Our Best Cauliflower Recipes

July 01, 2015
Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Cindy Barr
From pizza crusts to casseroles, cauliflower has a variety of unexpected uses. Join the cauliflower craze by checking out our best cauliflower recipes. Roasted caulfilower takes on a world of new flavors when seasoned to perfection and served alongside some of your favorite dishes or even enjoyed on their own. 
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Crispy Cauliflower Bites with Herbed Yogurt Dip

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Prop Styling: Sarah-Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Deb Wise
Crispy Cauliflower Bites with Herbed Yogurt Dip Recipe

Even your most carnivorous meat-eating guests won’t be able to resist these crispy, spiced cauliflower bites. Offering the perfect balance of hearty crunch and bright, tangy sauciness, our cauli-bites are a grade-A vegetarian appetizer for entertaining, tailgating, and beyond. You can find berbere at supermarkets like Whole Foods or online; and if this Ethiopian spice blend is new to you, be prepared, you’re gonna wanna add it to everything. 

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Keto Shepherd’s Pie

Time Inc. Video Studio 
Keto Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

Swapping in a cheesy cauliflower mash for carb-rich white potatoes makes this family favorite keto-friendly, while keeping it every bit as hearty and comforting as you want a shepherd’s pie to be. 

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Blackened Tilapia And Cauliflower Polenta

Photo: Jen Causey; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey and Gordon Sawyer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Blackened Tilapia And Cauliflower Polenta Recipe

Finish this dish with a pop of freshness from a fresh garnish and serve with lemon wedges. Don't worry if you don't have those things on hand—this healthy recipe will still be delicious without them. 

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Tandoori Cauliflower

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Styling= Blakeslee Giles, Audrey Davis
Tandoori Cauliflower Recipe

With its warm, spicy, and almost meat-like flavor and texture, this cauliflower dish can be served as a side or a vegetarian main dish that still feels hearty. As a unique way to serve cauliflower, it looks impressive but is easy to pull together. Feel free to make the yogurt sauce ahead of time.

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Butternut-Cauliflower-Coconut Curry

Photo: Jennifer Causey
Butternut-Cauliflower-Coconut Curry Recipe

A range of textures--crunchy peas, tender vegetables, and silky coconut broth--makes this cool-weather main incredibly satisfying. The chickpea mixture can also be a delicious gluten-free snack: After baking, toss with a little kosher salt, ground cumin, and ground red pepper.

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Crispy Cauliflower, Mushrooms, and Hazelnuts over Polenta

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen
Crispy Cauliflower, Mushrooms, and Hazelnuts over Polenta Recipe
Cauliflower stars in this polenta dish full of mushrooms, hazelnuts, Parmesan cheese, and more.
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Cauliflower Au Gratin

Cauliflower Au Gratin Recipe
This cauliflower dish is a delicious substitute for a potato dish.

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Veggie Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower
Veggie Pizza with Cauliflower Crust Recipe
Cauliflower is used to create a delicious crust in this veggie pizza recipe.

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Roasted Cauliflower

Randy Mayor; Lydia DeGaris-Pursell
Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
Mellow, slightly sweet roasted garlic and onions round out the flavor of cauliflower.
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Cauliflower Hummus with Green Olives

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower
Cauliflower Hummus with Green Olives Recipe

Try a unique twist on our classic hummus recipe using cauliflower florets as the key ingredient. Before serivng, top hummus with 1 tablespoon cauliflower and olives for a beautiful presentation that's sure to impress guests.

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Cauliflower Chili

Meredith Food Studios
Cauliflower Chili Recipe

Oscar Wilde famously espoused “Everything in moderation, including moderation.” That is the spirit of this recipe. It isn’t attempting to make chili super low-calorie. It is attempting to mitigate the calories while retaining full pleasure. And it takes advantage of the texture and mild flavor of the current darling of the pantry, riced cauliflower. Readily available in pretty much any produce section of your local grocery store, or easily made by pulsing cauliflower florets in your food processor, this vegetable adds bulk to a chili while cutting the calories from meat literally in half.

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Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling; Tina Bell Stamos
Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce Recipe

Tender cauliflower topped with a velvety smooth Cheese Sauce is a favorite side dish among kids and adults. This version, from Southern culinary legend Nathalie Dupree, is as easy to prepare as it gets. Steam the cauliflower in a steamer basket, then drain and top with cheese sauce and crunchy browned breadcrumbs.

