30 Crazy-Delicious Cauliflower Recipes to Instantly Upgrade Your Veggie Game
Yes, cauliflower can be made into rice and whipped up like potatoes, but it's also delicious all on its own.
Cauliflower has graduated beyond a standalone side dish. Many people, especially those trying their hardest to create new and exciting vegetarian meals, prepare this cruciferous veg as a flavorful main. It's a wonderful low-carb swap in many traditional recipes where you would rely on potatoes, rice, and noodles, but it also can be manipulated into replacing entire entrées, from steak to pizza. Cauliflower can help supplement a vegetarian or vegan meal as it's one of the best vegetables to satisfy hearty appetites — plus, it can stand up to many indulgent ingredients, from cheese to rich sauces to fragrant spices.
More often than not, however, cauliflower shines when it's prepared as part of a hearty, wholesome dinner. It can be simply sautéed in a drizzle of olive oil, alongside fresh garlic, a splash of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt, a great accompaniment to any lean protein you may be serving. A whole roasted head of cauliflower can be stretched into many different meals: Scattered into a hearty stew, added to your most bountiful salad recipes, or thrown into a creamy pan sauce for a quick pasta dinner.
Whichever way you choose to serve it, adding these cauliflower recipes into your weeknight routine is a no brainer. A strong source of bone-strengthening vitamin K, cauliflower is also chock full of natural fiber and a suite of essential nutrients, not to mention its rather low calorie count (more room for cheese!!). These 30 recipes are full of healthy ideas you'll actually enjoy eating — plus a few better-for-you indulgent treats you can feel great about.
Roasted Cauliflower Pizza
We know you're probably expecting a cauliflower crust — but cauliflower makes for a wonderful pizza topping as well! Keep your flatbread simple with just five delicious ingredients.
Sausage Cauliflower Skillet Casserole
Cauliflower can be just as indulgent as it is wholesome. Sweet Italian sausage, farro, and white beans accompany a bed of cauliflower in this skillet dinner.
20-Minute Cauliflower Soup
You don't need an Instant Pot to make a soup in just mere minutes that tastes like it's been bubbling for hours. Another hack? Subbing frozen cauliflower for fresh options if you're short on time.
Kale and Roasted Cauliflower Salad
Cauliflower shines in any of your favorite salads, really, but we've engineered everything about this kale and cauli bowl to be perfect. The lemon-enhanced olive oil dressing is too good for lettuce alone, so we added a handful of must-haves (cheese! nuts!) to make it that much better.
Cheesy Keto Mashed Cauliflower
Keto dieters know all too well that a hankering for a big bowl of potatoes (or pasta!) can't be satisfied easily. Cauliflower mash is a delicious alternative that'll definitely scratch your itch in a jiffy.
Cauliflower "Popcorn"
We love to graze on this healthy (but fun!) snack while watching the big game or while binging a new show. Roast your cauliflower nuggets for just 25 minutes and they're suddenly much more snack friendly than before.
Chimichurri Cauliflower "Steaks"
Adios, meat. This classic Argentinian steak dish takes a vegetarian-friendly turn when cauliflower is sliced, roasted, and topped with a flavorful green sauce.
Keto Cauliflower Soup
Thinking of trying the keto diet? Rule #1: Cauliflower is one of your best friends. Add this soup into your weekly rotation for your best diet ever.
Cauliflower Benedict
Bye, english muffins! Who needs em? You certainly won't miss them in this classic take on Eggs Benedict, where poached eggs and Canadian bacon sit atop fried cauliflower toast.
Steak and Cauliflower With Caper Relish
A steak dinner in just 30 minutes! The secret? Keeping it as simple as possible: Fresh chiles, parsley, and capers add big flavor to this roasted cauliflower without too much effort.
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
We often call upon cauliflower to swap out potatoes, rice, and bread — so why not classic macaroni, too?! You'll need to dry out your cauliflower thoroughly after blanching it to truly achieve that "al dente" effect.
Roasted Cauliflower Salad
Making a big batch of salads for meal-prepped lunches can be somewhat tricky, as you don't want them to get soggy. Cauliflower, however, stays quite firm in place of traditional spring mix or spinach.
Lemony Salmon With Pesto Cauliflower Mash
You can serve this pesto cauliflower mash with many different cuts of meat throughout the week. Make a batch on Sunday and serve up through Thursday night.
Ham, Cheese and Cauliflower Galette
Savory galettes can be even sweeter at mealtime than its dessert alternative. A great option for brunch, a flaky, buttery crust holds oodles of crumbled cauliflower folded into cheesy goodness.
Cauliflower Tots
If you have an air fryer, you can zap these cheesy bites to crunchy perfection in just a few minutes. An oven-baked version also works for making plenty of batches for a weekend brunch.
Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin
Trick the kids into eating not one, but two cruciferous veggies in one sitting with the help of this gruyere cheese blend.
Bang Bang Cauliflower
Looking for a crowd-worthy vegetarian appetizer? Ditch shrimp and toss your crunchy cauliflower in this classic spicy, tangy sauce that'll have everyone reaching for seconds.
Cauliflower Bisque With Brown Butter Croutons
What's not to drool over? Silky smooth cauliflower purée is made even better with the brightness of fresh scallions and the added crunch of homemade croutons.
Cheesy Cauliflower Soup with Kale Pesto
How do you make cauliflower classy? Serve it as a soup, topped with truffle oil, homemade croutons and kale pesto.
Chorizo and Green Chili Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Sure, you're replacing the "mac" with cauliflower, but cream, butter, cheese and chorizo keep this casserole well within in the "comfort food" category. Bonus: It's ready in 30 minutes.
Grilled Buffalo Salmon with Celery Slaw
Spicy "Chicken Pizza" Parm
Grilled Balsamic Eggplant Boats
Watermelon Soju
