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Nicole Rufus
Nicole RufusAssistant Food Editor
Nicole is the Assistant Food Editor at Kitchn. She writes about recipes as well as developing some of her own. You can usually find her playing around in the kitchen or online “window” shopping. She currently resides in Brooklyn and is getting her master’s in Food Studies.
updated Nov 16, 2023
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Cauliflower is easily one of the most versatile vegetables we know. You can rice it, roast it, grill it, or just about anything else you can imagine. Over the last several years, our friend from the Brassica family has finally been getting the attention it deserves. So often relegated to a simple side dish, cauliflower has proven itself worthy of a starring role in many main dishes.
It’s one of those veggies that does a lot of heavy lifting in meatless dishes, and it holds flavor so nicely that often times you don’t even end up missing the meat. Whether you’re serving it hot or cold, for lunch or dinner, we’ve got a cauliflower recipe for you.
In This Article
- Roasted Cauliflower Recipes
- Cauliflower Casseroles Recipes
- Cauliflower Rice Recipes
- Vegan Cauliflower Recipes
- Healthy Cauliflower Recipes
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Roasted Cauliflower Recipes
Roasted cauliflower has a special place in our hearts, and these recipes demonstrate why.
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Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
This simple sheet pan of roasted broccoli and cauliflower florets will be a go-to side dish.
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Melting Cauliflower
The key to the very best cauliflower is to roast until golden before soaking it in a flavorful broth.
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Roasted Cauliflower Salad
Roasted lemon vinaigrette is just a delicious bonus.
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Whole Roasted Jerk Cauliflower
Cauliflower is given the royal treatment to take it from side dish to table centerpiece. It's long-cooked until fork tender and finished with a fiery jerk-inspired glaze.
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Curry-Spiced Roasted Cauliflower with Saucy Lentils Recipe
Inspired by a large vegetarian plate from a Michelin-starred restaurant in Chicago, this recipe uses home-kitchen-friendly cooking techniques and fewer and more affordable ingredients.
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Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Slathered in an herby butter and served with a rich onion gravy, cauliflower goes from firm and toothsome to lusciously tender with a crackling, flavorful crust. It’s super easy to prepare, but looks so impressive.
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Every single piece of this vegetarian bowl can be made ahead of time and tossed together in a flash for a wholesome, delicious meal.
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Roasted Cauliflower Tacos
What these veggie tacos lack in meat, they make up for in big, bold flavors.
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Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Chickpeas, Feta, and Herbs
This salad delivers layer upon layer of varying flavor and texture, which makes it a main course-worthy salad that won’t bore you.
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Spicy Roasted Cauliflower Stir-Fry
Take glorious roasted cauliflower and quickly stir-fry it with some onions, garlic, chili, ginger, and scallions, and you have the makings of a perfect dinner.
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Pan-Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Smoky Tomato Sauce
Here, pan-roasted cauliflower and ribbons of prosciutto get folded into a bright but savory tomato sauce with pasta. It’s a perfect union of opposites.
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Orzo Salad with Roasted Cauliflower, Pine Nuts, and Parsley
This orzo salad includes caramelized cauliflower for flavor, toasted pine nuts for subtle crunch, and raisins and sultanas for a perfect hint of sweet.
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Cauliflower Casseroles Recipes
Classic casseroles are elevated by the addition of this cruciferous veg.
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Cauliflower au Gratin
Cauliflower baked in a creamy, cheesy sauce with a buttery, crisp topping.
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Healthier Chicken and Rice Casserole
This healthier chicken & rice casserole gets a heavy dose of vegetables and a homemade cream of mushroom sauce for a light-yet-familiar flavor.
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BBQ Chicken Casserole
This Paleo-friendly weeknight casserole is loaded with shredded chicken breast and riced cauliflower, laced together with a homemade BBQ sauce.
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Cauliflower and Mushroom Tater Tot Casserole
This is a tater tot casserole of a different nature; one that plays up the vegetables, embraces a variety of textures, and still gives tater tots the starring role they deserve.
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We often feel that vegetables get short shrift in casseroles, but in this dish cauliflower is the star.
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Loaded Cheesy Cauliflower Bake
Inspired by loaded potatoes, this low-carb casserole starts with roasted cauliflower as the base.
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Cauliflower Rice Recipes
Whether you’re looking for a low-carb or grain-free rice substitute or just want to work some more veggies onto your plate, cauliflower rice is always a good idea. From side dishes to grain bowls to “fried rice,” it’s incredibly versatile.
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Cauliflower Fried Rice with Ham and Egg
Riced cauliflower makes a tasty substitute for regular rice in this quick and easy fried rice.
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Chunky Pork and Apple Stew
For this hearty stew, cauliflower rice is a great side to soak up sauce.
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Cauliflower Fried "Rice"
As a fried rice look-alike, this dish can hold its own. The cauliflower is chewy and nubbly in all the right rice-like ways.
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Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
Start with a head of cauliflower or grab a bag of pre-riced cauliflower to make this cilantro lime-kissed dish.
