Golden roasted Caramelized Cauliflower with Tahini & fried onions. A delicious gluten free, Paleo, Vegan, low calorie dish that makes a tasty side or appetizer! Gluten Free, Paleo, Vegan, Low Calorie
Sometimes the best food inspiration comes from your favorite restaurant. If you’re been reading for awhile, then you know my all-time favorite local restaurant is Pita Jungle. Their menu is a plethora of Mediterranean style dishes that are mix of fresh, heat and spice.
One of the many things I love about their dishes is how they’re made with simple, everyday ingredients that are so incredibly delicious. When I go there, the problem becomes deciding which dish I want. Not a bad problem to have, right?
A few months ago, I ventured outside of my usual three menu suspects (because you can never have too much of a good thing) and ordered a dish I’ve never ordered, caramelized cauliflower with onions and tahini sauce. Something about the name jumped out at me or maybe it’s just that I’m a lover of cauliflower and tahini.
It definitely wasn’t the onions because that’s one food I could live without any day. When I got the dish, let’s just say this appetizer dish became my main dish. The dark, roasted cauliflower florets dipped into that creamy tahini sauce with it’s bit of tang was enough to convince me these two were a pairing meant to be. From that moment on, I was on a mission to make my own version at home. Until I forgot about it.
It wasn’t until Sesame King replied to my spicy black bean hummus without tahini tweet asking if I’d create a recipe with tahini that I remembered how much I wanted to re-create this fantastic recipe. What’s even more awesome is they had so many great flavors to pick from I was able to put my own twist the recipe using their garlic flavored tahini. The result? Well, I might be biased but I’d argue mine’s a smidgen better than my favorite local restaurant chain. So get your dipping fingers ready because this appetizer is one you won’t want to share!
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- 1 head of cauliflower, cleaned, leaves removed & cut into florets (about 4 cups)
- 1 small white onion, halved & sliced thinly (about 2 cups)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3-4 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp parsley
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ⅛ cup Sesame King Roasted Tahini
- Preheat oven 425 degrees
- Place cauliflower in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Add ¼ tsp each salt & pepper to cauliflower
- Bake cauliflower 15 minutes then turn on the broiler on high to cook another 5 minutes
- Remove cauliflower from oven & place aside
- While cauliflower is cooking, heat a medium pan to medium high
- Add extra virgin olive oil to the pan
- Once the oil is hot, add the onions to the pan
- Cook the onions until tender, stirring constantly
- The onions can burn fast so watch carefully & remove when tender 8-10 minutes otherwise they will burn
- Place onions on a paper towel & add ½ tsp salt & pepper
- To the pan you used to cook the onions, turn the heat to low & add minced garlic
- You should have enough oil left in the pan otherwise add a tiny bit more
- After a minute, turn heat off add lemon juice, paprika, 1 tbsp parsley, tahini & whisk in 12 tbsp warm water to thin (I added 12 tbsp to mine)
- Be sure to continuously whisk the sauce as you're adding the water or it may burn
- Place cauliflower in a bowl, add onions to the top then spoon tahini over it (I like to reserve about half the sauce for dipping)
- Sprinkle remaining cauliflower on top & enjoy!
What I Used For The Recipe
What’s one food you could live without? Do you re-create your favorite restaurant dishes?
Caramelized veggies always win! I don’t think I go out often enough to get good ideas from restaurants!
I don’t go out much anymore either. Too much eating out traveling for a lot of years.
I’m lucky in that I order things that I can easily copycat because I’m always like DON”T YOU LOAD THAT WITH BUTTER. That said, some things just can’t be replicated.
Houlihan’s spinach and artichoke dip being one of them. I grew up with that, and it still is a top 5 dish for me 😀
oooo or Chili’s chicken crispers 😀
I’m the same with ahi tuna and sushi. I will not make them at home. Just not worth the effort & fear of messing up how I remember them.
this sounds like an amazing way to eat cauliflower! I haven;t had tahini since my jar ran out a few months ago and miss it so much! Gonna enter in this giveaway!
Tahini is great for dipping, drizzling, sautéing, basically whatever you want to do with it!
Hi Megan! Ahhh good for you for branching out with your order. This sounds absolutely delicious. I’m such a fan of Mediterranean food!
Me too! I could eat it everyday.
Seriously Megan I would eat this for days. I’m obsessed with tahini lately. It’s just perfection with fall veggies! Can’t wait to try this!! Hope I win
I’m not sure why I don’t use it more often?
I love cauliflower and this recipe sounds amazing!
Thanks Hayley!
What is this Pita Jungle you speak of!??! I want one in my life!! And this dish sounds amazing. I just love veggies. You can eat them so many different ways.
You need to come to Phoenix Ashley!
Yum tahini! I can’t live without peanut butter. But I never eat out.
I don’t eat out much either. I love to cook too much!
I really love the bean substitution with cauliflower! Cauliflower cooks into such a nice, sweet flavor I can imagine it’s absolutely delicious. Plus makes me feel slightly less bad when I eat more than one serving. 😉
A lot less calories!
One thing I couldn’t life without? Tahini…haha!!! Basically eat it every day! That stuff is just beyond addicting!
I need to eat it more. It’s so good!
I must get back on the tahini train. I go through phases with it for whatever reason. Craving it hard core now!
I can’t wait to see what you create with it!
What are your go-to choices at Pita Jungle? I love going there but I always tend to get the same thing 🙂
Hey Laura! I get the spicy chicken wrap (minus the wrap) or the grilled vegetable salad adding hummus chicken to it.