After a trip to Aviv, a plant based Israeli restaurant in Portland, Oregon, I was really impressed. A lot of Israeli food is already plant based, but not all of it. It was inspiring to try their versions of shawarma and labneh, but what stuck with me the most was their fried cauliflower. I got home, and thought, I need to make something like that! Inspired, I bring you this easy vegan recipe for roasted cauliflower with lemon tahini and za’atar that can be cooked in the oven or air fryer.
Two things…
- ・For this recipe, you can either roast the cauliflower florets in the oven or use an air fryer. Directions are provided for either approach.
・While this recipe uses kalamata olives, you can add a medley of any of your favorite olives.
This makes a great as a side dish. It can also be incorporated into a grain bowl. And once you taste it, you’ll wonder why you weren’t always smothering your roasted cauliflower with lemon tahini dressing and sprinkling it with za’atar!
Discover additional UVK recipes, like Air Fryer Za’atar Chickpeas, Vegan Cauliflower Leek Soup, Smoky Roasted Chickpeas, Za’atar Chickpea Pitas , Curried Cauliflower Soup and more.
Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Tahini and Za’atar
4 cups bite-size cauliflower florets
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp salt
1 batch lemon tahini sauce
Kalamata olives, to taste
Salt-free za’atar (store bought or make your own!), to taste
1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
1. Add the cauliflower florets to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and then, add garlic powder and salt. Stir around until the cauliflower is coated.
2. Now, it’s time to decide how to cook the roasted cauliflower. You can use the oven or the air fryer.
2a. OVEN DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 400º F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spread the cauliflower over the cookie sheet in an even layer. Bake at 400º F for 30 minutes or until the roasted cauliflower looks crisp enough to you. Flip it at the halfway point (~15 minutes into roasting). Move on to step 3.
2b. AIR FRYER DIRECTIONS: Add the cauliflower to the air fryer basket. Air fry at 400º F for 14 minutes (turning the food when the air fryer tells you to or after 8 minutes have passed). Remove when the cauliflower looks crispy enough to you.
3. While the cauliflower is roasting, make the lemon tahini sauce. Follow the directions for making it by clicking here.
4. For the final step, you have two options. You can drizzle the roasted cauliflower with the lemon tahini and top with za’atar and olives. Or you can add the roasted cauliflower to the mixing bowl with the lemon tahini, stir until it’s coated, and then, sprinkle it with za’atar and top with olives. Enjoy as a side dish or as part of a grain bowl.