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Cauliflower Pizza Steaks

Meredith Food Studios 
Cauliflower Pizza Steaks Recipe

This pizza may not have any dough, but that doesn’t make it any less satisfying. The cheese, meat, and pepperoni come at the forefront, so you get the feeling that you’re eating pizza before you realize you’re eating cauliflower. The crisp, roasted, and slightly salty cauliflower is an easy alternative to a cauliflower-based crust that you can actually pick up with your hands. Plus, no extra equipment, like a food processor, is needed. 

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Louisville Hot Browns with Cauliflower Mornay

Photo: Line T. Klein; Styling: Paige Hicks
Louisville Hot Browns with Cauliflower Mornay Recipe

A Kentucky classic gets a modern twist with a light but creamy cauliflower puree that stands in for the traditional cheese sauce.

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Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Cauliflower Pizza Crust Recipe
This cheesy cauliflower pizza crust is—dare we say it—even better than bread.
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Cauliflower Risotto Cakes

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen
Cauliflower Risotto Cakes Recipe
These excellent cakes are a triple threat - they are perfect as an appetizer, side dish, or as part of an entree.

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Seared Scallops with Cauliflower Purée

Photo: John Autry; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross
Seared Scallops with Cauliflower Purée
Pair sea scallops with a cauliflower and potato purée for an elegant yet weeknight-friendly meal

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Curried Cauliflower Gratin

Caitlin Bensel
Curried Cauliflower Gratin Recipe

Serve this hearty side over cooked brown rice for a meatless main dish.

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Loaded Cauliflower Soup

Ryan Liebe
Loaded Cauliflower Soup Recipe

If you love the flavors of a loaded baked potato—think cheddar cheese, crisp bacon, and the bright bite of chives—but are on a low-carb diet, then this soup is for you. We swap out the spuds for cauliflower and swirl the whole thing into a soup that has just 12g of carbs per serving—not bad for a hearty meal. 

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Golden Cauliflower "Risotto"

Photo: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Randy Mon
Golden Cauliflower "Risotto" Recipe
Tiny florets of cauliflower mimic rice in this rich, creamy dish. Golden cauliflower adds appealing color, but the recipe works just as well with the white variety. Try it with pan-roasted brussels sprouts.

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Cauliflower Turkey Tetrazzini

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
Cauliflower Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe
The genius trick to this unique turkey tetrazzini is using flavor-packed Cauliflower Salad in the sauce. Pureed, it becomes creamy and luscious. Any leftover turkey, or even rotisserie chicken, will work here.
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Crispy Cauliflower Cakes with Arugula Salad

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Kellie Gerber Kelley
Crispy Cauliflower Cakes with Arugula Salad Recipe
For a satisfying meatless dish, top these cauliflower cakes with herb sauce to enjoy them over an arugula salad.

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Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Photo: Johnny Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr
Roasted Cauliflower Soup Recipe
Enjoy the sweetness of roasted cauliflower in this creamy soup.

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Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower

Photo: Maria Robledo; Styling: Anna Last
Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower Recipe
This recipe creates a creamy, cheesy, and cauliflower-filled comfort dish.
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Cauliflower Piccata

Meredith Food Studios
Cauliflower Piccata Recipe

These thick cauliflower steaks are cooked through yet firm enough for a meaty bite, making them the perfect keto or meat-free meal. Topped with flavorful sauce, they’re pretty much effortless. To make this dish vegetarian-friendly, simply swap vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock.

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Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Photo: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Dan Becker
Creamy Cauliflower Soup Recipe
In this soup, onions and cauliflower blend into deliciously smooth puree.

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Cauliflower Panko Pakoras

Photo: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Karen Shinto
Cauliflower Panko Pakoras Recipe
Coat cauliflower florets in crunchy breadcrumbs and bake until browned and crispy to prepare this delicious appetizer.
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Gratin of Cauliflower with Gruyère

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr, Jan Gautro, Leigh Ann Ross
Gratin of Cauliflower with Gruyère Recipe
Gruyere’s nutty, earthy flavor pairs well with cauliflower in this dish.

