Roasted cauliflower with orange-balsamic drizzle is an easy, jazzed-up side dish with a touch of rich, earthy tangy-sweetness. Yum!
Honestly, roasted cauliflower is so good on its own that you don’t even need the drizzle, but I have to say, the balsamic orange reduction does add a unique flavour combination that makes this dish just a little bit special.
I got the idea of blasting it in a hot 500F oven from Chef J. Kenji López in a recent Food and Wine Magazine. Not only is the roasting time cut down, but the caramelization on the cauliflower looks and tastes great. The roasted cauliflower makes a great side for Cedar Planked Grilled Whole Chicken.
The dish takes less than 30 minutes to make and only has 7 ingredients so it’s simple to prep and make. If you want an even simpler version with just 4 ingredients, just roast the cauliflower and forget the drizzle.
Tailor To Your Taste
- Instead of the orange-balsamic drizzle:
- add a teaspoon of curry powder to the oil before roasting, then garnish the finished dish with chopped cilantro, or
- sprinkle the cauliflower with 1/2-3/4 cup grated Parmesan and lemon zest before roasting. Garnish with chopped parsley
- Omit the sesame oil
Make Ahead Roasted Cauliflower
- Roast the cauliflower ahead of time (a minute or two less on each side). When ready to serve, warm it in the oven at about 350F for 4-5 minutes then drizzle on the orange-balsamic reduction just before serving.
Roasted Cauliflower With Orange-Balsamic Drizzle Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Orange-Balsamic Drizzle
- juice of 1 large orange
- 1/2-1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500F
- PREPARE CAULIFLOWER: Cut cauliflower in half. Rinse well and pat dry with paper towels. Remove green leaves and the bottom part of the core/stem. Cutting from the core side, cut each half into 4 wedges. Lay wedges on a pan lined with foil and sprayed with oil. Mix olive and sesame in a small cup and brush wedges on all sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- ROAST: Roast cauliflower for 10 minutes on one one side, gently flip over with tongs or spatula, then roast for another 10 minutes on other side.
- MAKE DRIZZLE: While cauliflower is roasting, add all orange-balsamic drizzle ingredients to a small saucepan. Heat to medium high and cook for about 3 minutes or until reduced and slightly thickened (enough to coat back of a spoon).
- FINISH AND SERVE: Transfer cauliflower to a plate, drizzle with balsamic-orange reduction and serve.
Other simple side dishes you might like:
Chinese Stir-Fry Green Beans get the recipe
Pesto and Vegetable Orzo get the recipe
Cauliflower Rice with Pesto get the recipe
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