Spicy Roasted Cauliflower with Miso Chili Sauce
Sides | Published Sep 27, 2021 | Updated Sep 26, 2021 | By Tawnie
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Spicy Roasted Cauliflower to the rescue!
We’ve been in a side dish slump over here but things are looking up with this beauty. The miso chili sauce makes a simple vegetable exciting again and you’ll be craving it with everything.
We also love these Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts and these Roasted Sweet Potatoes!
Roasting veggies is by far our favorite way to enjoy them and since cauliflower is still all the craze you’ll have to jump on the bandwagon and try out this great side dish!
They are off-the-charts delicious, easy to make and something new to try out in your kitchen. I can’t wait for you to try them.
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh Cauliflower: choose a firm, white cauliflower with compact florets. The leaves should be crisp and green with no signs of yellowing. Cauliflower is one of our favorite cruciferous veggies, and it’s high in Vitamin C and contains a fair source of iron.
- White Miso: Miso is a fermented soybean paste and white miso specifically is light colored and sweet. It’s quite nutritious, having rich amounts of B vitamins and protein and is used in sauces, soups, marinades, dips, salad dressings, etc.
- Chili Garlic Sauce: We buy the Huy Fong brand. It’s bright red and adds the perfect amount of spice to the roasted cauliflower.
- Sesame oil: Use toasted sesame oil if you have it, if not untoasted sesame oil is perfect!
- Other ingredients needed: garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, green onions
Step by Step Directions:
You’ll take the classical approach of tossing the cauliflower florets in olive oil, salt and black pepper and then roast them. The sauce will instantly turn everyone into cauliflower lovers! You’ll be able to easily whip these up in 30 minutes or less.
- Wash and cut the cauliflower into florets.
- Toss cauliflower with olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Spread cauliflower into a single layer on a baking sheet and roast until slightly charred, golden brown and tender, ~20 minutes.
- Make miso chili sauce while cauliflower is roasting. It’s perfect for a dipping sauce or you can toss all of the cauliflower in the sauce so they are completely coated.
- Garnish with green onions and red pepper chili flakes. Boom, done! Easy roasted cauliflower for the win.
Tips and Variations
- This recipe is super adaptable: garnish with cilantro instead of green onions, use lime instead of lemon, hot pepper jelly instead of the chili sauce, or add seasonings like smoked paprika and onion powder. You have my blessing to make it however you’d like. 😊
- If using frozen cauliflower, do not let the cauliflower thaw prior to roasting. It’s convenient using frozen for recipes like this. However, I do prefer using fresh!
- Double the batch to make some for meal prep, or just to have for leftovers to snack on.
- Preheat the baking sheet: while you chop up the cauliflower, stick the sheet pan in the oven while it’s preheating. This will create a hotter surface for the cauliflower and make them extra crispy and crunchy!
- Toss cauliflower about halfway through so they can roast evenly.
- Cut the florets into a uniform size so they can cook evenly.
- Pre-chop cauliflower a few days in advance, cover and refrigerate for easy side dish prep.
- Reheat: simply reheat cauliflower on the stovetop, oven, or air fryer just until heated through.
- Smaller florets will take ~15-20 minutes total to cook. If you cut them into larger florets, plan to cook for a few minutes longer, ~25 minutes total.
FAQ
How do you make roasted cauliflower without it getting mushy?
Hate when this happens! Prevent it by drying the cauliflower florets after washing to ensure all moisture is gone. Also, don’t overcrowd them on the baking sheet.
How long does roasted cauliflower last?
Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
How do I cut cauliflower?
Pull the leaves off. Slice in half with a chef’s knife, down through the stem. Cut into florets and discard the core.
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Spicy Roasted Cauliflower with Miso Sauce
Spicy Roasted Cauliflower is made exciting with a spicy hit of chili garlic sauce and red pepper chili flakes and white miso paste to add depth and balance the flavors.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 207kcal
Ingredients
- 1 medium cauliflower cut into small florets
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3/4 tsp. salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper or to taste
Miso Sauce
- 2 Tbsp. white miso
- 1 Tbsp. chili garlic sauce
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice (~ juice of 1/2 a lemon)
- 1 tsp. garlic, crushed
- Garnish: green onions, red pepper chili flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F
- Place cauliflower florets into a large bowl. Add olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat.
- Spread out cauliflower in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until dark brown and crisp underneath, ~15-20 minutes.
- Turn cauliflower over, roast on second side for another ~5 minutes or until the second side is crisp.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the ingredients for the miso garlic sauce in a bowl.
- Spoon sauce over cauliflower or serve on the side. Scatter sliced green onions on top and a sprinkle of red pepper chili flakes. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Bake time will slightly vary depending on the size of your florets.
- This recipe is super adaptable: garnish with cilantro instead of green onions, use lime instead of lemon, hot pepper jelly instead of the chili sauce, or add seasonings like smoked paprika and onion powder. You have my blessing to make it however you’d like. 😊
- If using frozen cauliflower, do not let the cauliflower thaw prior to roasting. It’s convenient using frozen for recipes like this. However, I do prefer using fresh!
- Double the batch to make some for meal prep, or just to have for leftovers to snack on.
- Preheat the baking sheet: while you chop up the cauliflower, stick the sheet pan in the oven while it’s preheating. This will create a hotter surface for the cauliflower and make them extra crispy and crunchy!
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Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 859mg | Potassium: 446mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 6IU | Vitamin C: 69mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg
Hi, I’m Tawnie!
Welcome to my tiny “korner” on the Internet! I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who loves cookies as much as kale. (OK, maybe I like cookies a little bit more but shh, don’t tell anyone). I am so glad you’re here! Follow along for hassle free, realistic and approachable recipes.
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this is seriously the best recipe for cauliflower ever and so easy we love it!
This was delicious! Such a great way to jazz up cauliflower.
This recipes jazzes it up for SURE! Great way to put it, thank you so much Kyndra. xo, Tawnie
I’ve been in a side dish slump too and this recipe sounds like a perfect remedy. I’m always happy to find a recipe that helps me use up the miso in the back of my fridge! I love how much flavor miso adds to food.
There’s always a little miso in the fridge that needs to be put to use, haha! Thanks so much Jen!!
We are big fans of roasted cauliflower this spicy version looks and sounds fabulous. Love the dipping sauce too!
Thank you Andrea!!
What. a great recipe for perfectly tender, flavorful cauliflower.Oven roasting makes it so sweet and delicious, and the spicy miso sauce recipe is a treasure, too. Thanks for another winner!
Thank you so much Eliza!