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Brown Butter Cauliflower Mash

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey
Brown Butter Cauliflower Mash Recipe
This mashed cauliflower recipe is an alternative to mashed potatoes and features pureed cauliflower flavored with browned butter and Parmesan cheese.

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Cauliflower and Green Onion Mash

Photo: Jan Smith
Cauliflower and Green Onion Mash Recipe
Similar to mashed potatoes, this side dish features a slightly coarser texture and yet a more delicate taste. Roasting on high heat deepens the cauliflower flavor.
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Red Pepper-Cauliflower Soup

Sheri Giblin
Red Pepper-Cauliflower Soup Recipe
Red peppers give this cauliflower soup gorgeous color and smooth texture.

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Creamed Cauliflower with Herbed Crumb Topping

Becky Luigart-Stayner
Creamed Cauliflower with Herbed Crumb Topping Recipe
The creamy, cheesy flavor of this cauliflower dish contrasts with the garlic-flavored crumb topping.

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Cauliflower Rotini

James Carrier
Cauliflower Rotini Recipe
Try this recipe for a simple, flavorful cauliflower pasta dish.
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Cauliflower and Red-Pepper Chowder

Randy Mayor; Lydia DeGaris-Pursell
Cauliflower and Red-Pepper Chowder Recipe
Cauliflower and red bell peppers meld together to create this flavorful chowder.

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Cauliflower, Pasta, and Cheese Gratin

Randy Mayor
Cauliflower, Pasta, and Cheese Gratin Recipe
Get your comfort food fix with this creamy cauliflower, pasta and cheese gratin. Add hot sauce for a little more zip and enjoy with a green salad for a satisfying family-style dinner.

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Cauliflower Masala with Tofu

Photo: Romulo Yanes
Cauliflower Masala with Tofu Recipe
Try this Indian-inspired cauliflower dish for dinner tonight. We suggest serving with lime wedges and warm naan.
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Green Curry Stew with Potatoes and Cauliflower

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen
Green Curry Stew with Potatoes and Cauliflower Recipe
This recipe combines cauliflower, beans, potatoes, and chickpeas with curry paste, ginger, and cumin to create a flavorful stew.

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Cheesy Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Victoria Cox
Cheesy Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
This dish combines the sweetness of roasted cauliflower with cheesy penne pasta.

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Cauliflower Gratin

Photo: Travis Rathbone; Styling: Megan Hedgpeth
Cauliflower Gratin Recipe
Ditch the potatoes! How about this rich and creamy veggie side instead?
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Roasted Cauliflower with Dijon Vinaigrette

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower
Roasted Cauliflower with Dijon Vinaigrette Recipe

Two great cauliflower textures in one dish: caramelized florets and silky puree.

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Cauliflower Korma

Cauliflower Korma
Cauliflower Korma Recipe

Korma is a creamy, mild curry and a great way to introduce complex and fragrant spices to your cooking to make meatless mains more satisfying. Blend some of the hot cooking liquid with the yogurt first so it won't separate in the finished dish.

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Mustard-Glazed Salmon Fillets with Roasted Cauliflower

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Claire Spollen
Mustard-Glazed Salmon Fillets with Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
Roasted cauliflower pairs as the perfect side to these salmon fillets topped with a sweet mustard and honey glaze.
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Cauliflower and Chickpea Quinoa with Tahini Drizzle

Photo: Squire Fox; Styling: Carla Gonzales-Hart
Cauliflower and Chickpea Quinoa with Tahini Drizzle Recipe
Combine cauliflower and chickpeas to create this healthy quinoa dish.

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Cauliflower and Fennel with Dijon-Cider Vinaigrette

Photo: Jason Wallis; Styling: Cindy Barr
Cauliflower and Fennel with Dijon-Cider Vinaigrette Recipe
This simple side of Cauliflower and Fennel with Dijon-Cider Vinaigrette may be just the ticket to get you past your childhood aversion to this veggie. The dijon-cider vinaigrette is what really seals the deal.

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Fried Cauliflower with Tahini and Pomegranate Seeds

Photo: Johnny Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr
Fried Cauliflower with Tahini and Pomegranate Seeds Recipe
Enjoy fried cauliflower with the bright, zippy taste of cilantro and covered with pomegranate arils.