Roasted cauliflower has become one of my favorite vegetable side dishes lately. It’s highly adaptable to lots of different flavor combinations. It has a mild, somewhat nutty flavor when roasted. And this roasted turmeric cauliflower recipe proves how delicious this simple vegetable can be. It’s perfectly spiced with turmeric and coriander and tossed with crunchy pistachios, sweet craisins, and bright lemon juice.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This roasted cauliflower is perfectly spiced and loaded with flavor, thanks to the herbs, craisins, pistachios, and lemon. It’s the kind of side dish that steals the show.
- Cauliflower is a nutritive cold-weather vegetable rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to support heart, brain, and digestive health.
- Turmeric is well-loved for its ability to support a healthy inflammatory response in the body, as well as healthy digestive function.
- The craisins add subtle sweetness to balance the earthiness of the turmeric cauliflower, and the pistachios add that much-needed crunch to the whole dish.
- It holds up well in the fridge and is just as delicious eaten cold the next day.
Making The Roasted Turmeric Cauliflower
Some basic knife skills are all you need for this easy roasted cauliflower recipe. Once you’ve prepared your cauliflower florets, it’s as simple as toss, roast, toss, and serve!
The Ingredients
To make this roasted turmeric cauliflower recipe, you’ll need…
Cauliflower – The start of the show. Select a firm and compact head of cauliflower with tightly packed florets and a creamy white color.
Avocado oil – This is my preferred oil for roasting vegetables because of its neutral flavor and high smoke point.
Turmeric – Turmeric powder has a fairly mild earthy, musky flavor with a peppery aftertaste. Curry powder is a decent alternative, though the cumin in curry powder will change the flavor a bit.
Coriander – I like to use whole coriander seeds and crush them myself using my beloved mortar and pestle. They tend to have more flavor that way. But powdered coriander works just fine, too. Cumin can work in place of coriander, though it isn’t a perfect alternative. If you decide to use cumin, I’d cut the amount in half as cumin has a tendency to dominate.
Garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt – To round out the seasoning.
Pistachios – I’ve been a little obsessed with pistachios and feel like they pair perfectly with the spices in this dish. But almonds, walnuts, or pine nuts would also be delicious.
Craisins – The touch of sweet-tart flavor from the craisins balances the more earthy flavor of the cauliflower and spices and adds a lot of interest to the dish. Dried cherries or dried apricots would also work.
Parsley – I love adding loads of parsley to roasted vegetable dishes. It adds a fresh flavor and the pop of green is just so pretty.
Lemon juice – A squeeze of lemon juice brightens the whole dish up and really helps enhance and bring together all the other flavors.
The Method
Like I mentioned above, the hardest part of this recipe is just chopping the cauliflower.
Start by preheating the oven to 425° Fahrenheit and lining a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Next, take the head of cauliflower and place it on the cutting board, flat stem-side down. Cut the cauliflower in half and then into quarters. Remove the center stem from each quarter by cutting it off at an angle. Then, use your hands or a knife to break the florets into roughly equal sizes.
Place the cauliflower florets into a large bowl with avocado oil, turmeric, coriander, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
Spread the cauliflower into an even layer on the large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Set the bowl aside for future use.
Roast the cauliflower in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Give it a toss and roast for another 15-20 minutes until the cauliflower is beginning to brown a bit.
While the cauliflower roasts, roughly chop the pistachios, craisins, and parsley. Add them to the large bowl you used for the cauliflower and set aside.
When done, transfer the roasted cauliflower to the large bowl with the pistachios, craisins, and parsley. Top with lemon juice and toss to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Leftovers are best eaten cold or at room temperature.
Let’s Talk Health Benefits
The information in this post is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is always best to work with a qualified healthcare professional before incorporating herbs into your diet.
Health Benefits of Cauliflower
Cauliflower is loaded with vitamin C and rich in fiber, folate, and B vitamins. This nutrient-dense winter vegetable supports healthy digestion and cardiovascular function
It’s also a good source of several antioxidants that have been shown to have anti-cancer properties, including glucosinolates, isothiocyanates, carotenoids, flavanoids, and sulforaphane.