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Asian Cauliflower Fried Rice with Kalua Pork
Adopting a Paleo lifestyle doesn’t mean that fried rice is forever off the menu, and this cauliflower fried rice with kalua pork is here to prove it.
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Easy Cauliflower Rice Burrito Bowls
With cilantro-lime cauliflower rice at the helm, plus smoky black beans and corn, salsa and creamy avocado, this is wholesome indulgence at its finest.
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Chicken Curry in a Hurry
Michell Tam of Nom Nom Paleo makes her chicken curry in a hurry with a velvety coconut milk base, seared chicken thighs, and a spicy kick of curry paste.
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Mexican Restaurant-Style Cauliflower Rice
Just like the savory rice from your favorite Mexican restaurant, this version is made with cauliflower rice and comes together in minutes.
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Cauliflower Rice Lunch Bowl with Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas
This easy, protein-packed vegetarian lunch bowl is made with cauliflower rice, sweet potatoes, and a vibrant chickpea salad.
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Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken
A bag of frozen cauliflower rice makes a quick side to round out this saucy chicken and vegetable dinner.
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Black Pepper Chicken
Inspired by Panda Express black pepper chicken, this version has the same tender chicken and bold black pepper sauce you expect, but it's naturally low-carb and Whole30-compliant.
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Vegan Cauliflower Recipes
Cauliflower takes the leading role in these vegan recipes that we love.
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Cauliflower Soup
This easy, creamy cauliflower soup, flavored with garlic and thyme, is naturally dairy-free and vegan.
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Cauliflower Steaks with Ginger, Turmeric, and Cumin
The humble cauliflower might not seem like the most exciting vegetable, but cut one into thick slabs and roast it with spices, and you can transform it into quite the fine dish.
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Braised Cauliflower and White Bean Piccata
A bright vegetable-forward piccata that’s punchy with flavor and inexpensive to pull together.
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Curried Cauliflower Chowder
This simple but satisfying soup is hearty with cauliflower, red potatoes, and corn kernels. It’s simmered in a fragrant coconut-curry broth full of garlic and ginger for a weeknight-friendly dinner.
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Mediterranean Cauliflower Couscous Salad
The Mediterranean flavors really shine in this simple spring salad and the roasted chickpeas add a lovely crunch.
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Every single piece of this vegetarian bowl can be made ahead of time and tossed together in a flash for a wholesome, delicious meal.
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Kung Pao Cauliflower
Kung pao with cauliflower instead of chicken in this easy, spicy, weeknight veggie stir-fry.
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Spicy Chicken-Fried Cauliflower Sandwich
Inspired by the hot fried chicken sandwich, this vegetarian version is arguably just as satisfying.
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Vegan Creamy Curried Cauliflower Soup
This hearty vegan soup gets a hefty dose of pungent spices and a thick, velvety texture from cauliflower and coconut milk.
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Purple Cauliflower Hummus
This dip is a wonderful party option because you can make it in advance and it’s vegan and gluten-free. Plus, its colorful appearance makes it a conversation starter.
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Ottolenghi's Cauliflower, Pomegranate, and Pistachio Salad
This warm, herb-heavy salad keeps things interesting with cauliflower two ways: roasted florets and crunchy grains of raw, riced cauliflower.
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Easy 3-Ingredient Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
These crispy, spicy cauliflower bites are great eaten as is, stuffed into a taco, or as the star of your grain bowl.
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Healthy Cauliflower Recipes
Cauliflower is a great option for a healthier twist on many kitchen favorites.
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Grilled Chipotle Lime Cauliflower Steaks
We love vegetables with a good set of grill marks. These cauliflower steaks are smoky and spicy, with a squirt of lime and flurry of cilantro.
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Air Fryer Cauliflower
Tender, golden brown air-fried cauliflower is the perfect side dish for any meal on your plan.
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Buffalo Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps
In this recipe, roasted cauliflower florets are doused in Buffalo wing sauce and wrapped up in crunchy lettuce leaves for a vegetarian take on Buffalo wings.
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Creamy Coconut Cauliflower Soup
Answer the call of creamy comfort food with this nourishing, Whole30- and Paleo-friendly soup.
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Broccoli and Cauliflower "Coleslaw"
This riff on classic coleslaw swaps cabbage for crisp, chopped broccoli and cauliflower florets, finished off with crunchy almonds and a tangy dressing.
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Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
This plant-based bar-style snack is unbelievably crispy, thanks to one smart step.
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Grilled Open-Faced Cauliflower Banh Mi
Grilling the baguette and the cauliflower florets adds bold, smoky flavor to a vegetarian banh mi.
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Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Bowls with Avocado and Green Tahini
A hearty vegetarian grain bowl packed with spicy roasted cauliflower, avocado, and a simple green tahini sauce.
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Pasta salads can be some of the freshest, most summery foods in your repertoire. Here we have a fresh salad tossed with olive oil, cauliflower, and bright green edamame.
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Cauliflower Cake
Fluffy, tender, and moist with cauliflower but well-seasoned with onion, herbs, and cheese, this cauliflower cake is a winner.
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