22 Cauliflower Recipes That Will Make You Want to Eat This Popular and Versatile Vegetable All the Time (2024)

Cauliflower steaks, cauliflower rice, cauliflower pizza crust...we love them all, but there are also plenty of other delicious ways to enjoy this hearty vegetable. Join us as we celebrate thecauliflower renaissance. Cauliflower is delicious roasted, steamed, or even raw, but it's also stellar in soups, salads, or riced.

Health Benefits

Cauliflower is packed with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, potassium, and folate. Vegans and vegetarians love the meaty nature of this hearty vegetable. Truly, it was only a matter of time before this cruciferous wonder vegetable had its chance to shine beyond its former supporting side dish status.

Shopping for Cauliflower

Though you can find cauliflower in the grocery store year round, it's true season begins in October and extends through April, giving you plenty of time to explore its many possibilities. When shopping for cauliflower—whether white, orange, or purple—look for unblemished heads with tight florets and fresh-looking leaves.

Storing Cauliflower

At home, you'll want to store cauliflower heads wrapped in plastic or areusable produce bag for three to five days. We doubt the vegetable will hang around that long, though—there are so many tempting ways to enjoy it. Need more proof? Browse our best cauliflower recipes. We're certain they'll inspire a new dinner idea.

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Grilled Cauliflower with Spiced Yogurt Sauce

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A spectacular vegetarian main starring our favorite cruciferous vegetable paired with cucumber salad and yogurt sauce. We steam, then grill the head of cauliflower to make sure the interior is tender while the exterior has a tasty brown crust.

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Cauliflower Faux-tato Salad

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A must for your next cookout! Steamed cauliflower is tossed with celery, onion, and a mustard vinaigrette for a carb-free salad with satisfyingly tender bites that gets even better the next day as the flavors meld.

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Baked Pasta with Cauliflower and Swiss Chard

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The humble cauliflower will always make comfort food more cozy. Here, it stars along with Swiss chard and Gruyère cheese in a comforting, meatless baked pasta.

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Charred Cauliflower with Clementines and Olives

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Beautiful and delicious, this dish has it all. Cutting cauliflower into steak-like cross-sections before roasting makes the vegetable feel more substantial. It's topped with Kalamata olives, clementines, fresh parsley, and a white-wine vinaigrette for a delectable Mediterranean-style side dish.

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Sweet-Potato-and-Cauliflower Mash

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Better than mashed potatoes? Definitely a winner for color and nutrition, this mash is amped up with milk, butter, and a touch of nutmeg and cayenne.

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Wild Salmon with Edamame-Cauliflower Rice

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Turning cauliflower into rice is a great way to incorporate more vegetables into your meal. Cooking it in the oven means it comes out crispy. Make it really healthy by adding edamame and serving with heart-healthy wild salmon. And the clincher: This winner meal is made on just one sheet pan.

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Cauliflower-and-Chickpea Pitas with Creamy Yogurt Sauce

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If you hadn't considered using cauliflower as a sandwich filling, this recipe will inspire you! Cauliflower and chickpeas are roasted and spiced for this plant-based entrée that's inspired by the falafel and there's a bright, zippy lime-jalapeño yogurt sauce drizzled on top.

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08of 22

Cauliflower-and-Mushroom Roast

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Our deconstructed take on a grilled cheese sandwich uses roasted cauliflower steaks as a base and crunchy toasted bread as a garnish. Umami-rich mushrooms and nutty Gruyère turn them into a satisfying vegetarian dinner.

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Tuna-Noodle Casserole with Cauliflower

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And you thought tuna-noodle casserole couldn't get any better. The classic returns with cauliflower snuggled among the pasta.

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Cauliflower Steaks with Romesco Sauce

22 Cauliflower Recipes That Will Make You Want to Eat This Popular and Versatile Vegetable All the Time (10)

Vegetarians and meat-eaters alike will appreciate the appeal of this hearty knife-and-fork dish. It's made by cutting a head of cauliflower, trimmed stem and all, vertically into thick slabs, then roasting it until it's crisp and browned on the outside but still tender inside. Serve each "steak" with romesco sauce or try tapenade, chimichurri, or salsa verde.

