This Whole Roasted Cauliflower Recipe serves a mouthwatering harissa-glazed cauliflower head over a creamy white bean puree. Enjoy it as a flavor-packed side or main dish!
For more impressive vegan cauliflower recipes, check out my Roasted Cauliflower Steaks, Buffalo Cauliflower Wings, and Easy Bang Bang Cauliflower!
You’ve never seen cauliflower like this before! This Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Harissa Glaze and White Bean Puree is surprisingly easy to prepare and jam-packed with flavor, leaving you with an impressive side or main dish. Enjoy it as an eye-catching centerpiece during the holidays or whenever you’re craving something exciting for dinner.
Why you’ll love this roasted whole cauliflower
- It’s exploding with flavor! The rich and spicy-ish harissa glaze, creamy white bean and tahini puree, and herby-nutty garnish infuse each bite of roasted cauliflower with incredible Middle Eastern and North African-inspired flavors.
- An impressive side or main dish – You can serve the baked cauliflower head both as a flavor-packed side dish or main dish. Add it to your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner menu to put a twist on a traditional meal!
- Surprisingly simple – From roasting the cauliflower head to making the harissa glaze to blending the white bean puree, all of the steps in this whole roasted cauliflower recipe are just plain foolproof.
How to roast a cauliflower head
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Submerge the cauliflower head, top side down, in a large pot of boiling water. Simmer until a sharp knife can easily slide through the stem without much resistance.
Drain the water and transfer the boiled cauliflower head to an oven-safe skillet or baking dish.
Stir the olive oil, harissa paste, agave, turmeric, and salt together in a small bowl. Rub the harissa glaze all over the cauliflower head until it’s completely coated.
Bake the cauliflower until it’s blackened in some places.
Meanwhile, make the white bean sauce by processing the drained and rinsed cannellini beans, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, and ice-cold water in a food processor until smooth.
You must use ice-cold water for the white bean spread, not room temperature or regular cold water. Just like in homemade hummus recipes, ice water is the secret to making the consistency of the spread light, airy, and fluffy.
Spread the white bean puree on a large serving plate. Carefully place the roasted cauliflower head on top of the puree, then garnish the tops and sides with the chopped pine nuts or pistachios and chopped fresh mint or parsley.
Slice the cauliflower head into “steaks” and serve with a scoop of the puree underneath. Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
Harissa is a North African chili paste made from roasted and ground red chilies, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and warm spices, like coriander, cumin, and caraway seeds. It has a sweet, tangy, and smoky flavor with just the right amount of heat from the chili peppers.
I personally don’t find this recipe to be too spicy; however, if you’re worried about the heat, reduce the harissa paste to only 1 tablespoon.
This recipe will be pretty different without the harissa paste but if you can’t find it, an equal amount of sriracha or chili garlic sauce, or 1 chipotle pepper + 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce should work instead.
Yes, you must boil or steam the cauliflower head before roasting it in the oven. If you skip this part, the cauliflower won’t be fork tender all the way through.
Absolutely! Add the florets to a bowl and pour the harissa sauce over top. Toss to coat, then lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast the harissa cauliflower in a 400ºF oven for 25-30 minutes or until they’re fork tender and the edges are blackened in some places.
Once cool, transfer the leftover cauliflower head or slices to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat the leftovers in a 350ºF oven until they’re warmed through and slightly crispy around the edges again.
Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Harissa Glaze and White Bean Puree
Ingredients
Cauliflower Roast
- 1 medium-large head cauliflower about 2 pounds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons harissa paste
- 2 tablespoons agave
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
White Bean Puree
Toppings, optional
- 1/4 cup pine nuts or chopped pistachios
- chopped fresh mint and/or parsley
Instructions
For the Cauliflower Roast
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Trim off the bottom of the cauliflower stem but keep the head in tact. Peel away any green leaves. Fill a large pot with water, large enough for the cauliflower head to be submerged in. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the cauliflower head, carefully, top side down into the water. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until tender enough to insert a sharp knife into the stem without much resistance.
- Drain the cauliflower head in a colander for 10 minutes, then place the head of cauliflower upright in a cast iron pan (or other oven safe dish).
- In a small bowl, stir the olive oil, harissa paste, agave, turmeric and salt together until well combined. Rub the mixture all over the cauliflower head until it's fully covered.
- Bake the cauliflower for 40-50 minutes, until blackened in some places.
Make the White Bean Puree and Serve
- To a food processor, add the drained and rinsed beans, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and 3 tablespoons ice cold water.
- Puree for 3-4 minutes until smooth and creamy. If you want it a bit thinner, add a tablespoon or more of water. Taste and season with additional salt, garlic or lemon juice if needed.
- To serve: Spread the white bean puree on a serving plate. Carefully place the whole cauliflower head on top of the puree. Garnish with chopped pine nuts or pistachios and chopped fresh mint or parsley. Slice the cauliflower and serve with some of the puree underneath. Enjoy!
Hi Nora, what can I use in place of Harrisa? I can’t eat spicy foods. Thanks.
Where do you find harissa? Never heard of it.
They carry it at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and and most grocery stores. You can also order it online like from Amazon. It’s so good and worth finding!
This is AMAZING. I made some Moroccan baked tofu to go with it and it was a meal we’ll make over & over again!
I’m so glad you loved the recipe, Julie! Moroccan baked tofu sounds so good! Thank you for your wonderful review and feedback. Wishing you happy cooking!
That dosh dish sounds amazing! I’ll have to find the recipe. Is ot spicy?
If you get a mild harissa it’s not very spicy at all, just flavorful. Enjoy!
I have tried dozens of mac & cheese recipes, this is the first one I found that actually taste like mac & cheese. I used the daiya cheddar shreds. It was a little rich for me, I am excited to try it again and omit the vegan cheez. Thank you for another amazing recipe!
Loved this recipe! Ended up topping with some crumbled tempeh for extra protein and serving with quinoa and pita bread. Delicious 🙂
Hi Maya. Love your topping idea! Thanks for sharing your idea and great feedback! Happy cooking!
I will be trying this. I wonder if this could be served at room temperature? As an appetizer for a dinner party?
Yes, it could!