Roasted Cauliflower with Muhammara Inspired Sauce

Written by CUBBin the Kitchen Published on August 26, 2022 in Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegetarian & Vegan Meals

If you are looking for an easy and delicious plant based meal then look no further. This is one of those rare recipes that tastes perfect on a warm summers day but also comforting and tasty on a winters night. This dish has a great balance of sweetness with savoury a touch of heat and a mix of texture. Make this today and see why I am raving about my Roasted Cauliflower with Muhammara inspired sauce.

A true Muhammara is a Red Pepper and Walnut dip spiced with Aleppo Pepper. Of course this dish hails from Aleppo in Syria. If you have not tried Muhammara then I encourage you to get a recipe and try it. You will never go back I assure you. However one of the key ingredients Aleppo Pepper is very difficult to get in a shop. I have managed to find it online but no luck as yet in shops here in England (Waitrose apparently stock it, every one that I have been to has not had any). The bend of spices in this sauce is my substitute for this elusive spice.

Now my relationship with Cauliflower is fairly new. Growing up I did not get on with it at all. Not until I hit my 30’s did I really find a cauliflower I could palate. This is by far my favourite way to prepare this vegetable. Simply roasted with Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper. The secret to perfect roasted cauliflower is cutting it so there are plenty of flat sides. I slice it into slices and then cut into pieces from each slice or ‘steak’. Then toss with Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper and orange in one flat layer and roast int the oven flipping halfway through – Perfection. In fact this Roasted Cauliflower with Muhammara Inspired Sauce is now one of my favourite meals!

This Muhammara Inspired Sauce is so versatile, it can be served room temperature with the hot Cauliflower, or heated up either by microwave or on the hob. It is also fabulous as a dip for raw veggies or flatbreads or ‘chips’. It really is one of my secret weapons of the kitchen. If I’m stuck for a sauce to go with a meal this is often the answer. I love it as a pasta sauce, think of it like a pesto or as a sauce for kebabs, either vegetable or meat based, grilled halloumi with this sauce is divine.

If you are looking for other plant based meal ideas then take a look at these:
Carrot & Coriander Soup
Halloumi Curry
Black Bean Tacos
Carrot & Chickpea Falafel
Roasted Red Pepper Risotto

I hope you love this Roasted Cauliflower with Muhammara Inspired Sauce. If you try it let me know how you got on in the comments below. If you find another great use for this sauce tell me! Tag me on socials #cubbinthekitchen as I love to see my recipes in the wild.

Happy Eating!

Roasted Cauliflower with Muhammara Inspired Sauce

A plant based meal that is as easy as it is delicious

For the Roasted Cauliflower

1 Large Cauliflower
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

For the Muhammara Inspired Sauce

1 Jar Roasted Red Peppers
100 grams Shelled Roast Walnuts
1.5 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Sumac
0.25 tsp Cumin
0.25 tsp Chilli Powder
2 tbsp Pomegranate Molasses
1.5 tbsp Olive Oil
Juice of Half a Lemon
25 grams Breadcrumbs

To Serve

Packet of Rocket
Juice of Half a Lemon
1.5 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Pomegranate Seeds

Cauliflower First

Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan
Take the Cauliflower and discard the leaves (these can be used in stock or roasted crispy is delicious).
Now slice into 2cm slices then cut into smaller florets and pieces. You want large flat surfaces.
Toss with the Olive Oil and Salt and Pepper and lay in one layer on a roasting tray.
Place in the oven and roast for 12 minutes flip and roast for a further 8 minutes.

Now the Muhammara Sauce

Drain the Jar or Roasted Red Peppers and add to a food processor and pulse to break up.
Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce and whizz until you have a texture you are happy with. This will not be completely smooth thanks to the breadcrumbs but you can choose how chunky you go.
If you want to heat this up then you can microwave or hob it or go for room temperature.

Salad Dressing

Take the Rocket and add the Lemon Juice and Balsamic Vinegar toss if you wish add a pinch of salt here too.

Plate Up

Lay the Muhammara Inspired Sauce down and then top with Roasted Cauliflower and a handful of Pomegranate Seeds.
Enjoy with the Dressed Rocket.

Leftovers Tip

Leftover sauce can be used as a pasta sauce or as a sauce for kebabs to add flavours. Or if you have enough roasted cauliflower leftover then blitz up the cauliflower with some sauce and then fry to make fritters ( these could be chilled in the fridge then breadcrumbed to get a crunchy coating).

Main Course

Middle Eastern, Syrian

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