30 Best Cauliflower Recipes

These easy cauliflower recipes showcase how versatile cauliflower can be! They include fresh salads, creamy pastas, and everything in between.

Who else loves cauliflower recipes?! I’m a fan of this humble veggie not just because it’s delicious (which it is) or healthy (also true), but because it’s so darn versatile. It can blend into creamy soups and sauces without the help of nuts or dairy, and it can transform into a low-carb substitute for noodles or rice. You can boil it, steam it, sauté it, roast it, or even eat it raw. My question is, what can’t cauliflower do?

Because cauliflower is one of the vegetables I cook most often throughout the winter and early spring, I thought now would be a perfect time to highlight some of my best cauliflower recipes. Even if you’re on the fence about cauliflower, I hope you’ll try one. Cauliflower is so flexible that if you don’t like it prepared one way, you’ll surely enjoy it cooked another. Trust me, you’re bound to find some cauliflower recipes you love!

Our Best Cauliflower Recipes

Roasted Cauliflower

If you’re new to cooking cauliflower recipes, roasted cauliflower is a great place to start. Tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper, the florets become beautifully tender and caramelized as they bake in the oven. You’ll want to eat them straight off the sheet pan!

Cauliflower Rice

This veggie “rice” is super simple to make. Just pulse raw cauliflower in a food processor until it has a fine, rice-like texture. Use it as a substitute for regular rice, or mix the two together to sneak extra vegetables into your favorite rice recipes.

Cauliflower Soup

This savory, nutty soup is rich and creamy, but entirely dairy-free. The blended cauliflower creates its luscious texture without any help from milk, cheese, or cream!

Roasted Cauliflower Steak

These plant-based “steaks” are a stunning vegan main or side dish. I serve them over a swoosh of arugula pesto with fresh herbs, golden raisins, and briny capers on top.

Easy Coconut Curry

This comforting vegetable curry is filled with butternut squash, spinach, and tender cauliflower. Add tofu or chickpeas to make it a heartier meal!

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

A fun veggie spin on buffalo chicken wings! They’re crisp around the edges, tender in the middle, and dripping with spicy buffalo sauce. Serve with vegan ranch for dipping!

Roasted Cauliflower Tacos

I could eat these tacos every night of the week! They’re fresh, flavorful, and—best of all—super simple. Blend up a zesty avocado sauce while the veggies for the filling roast in the oven. Then, just assemble and serve!

Cream of Mushroom Soup

This homemade mushroom soup is a far cry from the canned stuff. It’s rich and savory, with a crave-worthy creamy texture that comes from blended cauliflower(!), not cream.

Cauliflower Pasta

In this bright and briny pasta, tender cauliflower florets play off a crisp breadcrumb topping. It’s a pretty magical combination—you have to try it!

Curried Lentil Salad with Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower

This hearty salad is a satisfying meal prep lunch. Spiced lentils and paneer cheese pack it with protein, and turmeric roasted cauliflower adds a veggie punch. My zesty cilantro lime dressing takes it all over the top!

Whole Roasted Cauliflower

This whole roasted cauliflower is one of the best cauliflower recipes for a special occasion! It looks stunning, it’s mouthwateringly tender, and spices like cumin and paprika pack it with rich flavor. Even my meat-loving dad can’t resist seconds!

Air Fryer Cauliflower Bites 

This addictive appetizer is one of the most popular cauliflower recipes on Love & Lemons, and for good reason. The breaded cauliflower florets are crispy, smoky, salty, and spicy. You won’t be able to get enough of them!

Roasted Cauliflower Salad

I could rave about this recipe all day long! It’s brimming with exciting textures and flavors. Olives add briny flavor, dried apricots add sweetness, and toasted almonds give it a nice crunch. Top it off with poppy pickled onions and lots of tahini sauce.

Curried Cauliflower Soup

This curry-spiced soup is fantastic on its own, but I like it even better with a swirl of kale pesto on top. It adds bright, fresh flavor, and it’s pretty, too—the green pesto creates a gorgeous contrast with the yellow soup.

Crispy Cauliflower Po’ Boy

You won’t find any meat or seafood tucked into this hearty po’ boy sandwich. Instead, it’s overflowing with breaded and baked cauliflower florets, lettuce, tomatoes, and a creamy, smoky remoulade sauce.

Cauliflower Fried Rice

When you want to fill up on veggies, make this recipe! A whole head of cauliflower acts as the “rice,” with shiitake mushrooms, edamame, kimchi, garlic, and ginger mixed in for satisfying texture and punchy flavor. I love it with a fried egg on top.

Fettuccine Alfredo

The secret to this pasta’s rich and creamy texture? A little butter, a little Parmesan cheese, and a whole lotta blended cauliflower! It’s lighter than the classic dish, but no less delicious.

Romesco Cauliflower Sandwiches

If you ask me, tangy romesco sauce and roasted cauliflower are a match made in heaven. Here, I layer them into sandwiches with juicy tomato slices, fresh parsley, and salad greens for crunch.

Roasted Veggie Grain Bowl

This bowl is the sort of thing I love to make on a weeknight. While the veggies roast, I cook a pot of quinoa and whizz up the vibrant pesto sauce. The whole thing takes under 30 minutes to make, and it’s energizing and flavorful. Yum!

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

This ironic recipe contains neither mac nor cheese, but we love it all the same. A gooey, tangy vegan cheese sauce coats tender cauliflower florets. I go back for seconds (erm…thirds) every time I make it.

Air Fryer Vegetables

Like roasted vegetables, but even quicker to make! Dress them up with a squeeze of lemon juice and Parmesan cheese for a 10/10 side dish.

Cauliflower Rice Kimchi Bowls

A ginger-coconut sauce adds rich flavor to these grain- and gluten-free bowls. They’re light and refreshing, but still satisfying, thanks to creamy avocado, sautéed mushrooms, and hearty baked tofu.

Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos

These tacos are great for game day…but once you try them, you’ll want to add them to your regular dinner rotation too. Packed with buffalo cauliflower, fresh veggies, and vegan ranch, they’re so flavorful and SO fun!

Mashed Cauliflower

Move over, mashed potatoes! This mashed cauliflower is creamy, nutty, and light as a cloud. It’s a delicious side dish, especially with a pat of butter or a ladle of mushroom gravy on top.

Lemon Pesto Spaghetti Squash

I LOVE spaghetti squash, but not when it’s drowned in marinara. Instead, I like to use it in this light, lemony bowl that’s complete with pesto, roasted cauliflower, and pine nuts for crunch.

Cauliflower Rice Burrito Bowl

Diced mango adds a surprising sweetness to this very-veggie burrito bowl.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Greek yogurt and blended cauliflower create the creamy, tangy base of this unconventional (but totally irresistible) spinach artichoke dip.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Tiny cauliflower florets add texture to these peppers’ zesty black bean and rice filling.

Chipotle Cauliflower Nachos

Can you guess the secret ingredient in that gooey vegan cheese sauce? Yup, it’s cauliflower! Balance the sauce’s smoky flavor with refreshing pineapple salsa.

Blueberry Smoothie

Are you wondering what this smoothie is doing in a list of cauliflower recipes? It has frozen cauliflower inside it! It makes the smoothie insanely creamy, and I promise you can’t taste it!

Cauliflower Recipes: Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients

• 1 medium cauliflower, trimmed, tough leaves removed
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, for sprinkling
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Break the cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread evenly on the baking sheet. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until browned around the edges.
• Season to taste with more salt and pepper and toss with the lemon zest and parsley. Or keep it plain and use in any recipe that calls for roasted cauliflower.

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