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Whole Cauliflower Dinner Recipe

This deeply flavorful one-pan vegetarian dinner pairs tender whole cauliflower with chickpeas, kale, artichokes, and a creamy spiced tahini sauce for a hearty, show-stopping meal.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean, American
Keyword: hearty vegetarian entrées
Servings: 4 to 6
Calories: 333kcal

Ingredients

For the Tahini Sauce

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • teaspoons lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • teaspoons minced or puréed garlic
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

The Vegetables

  • 1 (approx. 1-pound) whole cauliflower
  • cups thinly sliced onion
  • cups (approx. ½ pound) thinly sliced, peeled carrots
  • 4 cups (about 6 ounces) packed roughly chopped Tuscan kale leaves
  • 1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts
  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Instructions

Make the Tahini Sauce

  • In a small bowl, combine the oil, tahini, honey, Dijon, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, smoked paprika, ground cumin and salt. Use a whisk to blend until it's smooth. Set aside.

Cook the Cauliflower

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove most of the cauliflower leaves and cut the toughest portion of the root end off. (Be sure to leave a few leaves which help keep the cauliflower intact while it's cooking.)
  • Rinse the cauliflower and then gently place it, root side up, in the boiling water. Once the water comes back to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and simmer until it's tender, 8 to 10 minutes. (Test it by sticking a fork into it - if it slides out easily, it's ready.) Use kitchen tongs to remove it from the water, and place it on a kitchen towel to drain. Set aside.

Cooking the Remaining Vegetables

  • Place an ovenproof skillet over medium heat, coat the bottom with olive oil, and add the onion. Cook until soft and golden, about 7 minutes.
    Add about 1 tablespoon of the tahini sauce and mix. Add the carrots and cook until tender, about 4 minutes.
    Then add the kale with about ¼ cup of water. Cook until it's wilted and soft, about 5 minutes.
    Now add the artichokes, chickpeas, and a couple more tablespoons of the tahini sauce. Mix and cook just to heat everything through.

Assemble and Broil

  • Turn on the broiler, and remove the skillet from the heat, and move all of the vegetables to the side of the pan, creating an empty space in the middle. Place the cooked cauliflower, round side up, in the center of the pan. Coat the entire surface of the cauliflower with the remaining sauce. It's easiest to spread it with the back of the spoon or a pastry brush. Mix any excess sauce into the vegetables along the sides.
    Place the pan so the top of the cauliflower is a few inches below the broiler and broil just to brown and caramelize the sauce, about 5 minutes. (Broiling times will vary depending on your oven, and it might go very quickly, so keep an eye on it!)

Serve!

    Notes

    Nutritional information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an estimate.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Sodium: 804mg | Potassium: 1283mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 38965IU | Vitamin C: 235mg | Calcium: 668mg | Iron: 5mg