Cauliflower is a great healthy side dish as it is rich in vitamins and contains choline, an important nutrient for keeping the brain healthy. However, it is usually quite a flavourless vegetable. It usually gets a bad reputation for being boring to eat, but this is usually because it is being cooked wrong, as steaming or boiling it will cause it to lose a lot of its taste and nutrients.
Katie Kick, a cook and founder of Good Life Eats, has shared that the key to making really tasty cauliflower is not cooking it on the stove, but roasting it in a little olive oil. She said, “Don’t steam cauliflower. Definitely do not boil cauliflower. Cooked at higher heat, roasted vegetables begin to caramelise and develop a delicious, nutty flavour that can’t be achieved through steaming or boiling. No one likes soggy or mushy vegetables.”
Roasting cauliflower is the most effective way to cook it as the natural sugars in the vegetable will caramelise, to create a texture that is both crisp and tender.
This simple method also enhances the flavour, bringing out subtle nutty and sweet notes in the cauliflower. Seasoning will also enhance the taste even more.
Olive oil not only helps the cauliflower become golden and flavourful, but also allows herbs and spices to stick to it.
This results in a much tastier vegetable that you will genuinely enjoy, rather than feel obligated to eat.
How to make tastier cauliflower
You will need:
- One head of cauliflower
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
To begin, preheat the oven to 220C, and then line a tray with baking paper. Wash and chop the cauliflower into even-sized florets. Place the florets in a bowl and add a few teaspoons of olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper. If you wish, you can add more seasoning to the cauliflower, such as paprika, minced garlic, rosemary, lemon juice, or even chilli flakes.
It is also really popular to add Parmesan to vegetable side dishes, but you should add it halfway through roasting so you do not burn the cheese.
Place the cauliflower in the oven and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cauliflower is golden. Flip halfway through if you want each side to be evenly caramelised.
Once it comes out of the oven, your roasted cauliflower will be full of flavour and a far more delicious alternative to the bland boiled alternative.