Kim Always Hungry

Za’atar Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower with Sun-dried Tomatoes

A flavorful side dish or a hearty vegetarian main.

Disclaimer: This page (and every other page on this website) includes the use of affiliate links. If it doesn’t, I’m doing something wrong and that will change expeditiously. Why? I’m trying to get paid, y’all! Rest assured, everything I promote is something I personally use or believe in. 

The cauliflower slander stops here. Gone are the days of flavorless, bland vegetables, and cauliflower is no exception. Turmeric and Za’atar seasoning create a base layer of flavor, while the arugula and sun-dried tomatoes add vibrancy. This dish is sure to impress at your next potluck or shake up your weeknight menu.

Cauliflower comes in a few different colors: white, yellow/orange, purple, and green. I like to use the white cauliflower as it provides more of a blank canvas for the colors in this particular recipe but I haven’t noticed much of a difference in flavor between them. Because of its texture, cauliflower is great for vegans and vegetarians looking for a non-processed meat substitute. Cauliflower is one of my personal favorite vegetables to work with because of its neutral flavor and high density. One serving is quite filling and it tastes like whatever I decide to season it with. For this recipe we’ll let za’atar seasoning do the heavy lifting for flavor.

What is Za’atar seasoning?

Za’atar seasoning is a Mediterranean spice blend that consists of thyme (or oregano, marjoram, or similar soft herb), sumac, sesame, kosher salt, cumin, and black pepper. *please note that sumac is in the cashew family for those with food allergies* It is an extremely versatile seasoning blend that I find myself reaching for beyond making Mediterranean dishes. Feel free to make your own seasoning blend if you have the ingredients on hand. I usually just buy it from my farmer’s market because I am a lazy gworl.

Most recipes that involve an oven tell you to preheat as a first step. This seems like a tremendous waste of energy to me. Let’s gather our mise en place before turning the oven on.

Evenly coat the cauliflower with the seasoning mix and the grapeseed oil. You can add some salt here if you’d like. I prefer to add a finishing salt at the very end but if you don’t have any, now is the time to add salt. Do not skip adding salt to the dish as the seasonings need a vehicle to transfer flavor to your tongue. Not a lot of salt is needed but you will need some. Be sure to check if your Za’atar blend has salt added.

Set the cauliflower aside and start a fire underneath a skillet. I prefer to cook with stainless steel but non-stick will work here too. You’re going to want to even coat the bottom of the pain with a neutral cooking oil and toast the pine nuts. Be careful that the oil isn’t too hot because pine nuts do burn quickly. They are not cheap either. Toast the pine nuts until golden brown and set aside.

Arrange the seasoned cauliflower in a shallow baking pan and pop it into the oven. While that is baking, make your spicy aioli. I like to use serranos because of their vibrant green color and higher heat level. If these are beyond your limits, you can use jalapenos for a medium or poblanos for mild. Any pepper will work in a pinch but the green color really pops against the red and yellow featured in this dish. The aioli is super easy to make. Pepper, mayo, oil, and garlic are all you need. Again, this sauce is extremely flexible so please use whatever is shouting out you. When the cauliflower is done, you’ll add the other ingredients, drizzle with aioli, and top with pine nuts.