With the right kind of gravy, even cauliflower can taste like turkey!
At first glance, this dish may look like the typical Thanksgiving turkey, but in the middle of all the roasted veggies and under that savory vegan gravy is delicious cauliflower!
With the help of the savory vegan gravy, this roasted cauliflower and veggie dish by Hot For Food will have even the most veggie-skeptical guest at your Thanksgiving feast asking for second helpings!
Ingredients
Cauliflower and Vegetables
- 1 large cauliflower
- 1 to 3 large carrots
- 2 cups of halved small red potatoes
- 1 red onion
- 3 sprigs of rosemary
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
Gravy
- 1/4 cup of vegan butter
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. celery salt
- 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. fresh thyme
- 1 T. cornstarch
- 1 T. water
- 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2/3 cup tahini (roasted works better than a raw type)
- 2 T. vegan Worcestershire
- 1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Prepare all your cut-up vegetables and herbs. Cut the carrots diagonally, cut the potatoes in halves or in quarters, and cut the onion into thin rings. Toss the potatoes, carrots, onions, and rosemary with sea salt and ground black pepper.
- To prepare the whole cauliflower, remove the excess green leaves and rim the stock so the cauliflower is able to sit flat into a roasting pan or skillet. Be careful not to cut too deep into the bottom so the florets don’t come apart from the entire head of cauliflower.
- To prepare the gravy, heat a saucepan over medium and add vegan butter. Once melted, add the minced garlic and shallot. Stir and cook this until softened for about 2 minutes. Then add nutmeg, celery salt, rosemary, and thyme, and continue stirring for another minute.
- Combine cornstarch to the gravy mixture with water to make a slurry and add that along with the tamari, maple syrup, tahini, and Worcestershire, whisking to combine well. Whisk occasionally as you bring the gravy to a low simmer. Once it’s bubbling, lower heat and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. This should be a thick but pourable consistency so it coats the cauliflower and sticks to it without dripping too much into the roasting pan. If you need to thin it out, use a small amount of low-sodium vegetable stock to reach the right consistency.
- Start by placing the cauliflower upside-down in the cast-iron skillet so the bottom is exposed. Pour a couple of tablespoons of gravy into the bottom so it gets into the florets. You can also use a turkey baster to get into the bottom of the cauliflower head. Then flip it back up and pour half of the gravy that’s in the saucepan on top. Use a brush to coat the entire cauliflower with the sauce.
- Surround the cauliflower with the seasoned carrots, potatoes, onion, and most of the rosemary sprigs (leaving a few pieces for a final garnish).
- Roast this for 25 to 30 minutes. Then, take out of the oven and use some of the gravy that is at the bottom of the pan or skillet to coat the cauliflower and veggies again.
- Continue to roast for another 25 to 30 minutes until it’s a deep golden brown.
- When you remove the finished roast and vegetables, if there’s any excess liquid in the bottom of the pan, use the baster to add it back into the saucepan with the remaining gravy.
- Garnish the final dish with the last few fresh rosemary sprigs, and serve!
What do you think of this veggie dish? Think you’ll serve it for Thanksgiving? Let us know in the comments below!
