Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Vegan Whipped "Feta"
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Vegetarian, Vegan
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2 servings
 
An incredibly savory and delicious meal for when you're feeling fancy. Cauliflower boiled in a flavorful broth and served with a bold vegan whipped feta dip.
Ingredients
  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 2½ cups white wine
  • ¼ cup sea salt
  • ¼ cup lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 tbsp butter (or vegan butter)
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 8 cups water
  • Whipped "Feta
  • 1 block extra firm tofu (drained very well, squeeze out water)
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice (2 lemons)
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 2 tsp zaatar
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • drizzle chili oil (optional)
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
  2. Prepare the feta but squeezing all the water out of the tofu with a tea towel or cheese cloth. Add the tofu, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and ⅓ cup of the olive oil to a high speed blender. Blend on high until creamy. Remove from the blender and whisk in the zaatar and paprika. Place in the refrigerator and cool for at least an hour. Whisk with the remaining olive oil before serving and top with chile oil or cayenne pepper if you want it a bit spicy.
  3. While the feta is cooling, make the cauliflower, trim the leaves off the cauliflower but leave the core in tact. Add remaining ingredients to a large pot and fill about ¾ of the rest of the pot up with water. Bring the mixture to a boil and add in the whole cauliflower. Cover with a lid so the cauliflower stays down in the water. Poach for 15-20 minutes, turning it from time to time to ensure both sides cook. The outside should be starting to soften and you should be able to pierce the center with a knife.
  4. Remove from the boiling water and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
  5. Place the cauliflower into a baking pan or pie dish with about 2 cups of the cooking liquid. Using a spook or baster, scoop the liquid onto the cauliflower and place in the oven.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes on the top until the top is brown all over. Continue spooning the sauce over it about every 10 minutes or so.
  7. Remove from oven and serve with the whipped feta. You can serve this right away but it does heat up well and the whipped feta keeps well in teh refrigerator.
Recipe by Almost Like Mom's at https://www.almostlikemoms.com/whole-roasted-cauliflower/