A beautiful, healthy cauliflower side dish that’s truly bursting with big, bold, delicious flavors? Yes! Roasted cauliflower can be just as delicious as its carb-laden counterparts, and this crispy, savory preparation proves it. Buttery panko, cauliflower roasted to the point of caramelization, and toasted pine nuts—rich, rich, rich flavors that are to die for, but need a little lift. That’s where vinegar-plumped golden raisins come in! Sweet raisins are brought back to life with a quick simmer in chicken broth and white wine vinegar. They emerge from the pan warm and juicy, with a gorgeous zing that will wow everyone around your table. For another stunning cauliflower side dish, try our stunning Whole Roasted Cauliflower recipe, and for even more inspiration, check out our 20 Best Cauliflower Recipes.
Ingredients
Cauliflower: You’ll need about one large head of cauliflower.
Golden raisins: Don’t substitute regular raisins here. They really need to be the light and bright ones for the dish to look inviting and delicious.
Pine nuts: Rich and buttery, we love how they bring out the richness and sweetness of the roasted cauliflower.
Butter: Salted butter is our go-to for savory recipes like this.
Panko: Light and airy, panko is the best. Read more about this ingredient we love below!
White wine vinegar: The color of the vinegar matters here, because we want the golden raisins to stay golden.
Extra-virgin olive oil: For roasting the cauliflower. Regular olive oil would work fine here, too.
Stock: We used chicken stock, but to make this healthy side dish vegetarian, use veggie stock.
How To Cut Cauliflower into Perfect Florets
Using a sharp knife on a clean cutting board, carefully cut the cauliflower in half through the big, main middle stem. Now you can clearly see where each floret is attached to the main stem.
With the tip of your knife, cut each floret off at the base of its stem. You can also snap the florets off of the main core stem by hand, if that feels easier for you. Once you've cut or broken all of the florets away from the core, you can cut them into smaller florets, if you'd like to.
Wash the cauliflower florets after you've cut them—they'll get a lot cleaner washed as tiny florets than if you wash the whole head before cutting.
How To Roast Cauliflower
“Roasting” means high heat, so boldly crank your oven to 425°F.
Toss the cauliflower florets in olive oil, salt and pepper.
Pop it in the oven for about 45 minutes.
Done! You could stop here, and serve the roasted cauliflower right out of the oven. But with a 45 minute roasting time, you’ve got time to take things over the top.
Ingredient Spotlight: Panko
Panko—a type of Japanese breadcrumb—is a pantry staple in our homes for its light, airy, flaky texture and unique ability to bring exactly the crispy-crunchy texture we’re looking for to so many dishes. Panko is made from bread flakes rather than breadcrumbs, and so the texture that it gives to dishes like this crispy roasted cauliflower with panko and golden raisins is light and delicate. Toasting the panko lightly in butter is our way of adding a little heft and richness to this vegetarian side dish—a little butter makes everything better.
More Creative Veggie Side Dish Ideas
The Perfect Menu Addition
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