Roasted Cauliflower with Harissa Tahini (Side Dish)

Why You'll Love this Harissa Roasted Cauliflower

• Crispy, spicy, nutty and creamy
• Delicious combination of fresh flavors and textures
• Simple recipe using simple ingredients
• Nutritious and healthy side dish
• Naturally vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free

Ingredients

This recipe is broken down into three components: roasting the cauliflower, toasting the pine nuts and preparing the harissa tahini sauce. The toasted pine nuts and harissa tahini are done while the cauliflower roasts, making it an efficient use of time that creates so much flavor when all are combined.

See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full ingredient list with quantities.

• Crispy oven roasted cauliflower - This roasted cauliflower recipe brings out a delicious, savory flavor that always surprises me with how tasty it is!
• Toasted pine nuts - This is a quick stovetop process that produces buttery, toasty pine nuts for topping everything with a boost of plant-based protein. True Food Kitchen uses pistachios which are also a great choice here.
• Medjool dates - The chewy texture and sweetness of dates is an unexpected pairing that brings this dish to life. Don't skip them!
• Fresh herbs - I really load up on my favorite herbs here! Fresh mint and dill just take this dish into "mind blown" territory. Trust me on this one!
• Homemade harissa tahini sauce - You can adjust the amount of sauce to your spice tolerance, but I personally cannot get enough of it! It consists of:
  • Runny tahini - A new jar works best! I like to keep it at room temperature before I use it. Coating the cauliflower with tahini adds protein and delicious nutty flavor. My favorite brand is Soom which I get at Sprouts or Whole Foods.
  • Hot filtered water - Don't use cold water!
  • Harissa paste - I use and love Trader Joe's brand.
  • Maple syrup - Use pure maple syrup for a totally natural, refined sugar-free sweetener.

How to Make Roasted Cauliflower with Harissa Tahini

1. Roast the cauliflower. In summary, cut a cauliflower head into small florets and toss with olive oil, black pepper and garlic powder. Place florets on a large baking sheet (flat sides down) and roast at 425 degrees F for 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Sprinkle and toss with salt after roasting. While it cooks prep the dates, herbs, pine nuts and harissa tahini sauce.

2. Toast the pine nuts. Add pine nuts, olive oil and salt to a skillet and sauté over low heat for 5-7 minutes until golden brown. Set aside.

3. Prepare the harissa tahini sauce. In a measuring cup or small mixing bowl, whisk together the tahini, hot water, harissa paste, maple syrup and salt until smooth and pourable. Make sure the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout. The sauce will thicken as it sits. Add more water to thin if needed (1 tablespoon at a time). Set aside.

4. Assemble the dish. Once the crispy cauliflower is roasted, remove from the oven and transfer to a serving bowl. Pour half the harissa tahini sauce overtop and gently toss with two spoons. Add diced dates, fresh herbs and toasted pine nuts and gently toss again. Taste and add the remaining sauce if desired (or save the rest for other use - it pairs wonderfully with falafel and most roasted veggies!

5. Serve immediately. This dish is best served fresh. Serve with lemon wedges for added freshness or garnish with sesame seeds, pomegranate seeds or red pepper flakes.

Recipe Tips

Ensure crispy cauliflower. When you roast cauliflower, it is important to dry it really well after washing to get rid of all moisture (I'll even let it sit on the counter for an hour sometimes). Also, cut the florets evenly into small pieces and space them out on the sheet pan so that they are not touching.

Adjust the harissa tahini to taste. Add more harissa paste for more spiciness, maple syrup for more sweetness or more salt to bring out the flavors further. You may also want to add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for brightness.

Experiment with different nuts. Nuts add a beautiful crunch and any would work. I personally love the butteriness of pine nuts the most with this dish. My brother (who is allergic to all nuts except almonds) made this dish using sliced almonds and loved it as well!

Storing and Reheating

This delicious side dish is best when served fresh. For leftovers, allow it to cool to room temperature first and then store it in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to three days.

For best results, reheat in the oven and then toss with more sauce and fresh herbs before serving.

What is Harissa?

Harissa is a Tunisian hot chili pepper paste usually made with roasted red peppers, Baklouti peppers, spices and herbs. It's spicy and flavorful, and creates such an amazing sauce when combined with the creaminess of tahini.

After I tested this recipe I had extra harissa tahini sauce on hand and Bobby was coveting it all week long! He used it on everything he ate to give it a creamy, nutty, spicy flare.