Celebrate the holidays with this festive whole roasted cauliflower. This delicious entrée is slathered and cooked in a sage and oregano spiced gravy and served on a bed of grains or roasted vegetables for the perfect vegan and gluten-free meal.
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You already know that I am a HUGE fan of cauliflower. I use it for everything!
It makes great keto mashed "potatoes", or "rice". Then, of course, it's my go-to vegetable for creamy sauces like this Skinny Alfredo Sauce (which people have said tastes exactly like the real thing). And the perfect substitution for steak, wings, and Chinese chicken.
Yes, I LOVE cauliflower.
So I decided to bring more cauliflower to my vegan Thanksgiving table this year with this whole roasted cauliflower. You're gonna love it. It's a sweet and buttery cauliflower slathered and baked in a garlic sage gravy that is bursting with flavors and makes the perfect entrée to your Thanksgiving meals.
Let's take a closer look...
What is Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Whole roasted cauliflower is just as it sounds.
A delicious plant-based roast made simply from roasting cauliflower in a homemade sauce or spice blend. When roasted, cauliflower becomes buttery in flavor with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. So decadent! On top of that, cauliflower is the perfect canvas for flavor. Roasted cauliflower can be made with spice rubs, a variety of sauces, or simple citrus and herbs.
Regardless of how it’s seasoned, whole roasted cauliflower makes a delicious and impressive plant-based entrée for any occasion.
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Cauliflower
- Olive Oil
- Vegan Butter - Look for a high-quality non-hydrogenated vegan butter. I recommend either Earth Balance or Miyoko’s.
- Onions - Any color will do.
- Garlic
- Herbs - You will need fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme
- Maple Syrup
- Vegetable Broth
- Cornstarch
Recommended Equipment
You will need an oven-safe pot with a tight fitting lid, a small pot, basic kitchen utensils, and a chef’s knife, and a cutting board. (<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
How to Make Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Step one – Prepare the Cauliflower
To prepare the cauliflower, first remove all the leaves and trim the stem end. Brush the cauliflower generously with olive oil around the top and sides Place it in an oven-safe pot with a tight-fitting lid and set aside.
Step Two – Make the Gravy
To make the gravy, melt the vegan butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and onions and sauté for 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent and fragrant. Stir in the herbs, maple syrup, and vegetable broth.
Make a slurry out of the cornstarch and water, whisking together until the cornstarch has completely dissolved. Slowly add the cornstarch slurry into the gravy, whisking continuously to avoid lumps.
If the gravy feels too thick, feel free to add a bit of water. However, this gravy should be thick enough to hold onto the cauliflower rather than pouring off.
Step Three - Bake the Cauliflower
Turn the cauliflower upside down and pour about ½ cup of gravy into the bottom of the cauliflower. Shake it around so that it fills the cavities. Let the cauliflower sit upside down for a few minutes so that the gravy can absorb into it. Turn it over and pour another ½ cup of gravy over the top.
Brush it around the top and sides of the roast so that it is fully covered. Cover the baking dish and bake for 50 minutes until the cauliflower is tender.
That’s it! Now it’s time to serve.
Serving and Storing
Serving - When ready to serve, heat any additional gravy and add to the roast. Serve this cauliflower roast alongside Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Thanksgiving Stuffing.
Storing - This cauliflower roast does not store well. It should be eaten within 60 minutes of roasting. Leftover cauliflower can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days. To eat, gently reheat in the oven or microwave.
Tips and Tricks
- Roast your cauliflower at hot oven temperature. This will give you the nice brown crust on the edge with the buttery inside.
- Be generous with your oil. Fully coat the cauliflower all around.
- Be generous with your flavors. Cauliflower is an empty canvas and can handle a lot of bold flavors.
- Baking a cauliflower all the way through takes time. Make sure to bake it in a covered baking dish or tightly wrapped tin foil to prevent the outside from baking too quickly.
More Vegan Cauliflower Recipes
- Lemon Pepper Cauliflower Steaks
- Keto-Friendly Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
- Chinese Style Orange "Chicken"
- Red Lentil Cauliflower Curry
More Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
- Vegan Parmesan Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes”
- Cinnamon Orange Cranberry Sauce
- Maple and Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
- Mushroom Lentil Loaf
- Classic Pumpkin Pie
Click here for my full Thanksgiving Menu + Shopping List.
Whole Roasted Cauliflower w/ Onion Sage Gravy
Ingredients
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
- 1 large head of cauliflower
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
Sage Onion Gravy
- 4 tbsp. vegan butter
- ¼ cup onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. fresh sage, minced
- 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 tsp. fresh thyme, minced
- 1 tsp. maple syrup
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F. Destem the cauliflower and place in an oven-safe pot with a lid. Generously brush it with olive oil and set aside.
- Heat up the vegan butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until the onions are translucent and fragrant. Stir in the herbs and sauté for an additional 2 minutes. Add maple syrup and vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile, make a slurry with the cornstarch and water, stirring together until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Remove the gravy from heat and slowly add the cornstarch/water mixture, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Return to heat and boil for an additional minute.
- Turn the cauliflower upside down and Pour ½ cup of gravy into the bottom of the cauliflower. Shake it so that the gravy fills the cavities of the cauliflower. Let it remain upside down for 2 minutes until the gravy has absorbed. Turn the cauliflower right side up and pour an additional ½ cup of cauliflower over the top, brushing it to reach the sides and bottom.
- Place the lid on your pot and bake for 50 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and add additional gravy. Serve with rice, couscous, or roasted vegetables.
Notes
- Roast your cauliflower at hot oven temperature. This will give you the nice brown crust on the edge with the buttery inside.
- Be generous with your oil. Fully coat the cauliflower all around.
- Be generous with your flavors. Cauliflower is an empty canvas and can handle a lot of bold flavors.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Shannon Kennedy says
love these ingredients and the concept for a mostly vegetarian family on thanksgiving but i had to add a lot more cornstarch and eventually just let it boil until it reduced down enough to coat the cauliflower.. too much broth in my opinion. i also had to season a lot to bring out the herb flavor and tripled the herbs. if i did this again i’d do a more traditional roux then add in the herbs, maple, and broth to get better control over thickness. but overall loved!
Belind says
Delicious! Entire family enjoyed it, the best roast cauliflower I’ve attempted so far. Thank you!
Alison LeCompte says
Ooooo M G! Sarah, as soon as I saw this I knew I had to make it!! I ❤cauliflower! I made this for myself for thanksgiving with my family. OMG, I cannot wait to try this tomorrow! It came out great! My cauliflower must have been a bit on the smaller side because I ended up with a TON of gravy but hey the more the merrier! I poured it ALL on! I did have to improvise as I don't have oven safe cookwear, time to invest in some, I used the insert for my pressure cooker and covered it tightly with foil! Worked like a charm.... (but then again I may or may not have used this method for other things already, haha..??) It looks beautiful and smells delicious! Where are you tomorrow!? Thank you for this awesome recipe! Which I already know Im going to love!