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Cauliflower Salad with Roasted Chickpeas

We love the combination of raw cauliflower, cooked crisp-tender green beans, and crunchy roasted chickpeas in this salad. Fresh parsley and dried currants complete the dish.

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Cauliflower Crust Pizza Margherita

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Homemade pizza? Yes, please! If you haven't made a pizza using cauliflower as the crust, today is the day! Margherita is the classic topping but feel free to swap it for anything you like.

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Steamed Cauliflower with Walnut Vinaigrette

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Crisp-tender cauliflower is topped with a sensational dressing made from walnuts roasted with garlic and Parmesan, capers, parsley, and red-wine vinegar.

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Bucatini with Cauliflower, Capers, and Lemon

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Try this novel technique for a fast vegetarian meal: finely chopped cauliflower is broiled atop the pasta. Yes, it's a one-pan dinner!

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Baked Cauliflower Custards

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Why does a dish always seem fancier when made in individual portions? Here we have roasted cauliflower with dairy upon dairy upon deliciousness (plenty of butter and milk plus Gruyère and Parmesan).

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Roasted Chicken with Cauliflower "Tabbouleh"

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This creative winter salad calls for cauliflower to be grated and tossed with lemon, oil, and herbs. It's a radical and delicious take on the classic bulgur salad. Served alongside sliced roasted chicken breast over a bed of baby kale and shredded carrots, it's a standout dinner.

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Pickled Chile Cauliflower

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Is there really nothing cauliflower can't do? We think not! Case in point: It makes an excellent pickle.

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Cauliflower-Spinach Dip

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Similar to hummus, this dip replaces nutty chickpeas with rich, buttery cauliflower and nutrient-dense spinach but keeps the tahini. The result is a dip that's—dare we say it?— even better than hummus and definitely prettier.

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Potato, Cauliflower, and Cheddar Bake

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Potatoes and cheese have been friends for years, but why not add cauliflower to the mix? Here, our favorite vegetable adds a pleasant crunch and nutty flavor to this creamy casserole.

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Creamy Cauliflower Soup

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Oh so easy and so smooth, this super simple recipe calls for cooking florets in chicken broth then blending. There's no dairy—the cauliflower magically creates a creamy texture.

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Roasted Cauliflower with Flageolets, Turnips, and Pistachios

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Purple cauliflower is a moody, delicious accompaniment to flageolet beans in this colorful plant-based dish that's as balanced as it is beautiful.

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Easy Cauliflower Gratin

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This casserole is simple to make and comforting to eat. Your family will enjoy it paired with any protein!

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22 Cauliflower Recipes That Will Make You Want to Eat This Popular and Versatile Vegetable All the Time (2024)

FAQs

Why is cauliflower so versatile? ›

Because of its mild flavor, you can hide it in foods easily. For example, throw some cooked cauliflower into a soup and blend it to give it a thick, creamy consistency without the use of dairy.

What is the most nutritious way to eat cauliflower? ›

5 Healthy Ways to Cook with Cauliflower
  • Roasted Cauliflower and Kale Soup. Soup is a quintessential comfort food, especially when it's rich and creamy and full of flavor. ...
  • Cauliflower Steaks with Caper-Anchovy-Garlic Sauce. ...
  • Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes. ...
  • Whole Roasted Cauliflower. ...
  • Cauliflower Tabbouleh.
Feb 20, 2018

Why is cauliflower a good substitute? ›

But boiling it can lower the levels of its B vitamins, vitamin C, and magnesium. Cauliflower is also a healthy low-carb, gluten-free alternative to legumes and grains. And its meaty texture makes it a great plant-based swap for chicken and beef in some recipes.

