Recipes

3 Creative Cauliflower Recipes

June 7, 2022  lola Avatar
3 Creative Cauliflower Recipes

Whether you’re throwing a dinner party for friends, or just to whip up a delicious snack at home, you really can’t go wrong with a cauliflower dish. They’re healthy, they’re suitable for vegans and vegetarians and they’re also extremely tasty.

Cauliflower is a great ingredient to base a dish around. It is easy to find and relatively cheap to buy, you can also grow it, which makes it an incredibly cost-effective ingredient to cook with.

Cauliflower Recipes

One of the best things about cooking with cauliflower is that you can make it the key ingredient to base a dish around, or you can add it to other dishes to help improve taste and add some flavor.

You may have already heard of some cauliflower dishes already. Like bang bang cauliflower, which is a popular cauliflower recipe choice for many people looking for a creative and fun cauliflower recipe. It is hot and fiery with lots of firecracker sauce, making it a plant-based whirlwind of flavors.

But you might be thinking, what other tasty cauliflower recipes out there exist? Here are some creative cauliflower recipes that are sure to have your mouth watering and are sure to have your guests coming back for more.

  1. Cauliflower & Bacon Pasta

If you love pasta dishes, then be sure to check out this cauliflower and bacon pasta recipe. It combines everybody’s favorite macaroni and cheese alongside some cauliflower and bacon, resulting in a delicious dish.

This dish is perfect for gatherings, or if you’re stuck on what dish to bring to the dinner party, you can’t go wrong with cauliflower and bacon pasta. The bowl is guaranteed to be licked clean.

Here’s what you need to make it.

Ingredients

  • Streaky Bacon – 200g
  • Dried Pasta – 300g
  • Cauliflower – 1 whole, cut into florets
  • Butter – 25g
  • Plain Flower – 25g
  • Milk – 300ml
  • Dijon Mustard – 1 tsp
  • Grated Cheddar – 140g
  • Wholemeal Roll – 1, beat to breadcrumbs

Optional Additions

Side Salad

Method

Step 1

Preheat your grill to a high enough setting to grill your bacon whilst simultaneously bringing salted water to a boil in a large saucepan. You will then want to grill your bacon slices for around 5 minutes so that they are nice and crispy. Drain any fat or juices off the bacon on a tray or kitchen paper, then cut the bacon into small slices or finely chop it into small bits.

Step 2

Once your bacon is cooked and cut, you will then want to cook your pasta, simply follow the instructions given on the back of the pack. Add your cauliflower florets into the pasta saucepan for the last 6-8 minutes. You want to boil the cauliflower just enough to the point it is tender. Drain your pan, and reserve 2 tbsp of the water it was cooked in.

Step 3

Get a small pan and melt the butter using a low temperature. As it melts, stir in your flour and cook for 2-4 minutes. Gradually add the milk to the mixture, stirring gently between adding each ingredient. Bring the mixture to a nice simmer and cook until it begins to thicken, this will take a few minutes.

Season – Add seasoning to the mixture by adding half of the grated cheese as well as all the mustard. Stir the mixture until the cheese has fully melted and the sauce looks and feels smooth.

Step 4

Pour your cauliflower and pasta back into your pan with the cooking water. Stir in the bacon and cheese sauce. Transfer the combined mixture into a glass baking dish. Sprinkle the rest of the grated cheese along with the breadcrumbs over the pasta. Cook in the glass dish for 5 minutes until golden. Add a side salad to serve.

  1. Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower Soup

A splendid lunchtime dish or the perfect starter. A warm and creamy cauliflower soup certainly won’t go amiss on a cold winter day.

Best served with some fresh, crusty bread.

Here’s what you need to make it.

Ingredients

  • Cauliflower cut into florets – 1 Large (1.5kg approx)
  • Ground Cumin – ½ tbsp
  • Olive Oil – 2 tbsp
  • Thyme Springs – 4
  • Onion, chopped finely – 1
  • Celery Stick, chopped finely – 1
  • Garlic Clove, crushed – 1
  • Chicken or Vegetable stock – 750-800ml
  • Single Cream – 100ml
  • A handful of Parsley chopped finely – ½

Method

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Add cauliflower florets into a large roasting tin alongside 1 tbsp of olive oil, thyme, and the cumin. Roast the mixture for around 15 minutes until tender and golden. Discard all the thyme.

Step 2

Add the remainder of the oil to a saucepan alongside the celery and onion, and fry on medium heat for around 10 minutes until the ingredients have softened. Add in the garlic, and cook the mixture for 1 minute. Stir in the majority of the roasted cauliflower, and keep some to garnish the soup later. Pour 750-800ml of chicken or vegetable stock to your pan and bring the mixture to a light simmer. Cook for around 10 minutes.

Step 3

Use a food processor or hand blender to blend the soup into a smooth mixture. Add the seasoning and cream. Add more stock to thin the mixture if needed. Serve in bowls topped with parsley and cauliflower.

  1. Spiced Cauliflower with Chickpeas, Herbs & Pine Nuts

The ideal snack for any time of day. A tasty middle east styled salad dish.

Here’s what you need to make.

Ingredients

  • Cauliflower, florets – 1 large
  • Garlic Cloves, crushed – 2
  • Caraway Seed – 2 tbsp
  • Cumin Seed – 2 tbsp
  • Olive Oil – 3 tbsp
  • Canned Chickpea, rinsed and drained – 400mg
  • Pine Nut – 100g
  • Dill & Parsley – Small bunch (torn)

Method

Step 1

Preheat oven to around 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Add the cauliflower florets, crushed garlic, spices as well as 2 tbsp oil and seasoning into a roasting tray. Roast for around 30 minutes.Step 2

Add the pine nuts, chickpeas, and the rest of the oil to the roasting tray. Cook for a further 10 minutes. Serve by stirring the herbs in with a dressing of your choice and plate.

Choose Your Favourite

These 3 creative cauliflower recipes just about scratch the surface, there are so many more to choose from. Which one is your favorite?



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Skill Level

Easy