Quinoa with Roast Cauliflower and Tahini Dressing
Delicious and healthy roast cauliflower with nutty quinoa and creamy tahini dressing. A perfect lunch or light dinner dish.
Cauliflower is one of my favourite veg for so many reasons. First, it makes amazing rice (cooked and raw). It’s just delicious in curry, cauliflower crust pizza and roast cauliflower–so good!
I think cauliflower is transformed by roasting it. The outside becomes deliciously nutty and charred, and the centre is soft but still with a little of texture. I find roast cauliflower incredibly comforting and filling, especially when combined with protein-packed quinoa.
Today I added some rocket leaves as I had them to hand, but you could add any leaf or herb (baby kale or coriander work really well). However, for me, it’s the tahini dressing, which really pulls the dish together. Garlicky, lemony and nutty, it coats everything in its sticky deliciousness.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 1 cups boiling water add a little more if it’s getting to dry
- 1 tsp veg bouillon stock
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast optional but adds lots of flavour
- 1 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 head of cauliflower broken into florets
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- 2 cups rocket
- 1/2 cup crushed hazelnuts
For the tahini dressing
- 1 tbsp tahini
- Juice 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Turn the oven to gas Mark 5
- Place the cauliflower florets on a baking tray and coat with the olive oil and salt & pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 40 minutes to 1 hr. Turn twice during this time so that both sides of the cauliflower are nice a charred.
- Add the quinoa, water and boulion to a saucepan, stir thoroughly and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes, adding more water as you go along if it’s looking too dry. (I like to cook the quinoa for longer than is recommended on the instructions as I like the grains to really open out and become fluffy).
- When the quinoa is cooked, take off the heat and pop it into a larger bowl, then stir in the nutritional yeast and mustard.
- Next make the tahini dressing. Add all the ingredients to a mini chopper and blitz. (If you don’t have a mini chopper, you can smash up the garlic, salt & pepper in a pestle and mortar and the mix all the ingredients thoroughly in a small bowl).
- When the cauliflower is nice and roasted, remove from the oven and add to the quinoa. Add the rocket and crushed hazelnuts to the mix and gently stir everything together.
- Divide in to two bowls and drizzle with the tahini dressing.
2 Responses
I just want you to know that I made this last night and served it with some baked fish for dinenr. I had about a cup of the rice total. My darling husband ate what I served him, then went and got the pan and a spoon and finished the rice. He asked me to make it again tonight. Unfortunately, I don’t have any more coconut milk, but I had to promise to pick up some more this weekend. This was the most unexpectedly delicious rice recipe I’ve ever used!
Hi Hend, I’m so glad you (and the Husband) enjoyed it so much. Thank you – Niki xo