Flavorful “Cheesy” Vegan Cauliflower Recipe
Cauliflower, so versatile. Bake it, roast it, mash it, or even turn it into rice. This is an easy and flavorful roasted cauliflower recipe. We will be using nutritional yeast in this recipe to give it the “cheesy” flavor while keeping it vegan and lactose free. Nutritional yeast or deactivated yeast is full of cheesy, umami, and nutty flavors. It is also full of protein and nutrients such as B vitamins. If you are not familiar with nutritional yeast, I would describe the flavor as cheesy, nutty, salty, and just a little funky. To me personally, nutritional yeast is somewhat similar to pre-shredded parmesan (the delicious processed one that comes with a green lid).
Ingredients
Cauliflower: An entire medium size cauliflower cleaned and cut into florets, about 1.5 pounds or 4 cups cleaned cauliflower florets. Oil: We used olive oil in this recipe. However any neutral oil will do IE: avocado, sunflower, or canola. Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast. Known for its cheesy and salty flavor, is vegan friendly, a good source of fiber, protein, trace minerals, and B vitamins. It will add a nice “cheesy” flavor to this dish. It can be found in the baking and spices aisle of most if not all grocery stores across the world. Black Pepper: We used fresh cracked black pepper for this recipe. Salt : We used fine kosher salt for this recipe. Onion Powder: Onion powder will add a nice savory note to this dish. Paprika: Use regular or smoked paprika depending on your preferences. Garlic: Use can use either garlic powder or cloves of fresh chopped garlic. Red Chili Flakes: (Optional) Will add a small amount of spice to this dish.
Vegan “Cheesy” Roasted Cauliflower
A recipe for dairy free vegan "cheesy" oven roasted cauliflower.
Ingredients
- 1 Head of cauliflower cleaned and cut into bite sized florets.
- 1.5 Tbsp Nutritional yeast
- 0.5 tsp Salt
- 0.5 tsp Paprika powder
- 0.5 tsp Garlic powder
- 0.25 tsp Onion powder
- 1.5 Tbsp Oil
- pinch pinch Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425.
- Toss the cauliflower florets in the oil and seasonings.
- Place cauliflower on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Cook for 15-18 minutes or until desired doneness.
- Once out of the oven serve and enjoy warm or let cool slightly and serve on top of a hearty salad.
Serving Suggestions:
- This dish goes great with cooked chicken, pork, beef, and chickpeas, and tofu
- Try it as a side dish for any cooked meats.
- Try it cold or room temperature on top of a hearty salad.
Tips & Tricks:
- Check on the cauliflower to check for doneness, cook 1-2 minutes less if you still want a crunch or a 1-2 more if you want it fully soft.
- If you do not want to use nutritional yeast, feel free to use very finely chopped walnuts to keep it plant based. If you are not dairy-free you can use shredded parmesans cheese.
- If you want to make the preparations for this dish even easier, feel free to buy pre-cut and cleaned cauliflower.
