowl along with the olive oil, sumac, za’atar, paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss everything together until well coated. Spread the cauliflower out onto the hot baking sheet and bake it in the oven for 20-25 minutes until lightly charred and tender.

You’re Hot and You’re Cold

While the cauliflower roasts, we’ll prepare the Harissa Yogurt Sauce. Add the Greek yogurt, mayo, parsley, harissa, garlic, salt, and pepper into a bowl. Mix it all together until combined. I really love this Harissa Yogurt Sauce because it’s so dynamic with its contrasting flavors. It’s a cold sauce, yet it has a slight kick of heat from the harissa. At the same time, it adds a creamy component while still tasting refreshing from the tanginess of the yogurt.

close up of Roasted Cauliflower with Harissa Sauce

The Secret Ingredient

Next, we can make the lemon honey vinaigrette. This is actually the secret ingredient in this recipe and is what brings this dish up to restaurant quality. It may seem a little unnecessary because we already have the Harissa Yogurt Sauce, but this Lemon Honey Vinaigrette is what ties the dish together. Bonus is that it’s also so easy to make.

Add the hot honey and lemon juice into a small sauce pot or pan. Mix the two together then heat it over medium heat until it just starts to lightly bubble. Remove it from heat and set it aside. The lemon juice helps cut through the sweetness of the honey so that it’s not a heavy, sweet flavor. Rather, it helps brighten the sweetness so that it has more of a fresh taste. The heat from the hot honey ties in the heat from the harissa. In the same way, the sweetness from the honey ties in the sweetness from the dates. I feel like this Lemon Honey Vinaigrette is the final piece to the puzzle because once we have it, all of the flavors make sense as one.

45 degree angle shot of Roasted Cauliflower with Harissa Sauce

Build A Plate

Once all of the components are ready, we can plate it up! Spread the harissa yogurt sauce onto the bottom of the serving plate. Toss the roasted cauliflower together with the dates until evenly mixed then plate it on top of the harissa sauce. Sprinkle on the chopped pistachios then zest a lemon over top the cauliflower. Drizzle the honey vinaigrette and olive oil over the cauliflower then garnish with mint and parsley.

When you take a bite of this Roasted Cauliflower with Harissa Sauce, your mind is going to be blown. You won’t be able to believe that you were able to make this at home. It has so much flavor and texture going on, which keeps every bite interesting and leaves you wanting more. It’s a weird combination where there’s a lot of contrasting flavors and textures, but they all work to highlight their opposite match. So if you’re looking for a new vegetable side dish that isn’t boring, this is it. Cauliflower has never tasted or looked so good! Try this recipe out and let me know what you think in the comments below.