What flavors go well with cauliflower? ›

Almond, basil, bay leaf, cardamom, chervil, chives, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, dill, garam masala, marjoram, mint, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, parsley, pine nuts, tarragon, thyme, walnuts.

What does cauliflower do to the brain? ›

Cauliflower is a source of choline, an essential nutrient we need for mood, memory and recall. As such, it is a key building block of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger involved in signalling the central nervous system. Choline is also essential for brain development.

Why is cauliflower better than broccoli? ›

Cauliflower contains more B vitamins compared to broccoli, including vitamin B5, vitamin B6 and folate. It also contains the all-important potassium which has a whole host of benefits for our nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Does cauliflower clean your gut? ›

Cauliflower doesn't contain anything that would give it superpowers for gut cleaning. Still, it contributes to gut health in numerous ways, the biggest being that it's a good source of dietary fiber essential for digestive health.

How many times a week should you eat cauliflower? ›

It's recommended to eat at least 3/4 cup of cauliflower every day. This means you should have almost 5 cups every week. For those who can easily digest this vegetable, it would be good to have 1.5 cups every day, which amounts to about 10 cups of cauliflower in a week.

Which is healthier broccoli or cauliflower? ›

While they are both very nutritious vegetables, broccoli has a higher vitamin content, specifically in vitamin K and C, than cauliflower and is specifically known to be great for eye health. Broccoli florets also provide more minerals and fiber as well as contains vitamin A that isn't in cauliflower.

Can I eat cauliflower every day? ›

While everyone's tolerance is different, too much cauliflower can create G.I. distress, like excess gas and bloating. “Make sure to drink enough water to move it through your system,” suggests Lincoln. Cooking it can also dial back digestion woes.

What color cauliflower is healthiest? ›

Purple. Purple cauliflower is the healthiest option, with numerous advantages. The purple hue is due to the antioxidants called anthocyanins. These are the pigments present in various other plants and plant-based products, including red cabbage and red wine.

Is cauliflower anti-inflammatory? ›

Cauliflower provides a significant amount of antioxidants, which are beneficial for reducing inflammation and protecting against several chronic diseases.

Why do you soak cauliflower before cooking? ›

If you're planning to roast the cauliflower whole or slice it into steaks, slice off the thick stem at the base. Drop the whole cauliflower head upside-down into cool, salted water. Let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes to remove dirt, residue and bugs.

What are the 4 colors of cauliflower? ›

WHAT GIVES CAULIFLOWER IT’S PURPLE, GREEN & ORANGE COLOR AND HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO WHITE IN NUTRITIONAL VALUE. The colored varieties are created by mixing cauliflower with other plants. For example, green cauliflower is a cross between cauliflower and broccoli. Beta carotene makes cauliflower orange.

What does adding lemon juice to cauliflower do? ›

Helps retain color: Cauliflower can sometimes turn brown or lose its vibrant white color when cooked. However, the acid in lemon juice can help prevent discoloration and maintain the cauliflower's white appearance.

What is the most versatile vegetable in the world? ›

Cauliflower is having it's moment in the sun so why not try something a little bit different with this versatile veg. You never know, you might just find your new fave cauliflower recipe!

What is special about cauliflower? ›

Cauliflower provides some powerful health benefits. It is a great source of nutrients, including a few that many people need more of. Plus, cauliflower contains unique antioxidants that may reduce inflammation and protect against several diseases, such as cancer and heart disease.

What's the most versatile vegetable? ›

One of spring's plentiful veggies is broccoli and, in my opinion, next to the potato it is the most versatile vegetable available. Raw or cooked, in casseroles, soups or salads, this veggie is always delicious.

Why has cauliflower become so popular? ›

This renewed interest in cauliflower is largely based on the widespread popularity of low-carb and gluten-free dietary trends. These trends have embraced the vegetable both in fresh form and as an ingredient in a variety of products, such as pizza crusts, pastas, tortillas, and crackers.

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