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This amazing recipe with roasted cauliflower and chickpeas is for sure one of the best and easiest ways to prepare this beautiful vegetable. Perfectly tender cauliflower and spiced crispy chickpeas, this dish is packed with Middle Eastern flavors and nutrients!
Cauliflower is a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine and that is for a good reason. It is so versatile and easy to prepare.
I absolutely love this easy recipe and shared it with so many people along the way. Because once you tried it you will want to do it again and again. This is my favorite way to prepare cauliflower, I hope you will enjoy it too.
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Why make it
- Plant power at its best. This dish is packed with nutrients and all the good things.
- This roasted cauliflower recipe is gluten-free.
- Easy and quick to prepare. Simply mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, toss them on a baking sheet, bake and enjoy some seriously delicious flavours!
- A perfect salad to bring for a BBQ with friends.
- Can be enjoyed on its own as a main course.
- Makes great leftovers and can be prepared for lunches ahead of time.
- Simply delicious!!!
Ingredients notes
A large head of cauliflower, cut into florets. See below for how to cut the cauliflower.
Chickpeas. Tinned chickpeas are fine for this recipe. But if you would like to spend some time and cook chickpeas from scratch, you can learn how to cook chickpeas here.
Step by step
- Preheat the oven to 200° (400°F)
- Wash the cauliflower, dry it with a paper towel and cut it into small florets. See below for how to do it easily.
- Place the cauliflower into a large bowl.
- Rinse the chickpeas and add them to the bowl with the cauliflower.
- Now add the extra virgin olive oil, ground cumin, ground coriander and pinch of sea salt, toss them with your hands to combine, or use a big spoon. Make sure everything is evenly coated with spices.
- Line a baking tray with some parchment paper and transfer cauliflower and chickpeas onto the tray. Spread it out evenly, so that the pieces are not jam-packed. We want the cauliflower to roast, not steam. If you have too many vegetables, spread them on two trays.
- Bake for 30 minutes tossing them at the 15-minute mark. All ovens are different and cooking time might vary. Cauliflower turns golden brown and chickpeas have a crunchy texture when they are done. It might take a little longer.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle with some fresh coriander leaves and serve!
How to cut cauliflower
- Cut the cauliflower head in half.
- Place the halves on a chopping board and cut them in two halves again, so you have four quarters.
- Now cut the core of each quarter.
- Pull the cauliflower florets apart.
Frequently asked questions
Too many cauliflower florets placed too close to each other will result in mushy cauliflower. Also, the low oven temperature will cause the cauliflower to get mushy.
This depends on your preference. Some people like it when cauliflower is roasted until it is soft and some like it crunchy. My son loves it raw 😊
How to serve
- This roasted cauliflower can absolutely be a dish on its own. Serve with some fresh herbs, feta cheese, and lemon wedges and enjoy.
- It is delicious with tahini dressing.
- Try it with hummus and gluten-free pita bread.
- It is a perfect side dish for chicken or fish.
Try serving it with one of these easy dinner recipes:
Variations
- Use dukkha instead of ground spices.
- Use lots of chopped fresh parsley, coriander (cilantro) and fresh lemon juice to add some fresh notes to it.
- Add some cayenne pepper to the spice blend to add some heat to the dish.
How to store
If you happened to have some leftovers, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. Enjoy it cold or reheat it in a frying pan or microwave.
How to freeze
You can freeze roasted cauliflower and chickpeas if you like. Allow the vegetables to cool down completely. Place it on a small baking tray and freeze until solid. Place the frozen cauliflower and chickpeas in a Ziploc bag. Make sure to remove any excess air before sealing. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.
How to reheat frozen cauliflower
Place frozen cauliflower and chickpeas on a baking tray and bake at 200'C for 20 minutes.
Top Tips
- The most important tip to make perfectly roasted cauliflower is to roast it at a high temperature. I recommend roasting it at 200'C (400'F). However, feel free to turn it up to 220'C (430'F) if you think your oven is not very hot.
- Leave space between the cauliflower florets. If you place them too close to each other, cauliflower and chickpeas will be steamed, not roasted. Use 2 trays if the cauliflower head was big.
- Cut the cauliflower into smaller pieces. It will roast faster and caramelise more.
More recipes with vegetables:
Watch how to make it
Oven Roasted Cauliflower - Middle-Eastern Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower head chopped or torn into small florets
- 1 tin of organic chickpeas drained and rinsed.
- 4-5 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
- 2 teaspoons of ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons of ground coriander
- teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup chopped fresh coriander/cilantro leaves
- Lemon juice from the fresh lemon optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200'C (400'F).
- Toss the cauliflower florets and chickpeas in a large bowl with olive oil, ground cumin, ground coriander and sea salt.
- Transfer the cauliflower and chickpeas to a baking tray, lined with parchment paper.
- Make sure the cauliflower florets are not too crowded on the tray.
- Roast for 15 minutes. Take the tray out of the oven, toss the cauliflower and bake for another 15 minutes, until the cauliflower looks nice and golden. The roasting time might vary depending on your oven.
- Transfer roasted cauliflower and chickpeas into a serving bowl. Sprinkle with fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves and some lemon juice, and serve!
- Enjoy!
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container and enjoy the next day.
Sam
Great recipe! Tasty and very easy.
★★★★★
Elena Elliott
Thanks so much, Sam! Elena x
Dr Hewage
Hi, great recipe!
Theruvan Saranayi!
Stay home and safe!
★★★★★
Gen
Super delicious meal with just some brown rice! Can’t wait to make it again.
★★★★★
Paula
This was so flavorful! Thanks for sharing
★★★★★
Cami
I love this thanks for sharing this!
★★★★★
Wendy
This was so amazing - definitely a fun way to mix things up.
★★★★★
Gloria
Roasting cauliflower is the only way I serve it. Love the spices used in this recipe. The perfect side dish.
★★★★★
Lisa
The Middle Eastern flavor in this roasted cauliflower dish tasted amazing.
★★★★★
Dana
My whole family loved this roasted cauliflower dish! The spices gave the cauliflower such great flavor. I could easily eat this as a meal on its own.
★★★★★
Cami
Fantastic recipe! Super easy and tasted so delicious!
★★★★★
Sharina
These roasted cauliflowers are so satisfying! They're so tender perfectly paired with spiced crispy chickpeas. Highly recommended!
★★★★★