Roasted Cauliflower, Raisins & Capers

This roasted cauliflower dish has to be one of my favorite vegetarian sides. It's sweet, salty, bright & tangy. Serve it over quinoa to make a full meal!

Roasted Cauliflower with Capers & Golden Raisins

I’ve had cauliflower on the brain lately. Over the last few weeks while everyone was craving chocolate-covered Valentine’s treats, I couldn’t get enough of this salty, sweet roasted goodness.

I first had a similar version alongside a salmon dish at Mulberry, a restaurant/wine bar that we frequent. However, since this has been on the menu, we’ve been “frequenting” a little too much. When you go back again and again for the same twenty-seven dollar dish, I figure it’s time to learn how to make it yourself.

This is so simple and it makes for such an elegant side dish. I haven’t always been a fan of cauliflower, but roasting it makes all the difference in the world. It brings out a sweet caramel-y flavor and creates a texture that has a nice bite.

Make this a full meal by serving it alongside any protein of your choice. Or plate it on a bed of quinoa, black rice, or mixed greens. Minimal effort is required – just a couple of minutes to chop the cauliflower, arrange the ingredients on a baking sheet and pop into a hot oven.


5.0 from 1 reviews

Roasted Cauliflower, Raisins & Capers

 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
This easy vegetarian side dish would be a great addition to a holiday table. Alternatively, toss it with a cooked grain to make it a full meal!
Author:
Recipe type: Side dish, salad
Serves: 4 as a side
Ingredients
  • 1 head cauliflower, broken into small pieces*
  • 1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1-2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
  • 1-2 tablespoons agave or sweetener of your choice
  • A few handfuls arugula
  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained
  • 2 tablespoons golden raisins (soak for a few minutes if they’re not plump)
  • 2 teaspoons minced tarragon
  • Sea salt and fresh black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
  2. Break or chop cauliflower into small pieces.
  3. Prepare 1 to 2 baking sheets with parchment or foil. Place cauliflower on baking sheets so the pieces are not touching. Drizzle with olive oil, white wine vinegar, and agave and toss with pinches of salt and pepper. The amount you use will depend on how much cauliflower you have and if you prefer to cook with more oil or with less.
  4. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until deeply golden and caramelized (not burnt, but just before). Remove from oven. While the cauliflower is somewhat hot, toss with the arugula so the arugula wilts just slightly from the heat. Toss in a bowl with capers, raisins, and tarragon and serve.
Notes
*I like to break cauliflower florets apart with my hands to get little trees. This avoids uneven chunks of stalk that you can get from chopping it with a knife.

 

 

8 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it):  

  1. vegan girl
    10.17.2015

    Delicious!!!!!!!!!! Excellent recipe, I love it. I´ll prepare it for all my friends even my not vegan friend Miranda, but I´ll need add it 24 tea spoons of sugar, because they love anything sweet, jeje.

    • jeanine
      10.19.2015

      so glad you liked it 🙂

  2. Stella
    08.24.2014

    This recipe is delish. But I happened on it by accident. Can you please list it in your recipe index? Meanwhile, thanks for the fantastic blog. You’re helping this meat eater love veggies.

  3. I’ve only recently discovered (and fallen in love with roast cauliflower), and early this week had it with a raisin caper emulsion — it was delish!! 🙂

  4. I swear you have the SAME exact taste in food as I do, each recipe after another – you post things that I am either already in LOVE with eating or would be. I am obsessed with roasted cauliflower, I love the addition of raisins and capers. Brilliant. I really love your blog! So glad I found you.

  5. Heather from sundaymorningbananapancakes.blogspot.com
    02.24.2012

    I know I am not in the majority when I tell people I LOVE Cauliflower; this is such a great spin on classic roasted Cauli, which by itself is amazing; but with your add ins this looks to be a super amazing meal!

  6. What a beautiful dish. I also love roasted cauliflower. I saw another recipe pairing cauliflower with raisins and I’ve been wanting to try that combo. I love your recipes!

  7. Caitlin from theveganchickpea.blogspot.com
    02.21.2012

    i love roasted cauliflower! i really like the addition of raisins and capers in this dish.

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.