This golden Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower is a gorgeous, flavorful side dish that is loaded with healthy spices, fats, and veggies. It is easy to prepare and has lots of flavor without being too spicy, and makes a great side dish for any protein. I like to drizzle the roasted cauliflower with a dairy-free creamy roasted garlic sauce, which is easy to make in under 5 minutes. This turmeric cauliflower side dish is AIP- and paleo-friendly and low in carbs.
Health benefits of turmeric
Turmeric is a bright yellow spice that is one of the best sources of antioxidants in food. The active compound in turmeric is called curcumin, and it is a very powerful antioxidant that facilitates a healthy inflammatory response.
Curcumin on its own does not get absorbed by the body well, but eating it with black pepper helps the body absorb the curcumin to get its full benefits. This is why the spice mixture of this turmeric roasted cauliflower contains both turmeric and ground black pepper, in addition to a few other tasty spices, such as ground onion, garlic, spicy ginger, and smoky cumin.
The combination of these spices gives the cauliflower a great flavor, a gorgeous color, and lots of health benefits!
Be careful when cooking with turmeric because it can permanently stain fabric, and will temporarily stain your hands if you don’t wash them immediately.
Golden turmeric cauliflower
Cauliflower itself is also a very healthy vegetable. It is low in calories but high in fiber and water, and it is very filling. Cauliflower is high in vitamin C, which is another necessary antioxidant that keeps our immune systems healthy, and it is also high in vitamin K, vitamin B6, and folate, all of which help keep the blood cells healthy, promote healthy clotting, and may help promote brain health.
In this roasted cauliflower recipe, I use a basting brush to brush the cauliflower with a mixture of olive oil and spices before roasting, to give it a rich flavor all over. Olive oil is a healthy fat that is high in monounsaturated fats, which may help reduce inflammation.
Roasted garlic and shallots
I like to add sliced shallots and whole garlic cloves to the roasting pan. These two aromatics caramelize nicely while roasting because of their natural sugars, and they taste absolutely delicious! The shallots soften and mellow in flavor as they get roasted, so you can add as much as you want and eat them with the cauliflower.
I use the roasted whole garlic cloves to make a dairy-free, AIP-friendly creamy sauce by blending the roasted garlic with unsweetened coconut yogurt, lemon juice, a little salt and pepper, and fresh parsley. The creamy sauce complements the smoky flavorful roasted cauliflower well, and makes this side dish even more stunning.
This recipe makes extra sauce, which can be drizzled on other vegetable side dishes and makes a great dip for veggies or drizzle for grilled chicken.
Roasted turmeric cauliflower is best enjoyed warm, with your favorite protein, such as bacon-wrapped stuffed chicken, gluten-free meatloaf, or BBQ ribs.
More recipes with turmeric to try:
- Lemon turmeric marinade (great for chicken or fish!)
- Turmeric ginger iced tea
- Paleo coconut chicken curry
- Golden milk bone broth latte
Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower with Roasted Garlic Sauce
Servings
4
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Ingredients
For the roasted cauliflower
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2 large shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup 60.00 ml olive oil
- 1 tbsp 14.79 ml ground turmeric
- 3/4 tsp 3.70 ml sea salt
- 1/2 tsp 2.46 ml ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp 2.46 ml garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp 2.46 ml onion powder
- 1/2 tsp 2.46 ml ground ginger
- 2 tbsp 29.57 ml parsley leaves minced
For the roasted garlic sauce
- 4 cloves garlic roasted from the roasted cauliflower
- 3/4 cup NaN ml plain coconut yogurt unsweetened
- 1/2 tbsp 7.39 ml lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp NaN ml sea salt or more to taste
- 1/2 tsp 2.46 ml ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp 2.46 ml dried parsley
- 3 tbsp 44.36 ml water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush a large baking sheet with olive oil.
- Cut the cauliflower into small florets. Peel the shallots and slice them into quarters, separating the layers. Peel the garlic cloves and leave them whole. Arrange the cauliflower, shallots, and garlic on the oiled baking sheet.
- In a medium bowl or small jar, combine the olive oil with the next 7 ingredients (ground turmeric through ground ginger) and mix well. Take care not to splash the mixture because turmeric stains clothing!
- Use a basting brush to brush the olive oil mixture all over the cauliflower and shallots.
- Roast at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes, or until the cauliflower is cooked to your liking.
- In a small food processor or a personal blender, combine the roasted garlic cloves with the rest of the sauce ingredients (start with 2 Tbsp. water). Process until smooth. Adjust to taste with more salt or lemon juice, and add more water if you want a thinner sauce.
- Drizzle the sauce over the warm cauliflower and garnish with fresh chopped parsley leaves.