Roasted Cauliflower with Miso & Sesame
This recipe almost didn’t make the blog because we inhaled it so quickly that I barely had time to take photos. It’s definitely long overdue since I prepared this dish on one of the first chilly nights of autumn here at the farm. This is simple comfort food at its finest and a staple in our house when we’re not in the mood to stand in front of the stove all evening. It’s an easy dish you can whip up in under 30 minutes and the combination of miso, sesame and cauliflower is absolutely lovely.
I’m not sure if I’ve expressed my love/hate relationship with cauliflower on here before but this finicky brassica has given us a lot of grief over the years. We can grow beautiful broccoli, kale and cabbage (also members of the brassica family) with ease, but for some reason our cauliflower plantings have been hit or miss. The aphids absolutely love this crop and we’ve been defeated so many times that we almost gave up this season. We plant hundreds of these guys in the spring and fall and after years of failure we were finally rewarded with an awesome harvest this autumn.
Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables because of its unique flavor and diversity. If you haven’t tried cauliflower couscous yet you need to stop what you are doing and whip some up right now! Thankfully, our autumn cauliflower plantings rocked and we were able to provide our CSA members with enough of this beautiful vegetable to feed a small army. We were more than thrilled since our spring plantings weren’t nearly as productive.
This simple dish can easily pass for a fancy side at a potluck or gathering. I love the flavor of the roasted cauliflower with the sweet and savory miso sauce. The addition of chewy dates and fragrant cilantro complete this meal. I hope you all can slow down for an evening and enjoy this dinner with someone you love. Pour a glass of your favorite wine and enjoy.
Roasted Cauliflower with Miso & Sesame
Prep Time: 15 mins. Cook Time: 30 mins. Serves: 4
For the Cauliflower Salad:- 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 Tablespoons grapeseed oil (or oil of choice)
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 3/4 cup dates, pitted and chopped
- 3 Tablespoons lightly toasted sesame seeds
- 1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 cups precooked quinoa
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to taste
- 2 Tablespoon white miso
- 2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 Tablespoon low sodium tamari sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1/2 -1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger (more or less depending on preference)
- 1 tablespoon water
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Toss the cauliflower florets with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven until tender and lightly browned. About 20-30 minutes. Toss cauliflower halfway through cooking.
- While cauliflower cooks prepare the sauce. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and whisk until smooth. This works best with an immersion blender or food processor. Taste test and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Toss roasted cauliflower with quinoa, dates, sesame seeds and cilantro. Drizzle with sauce and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
Notes
*Use this recipe as a guide. *Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary. *Always taste test as you go. *Have fun in the kitchen and tweak this recipe to your liking.
I don’t know what it is about roasted cauliflower paired with miso (or tahini) but I love this combination too and make a similar salad often.. This miso sauce looks wonderful, this is my kind of comfort food too.
You really can’t go wrong with roasted cauliflower. I just had some for lunch with capers. Love this miso version!
Yes!! Cauliflower is totally my spirit vegetable! Can’t wait to try this!
Can you tell me why you use white miso overs other kinds? What is the taste difference? Are they interchangeable. I’m not familiar with the differences and would love some guidance.
Thank you
Hi Carolyn,
Great question. I love using white miso in sauces and dressing since it’s got a more mellow and sweet flavor than the other miso pastes. Here is a great resource from the kitchn.http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-white-yel-79637
Gorgeous. Need to get my hands on some farm-fresh cauliflower and make this ASAP!
For such a quickie – this looks awesome 🙂
I am obsessed with all things miso right now. Can’t wait to try it with cauliflower!!
Miso is one of my favourite flavours right now, I just LOVE the saltiness of it. Never thought to pair it with cauliflower before, so this is definitely a combination I am curious to try!