Easy roasted cauliflower (air fryer or oven)

Whenever people say they don’t like certain vegetables, I have to wonder how they’ve had them prepared.

Preparation makes such an enormous difference in terms of taste and texture!

While steamed cauliflower is fine, roasting or air frying really takes it up a notch.

Those dark marks from roasting are not only pretty to the eye, they also mean that the cauliflower has a crustiness around the edges, and a nutty, savory flavor.

For this oven roasted or air fryer cauliflower, use bagged cauliflower florets, or break down a head.

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Open it up, and you’ll see a hard middle core. Cut that out.

Once that core is gone, it’s easy to use your hands to break off the florets.

You want the florets to be close to the same size, so that they roast in the same length of time. But some variation isn’t going to make or break anything.

If any of the florets are way too big, tear them apart further or cut them in half.

Now it’s time to choose air fryer or oven…

The standard way to roast cauliflower is with the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

If you’ve got parchment paper to line a baking sheet, that makes for easy clean-up. But if not, that’s no problem. You can totally do it without the parchment paper.

Toss the florets in oil and sprinkle them with salt. Then line them evenly across the baking sheet.

If there is too much on one sheet or if the florets are touching, they won’t roast as well. You want air between them, so that they can brown. Use a second baking sheet, if necessary.

Cook for 25 minutes, stopping a couple of times to flip for even roasting.

The air fryer is really convenient, because it’s even faster than oven roasting. And you don’t have to wait for the air fryer to heat up, which means that cauliflower is on your plate that much quicker.

Be careful not to overfill the air fryer basket. It won’t brown as nicely in an overfilled basket.

If you do overfill your basket, you’ll have to shake the basket more often so that the florets have a chance to roast in different places. And you’ll have to increase your cooking time.

Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may want to work in batches.

Toss the cauliflower in oil or use oil spray. Then add a pinch of salt.

Air fry at 400 degrees for 13 minutes, stopping a couple of times to shake the basket, so that the florets can move around and roast in different places.

Floret sizes vary. So if they don’t look quite done enough, cook for a few minutes longer.

Sumac is a spice that’s common in Middle Eastern cooking. It comes from the fruit of the sumac, which is a member of the cashew family.

Be aware that most sumac mixes have a little bit of salt in them. So be conscious of that when adding other salt to the dish.

The thing that really makes sumac stand out is its bold red color. Like paprika on vegan potato salad, it’s a nice finish that makes the cauliflower look more “complete.”

Sumac also has a light, lemony flavor that works well in this dish. However, if you don’t have sumac in your kitchen, no worries. Just leave it off.

Taste for salt, and add more if necessary.

It would also be an easy side dish for the holidays with your other beloved vegan Thanksgiving recipes.

But my favorite way to serve this easy roasted cauliflower is as the star attraction in a brown rice bowl with hummus, spinach salad, and lemon tahini dressing.