Cauliflower is also a top source of choline, a key nutrient many people don’t get enough of in their diet. Choline is important for maintaining cell membranes throughout the body and supporting brain health, mood, and memory.
Health Benefits of Turmeric
Turmeric is well-known for its anti-inflammatory properties but that’s actually a bit misleading. Turmeric isn’t actually “anti” inflammatory at all. Rather than reducing inflammation in the body, turmeric helps to support the body’s ability to modulate the inflammatory response properly without suppressing it. This is an important distinction because inflammation is a healthy response to things like injury or acute infection.
When consumed regularly, turmeric has also been show to support liver function, digestive function, heart health, blood sugar regulation, and brain health.
Health Benefits of Black Pepper
I’ve gotten into the habit of adding freshly cracked pepper to just about everything I eat (within reason, of course). That’s because black pepper is more than just a delicious spice. It’s also a powerful way to increase the bioavailability of the food you eat.
This popular spice helps make it easier for your body to absorb the nutrients in food. And when paired with turmeric, specifically, it increases the bioavailability of curcumin (a key constituent in turmeric) by 2000%!
Black pepper also supports healthy digestion. Like many culinary spices, black pepper is warming and stimulating to the digestive system, which can help relieve symptoms of stagnant digestion like bloating and gas. Its stimulating properties can also be useful in relieving symptoms of cold and flu, as well as used topically to relieve arthritis pain.
Health Benefits of Parsley
I love, love, love parsley. There’s almost always fresh parsley in my fridge. It’s my favorite herb to add to grain salads and toss with roasted vegetables to add a pop of fresh flavor along with loads of impressive health benefits.
Parsley is great for supporting healthy digestion, helping to stimulate digestive function and relieve bloating, gas, and constipation. It also stimulates and supports healthy kidney function.
It’s also rich in sodium, potassium, vitamin K1, folate, and antioxidants. It’s a powerfully health-supporting herb that’s available in just about any grocery store.
Other Posts You May Like
- Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts: This simple roasted cauliflower with lemon is tossed with flavorful spices and topped with parmesan and pine nuts for a truly craveable side. (Dairy-free option, too!)
- Roasted Broccoli and Chickpea Salad: This easy roasted broccoli and chickpea salad is made with almonds, cranberries, and mozzarella. It’s the perfect flavorful cold-weather salad!
- Thyme Roasted Delicata Squash Recipe: This thyme roasted delicata squash recipe is a simple, delicious way to take advantage of squash season. It’s quick to assemble and requires minimal ingredients.
- Lemon Roasted Broccoli With Parmesan And Pine Nuts: This simple lemon roasted broccoli recipe is your new favorite veggie side. It’s topped with pine nuts and parmesan for extra flavor and crunch.
Roasted Turmeric Cauliflower with Pistachios & Craisins
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup pistachios
- ¼ cup craisins
- 1 bunch parsley roughly chopped
- Juice from ½ a lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Cut the head of cauliflower into florets. Place the head of cauliflower on the cutting board, flat side down. Cut the cauliflower in half and then into quarters. Remove the center stem from each quarter by cutting it off at an angle. Then, use your hands or a knife to break the florets into roughly equal sizes.
- Place the cauliflower florets into a large bowl with avocado oil, turmeric, coriander, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
- Spread the cauliflower into an even layer on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Set the bowl aside for future use. Then, roast it in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Toss the cauliflower and roast for another 15-20 minutes until the cauliflower is beginning to brown a bit.
- While the cauliflower roasts, roughly chop the pistachios, craisins, and parsley. Set aside.
- Transfer the roasted cauliflower to the large bowl and add the pistachios, craisins, and parsley. Top with lemon juice and toss to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Leftovers are best eaten cold or at room temperature.
Resources:
- https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/health-benefits-cauliflower
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-cauliflower
- Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients into Foods and Remedies That Heal by Rosalee de la Forêt (April 4, 2017)
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