Did you also dread cauliflower when you were a kid? You’d be surprised that this is one vegetable that can blend well with a lot of main dishes. You can turn it into delicious cauliflower sides or even a main dish! Here are four great ideas on how to create side dishes with cauliflower.
Side Dishes With Cauliflower: Roasted Garlic Cauliflower
This really simple yet delicious dish requires only four key ingredients: Minced garlic, chopped parsley, parmesan cheese, and olive oil.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. While waiting for the oven to heat up, place the olive oil, garlic, and cauliflower into a resealable bag.
Shake it up and let all the mixture soak into the cauliflower. Pour everything out into a greased casserole dish.
Season the dish with salt and pepper to taste, then let it bake for 25 minutes, stirring it halfway through. Top the dish off with Parmesan cheese and parsley, then let it broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until nice and golden brown.
You could also add this dish to your list of air fryer cauliflower recipes because this works and cooks well in an air fryer.
And if you’re looking for vegan cauliflower recipes, this recipe also works. Just replace the Parmesan cheese with nutritional yeast, and you’ll have a tasty vegan dish.
Cauliflower Fried Rice
This dish only takes 10 minutes to prepare and cook. It’s like making fried rice, but healthier, and you don’t have to wait for the rice to cook.
All you need is a food processor to grind up the cauliflower to mimic the texture of rice. I bought mine from Hamilton Beach on Amazon for $25, which works fantastic! You could also use a blender instead of a food processor.
For this recipe, you’ll need some soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, white pepper, garlic, eggs, and any vegetables you choose.
Place your cauliflower in a food processor and pulse for 2-3 minutes or until it resembles the texture of rice. Heat some vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add in some vegetable oil, and then add in garlic.
Stir it around until golden brown. Then add in the vegetables of your choice. Stir for another 3~4 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Add the pulsed cauliflower, eggs, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and white pepper. Keep stirring for another 3~4 minutes. Garnish with any toppings of your choice. (I like putting a little green onions and hot sauce… yum!)
Cheesy Cauliflower Pasta
This can be your go-to side dish if you’re looking for cauliflower with cheese recipes. Adding some cauliflower to your warm, cheesy, comforting bowl of pasta adds a healthy spin to it.
For this recipe, you’ll need the following: garlic, grated Parmesan, butter, breadcrumbs, toasted pine nuts, chili flakes, and pasta, of course.
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place a head of chopped cauliflower on a sheet pan and some garlic cloves. Drizzle some olive oil, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Roast it for about 30 minutes, and toss it occasionally to cook evenly.
In a large bowl, combine a cup of grated Parmesan, three tablespoons of butter, two tablespoons of toasted pine nuts, a quarter-cup of toasted breadcrumb, and just a pinch of salt.Â
Boil your choice of pasta according to the directions on the package. Reserve about half a cup of the pasta water and mix it into the Parmesan-butter mixture.
Toss in the cauliflower and the garlic cloves, and wala! You have yourself a scrumptious and hearty pasta that’ll satisfy all your cheesy cravings.
Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad
Broccoli and Cauliflower… It’s like yin and yang. This recipe for broccoli cauliflower salad is so effortless to make, and it’s different from your average Caesar salad. (Not that we don’t love Caesar salad, but sometimes we want to switch it up a bit!)
For this recipe, you’ll need some bacon (optional), broccoli, red onions, sugar, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, vegetable oil, and some seafood seasoning.
Cut some red onions into thin slices and then soak them in ice water. This will temper the sharp flavor. Cook the bacon on medium heat or until crisp and golden brown.Â
In a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1/4 cup of mayonnaise, and 1/2 teaspoon of seafood seasoning. Plate the broccoli, cauliflower, onions, and bacon together.
Then pour that delicious sauce mix all over! This will beat all the other cauliflower salad recipes you know!
Takeaway
These side dishes with cauliflower can elevate any main dish that you cook. You can season them the way you like or even create sauces that blend well with them. Think about this list as ideas for a healthy alternative to the side dishes you know.