A beautiful head of Almond Crusted Whole Roasted Cauliflower! It’s covered with a creamy almond and lemon sauce that’s baked to perfection.
I wish I could explain to you how much I LOVE this Almond Crusted Whole Roasted Cauliflower recipe. I don’t know what it is, I’m just so very much obsessed and can’t stop making it every single week. I’ve come to realize that I have a special place in my heart for vegetables. I really do love them! I think part of my excitement is just having to come up with a new and exciting way to eat them. Not to mention making it easy and beautiful!
For the longest time I was extremely intimidated by roasting a whole head of cauliflower.
- Would I burn the outside?
- How would I make it flavorful?
- Is it really that much more exciting than roasting florets?
Turns out, it’s VERY exciting and much cooler than just roasting up some veggies on a sheet pan (my go-to). A pan of roasted veggies is delicious, but this takes it to a different level!
All you need to do is trim the leaves and stem of the cauliflower so it can stand flat, like the photo above. ⬆️
Then steam the whole thing, make the INCREDIBLE creamy, crunchy, lemony sauce, slather it on and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.
This is now my favorite thing to serve for company!! I can’t wait for you to try it!
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A beautiful head of cauliflower covered with a creamy almond and lemon sauce that's baked to perfection.
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of cauliflower
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise ((I love the Primal Kitchen brand))
- 1/3 cup almonds, roughly chopped ((feel free to use another nut if you can’t have almonds))
- 1/3 cup parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- juice from half a lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Trim the cauliflower on the bottom by removing the leaves and cutting the stem so it sits flat.
- Take a large pot and add 1 inch of water to the bottom. Bring it to a boil and add the cauliflower to the pot (on a steamer basket or not) with the stem side down. Cover pot, reduce heat to low and steam for 12-15 minutes until the stem of cauliflower can easily be pierced with a knife. It should not be falling apart, just tender.
- Meanwhile, make the spread. In a bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, almonds, parsley, salt and lemon. Set aside.
- When cauliflower is done, set aside to cool for about 15-20 minutes. Once cool, flip cauliflower over and begin to spread the mayonnaise mixture on the bottom and inside as much as possible. Spread the remaining amount on top and all around the cauliflower. Place in a baking dish or cast iron skillet and bake for 15 minutes until lightly browned on top. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately!
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Lizzy
I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to try this on company! It looks amazing and so original!
Life is but a Dish
It’s the best for company!!
Erin Pfeiffer
Yum. Should the almonds be chopped/slivered or whole? Thanks for all your delicious and inspiring food!
Life is but a Dish
Either!!
Emily
Are the almonds supposed to be crushed or anything before going in the sauce?
Life is but a Dish
Just chopped!
Dana Katz
Nut free option??
Life is but a Dish
Sunflower seeds!
Julie
I made this and it was delicious! But…I try to avoid using mayonaise. Any substitutes for the mayo? My husband loved it until he new that it was mayo.
★★★★
Tara
Made this for Christmas Eve dinner and it was a showstopper on the dinner table. What an interesting and delicious way to present cauliflower as a side.
★★★★★