30 of Our Most Popular Cauliflower Recipes

It’s not only versatile, but it’s also nutritious. Like many brassicas, cauliflower is high in vitamins (B and C), minerals, and fiber. (You can even substitute orange or purple cauliflower for regular white cauliflower. The orange variety has 25 times more vitamin A than white cauliflower, and the purple variety is high in antioxidants.)

Here in the test kitchen, we’ve developed plenty of cauliflower recipes that put this vegetable at center stage and include innovative techniques to get the most out of it. Check out some of our best in this collection.

For an easy Dutch oven classic to add to your weeknight rotation, make this whole braised cauliflower that’s beautiful enough to serve from the pot. Coated in our tangy, piquant sauce of bright tomatoes, sweet golden raisins, savory anchovies, and briny capers and olives, it tastes as good as it looks.

Parmesan cheese and cauliflower pair perfectly in this simple side dish. For the perfect combination, former Cook’s Country test cook Alli Berkey figured out how to get tender cauliflower with a crunchy coating of nutty Parmesan that actually sticks. 

In this filling side dish, we start by roasting the cauliflower covered with aluminum foil so that it cooks through, and then we remove the foil and let the florets brown. When they’re caramelized, we toss them with the North African marinade chermoula, a punchy combination of cilantro, lemon, and garlic that adds loads of flavor. One digital member’s review: “This was AMAZING and stood up really well as leftovers!” 

Toasty cauliflower florets richly spiced in under an hour. How did Cook’s Illustrated test cook Steve Dunn do it? Starting sliced cauliflower in a cold skillet, which allows it to steam and soften first, was the key to this technique. Plus, it can be on your table in under an hour. 

Digital member Tamara B. says, “I’m not a fan of cooked cauliflower, but this skillet roasting method may win me over!” 

This perfect pasta dish for two boasts ease of cooking and heartiness. The most common note from digital members is how well the flavors blend together. The secret? Sprinkle the cauliflower with a bit of sugar before roasting briefly to ensure it’s cooked through.

Cook’s Illustrated Editor in Chief Dan Souza expertly shows the power of cauliflower in one of our most popular soup recipes. Here, cauliflower is cooked three ways: overcooked for creaminess, undercooked for brightness, and roasted for nuttiness and crunch in a dish you simply must try for yourself. 

This vegetarian paella is a real showstopper. Cook’s Illustrated’s Lan Lam expertly swapped the meat and seafood in traditional paella for cauliflower and butterbeans. You may think this change means bland rice, but digital member David T disagrees: “Just made this for the umpteenth time. It never disappoints.”

The next time you fire up the grill, treat your guests (or yourself) to a head of brined cauliflower. Not only does it absorb the smokiness but it also softens enough to be pleasant without getting mushy. Digital member Steven S received “an immediate request to make it again.” 

Get out that food processor because you’re going to want to try this mashed potato alternative. Infused oil, steamed cauliflower, and white wine vinegar combine for a balanced flavor and luxurious texture. Digital member Patty R’s review: “Just smooth, creamy, with just the right amount of garlic, thyme and touch of vinegar. My husband couldn’t believe this was made with cauliflower.”

Though developed with the paleo diet in mind, this recipe for riced cauliflower can take the place of rice or even mashed potatoes, according to digital member Everett E, in almost any dish. Using a food processor makes ricing a breeze.

Why cook your cauliflower when you can eat it raw? Thinly shaving cauliflower florets and letting them soften in the fridge makes them delicate enough to eat raw. Tossed with a bold dressing of Dijon mustard, vinegar, and sweet Medjool dates makes a fresh, bright salad that can be made up to 12 hours in advance.

You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy these deep-fried cauliflower bites. During testing they were deemed “better than wings.” In the comments our digital members call them “tasty” and “absolutely delicious.” 

Use the florets and the stems in this bright salad. The roasted florets take on a lovely color and nuttiness while the more fibrous stems get a quick pickle to soften them up and make that flavor pop. And don’t throw that pickling liquid away! It coats the pears and arugula as a dressing too.

Giardiniera is an Italian mix of spicy pickled vegetables. To make a vibrant version at home that avoids the harsh brine and flat flavors of many store-bought versions, we used white wine vinegar instead of distilled and balanced it with salt and sugar. The recipe comes together in less than 2 hours and, if left sealed, will last up to one year.

Cauliflower’s light flavor makes the perfect backdrop for the springy flavors in this salad. Mint, fennel, parsley, and lemon dress up the roasted cauliflower. Pistachios add richness and dried cranberries sweeten the deal. Digital member Tom K. makes it for Thanksgiving and says it has been the first dish to disappear two years running. 

Saying you won’t miss the cheese on a slice of pizza is audacious, but hear us out. Bold, rich pesto makes an interesting alternative to a typical tomato-sauced pizza. Cauliflower’s gentle sweetness is an ideal pairing. Cooking it in a skillet with fennel first brings out the color and ensures it isn’t too crunchy to enjoy on a pie. 

Creamy cauliflower baked in a pound of cheese? Yes, please! This casserole is about as decadent as it gets without adding meat. It holds its shape, and simmering the cauliflower in the white sauce preserves all the flavor. Garlic and herbs keep it from being overwhelming, and homemade bread crumbs add a welcome crunch.

You’ll want to keep a jar of this in the fridge to add to dishes or simply to snack on. Cook’s Country’s Nicole Konstantinakos found the secret to be the size of the florets: too small and they take on an unpleasant texture, too large and they don’t soften or develop enough flavor in the brine. Cutting them into 1-inch florets was the sweet spot that provided the best texture and flavor.

Crunchy florets meet spicy coleslaw in a Baja-style taco that will transport you to a beach in California. Plus, we steered clear of messy deep-frying by using the oven instead.

Digital member Geoffrey G. says, “I’ve made this three or four times now. It’s one of the only meatless meals that my three-year-old son will eat, and enthusiastically at that!”

In the heat of summer, you may not want to turn on your oven to make dinner. With this simple stovetop cauliflower cooking method, you don’t need to. Two tips for success: cut the core to half the size of the florets so that everything cooks at the same time, and cook uncovered at the beginning, stirring minimally. The results: a “nice alternative to the roast approach!” according to digital member Myke W. 

For an ever-so-slightly healthier version of your favorite comfort casserole, chop the cauliflower into different sizes. No one will be fooled into thinking they’re eating potatoes or rice, but the flavors of bacon, cheddar, and cream go so well together that they won’t care.

This is no ordinary rice bowl. Basmati rice is an aromatic powerhouse as a base. Black pepper, cumin, and jewels of pomegranate pop with every bite. Digital member Michelle D. says, “Wow, there are so many flavors going on in this dish! Even those in the house who aren’t die-hard cauliflower fans gobbled this up.”

The reviews from our digital members are overwhelmingly positive for this protein-packed salad. Meaty halloumi mixes with pickled cauliflower for a rich and tangy combination perfect to add substance to an easy, 35-minute recipe.

On one sheet pan, chicken, cauliflower, and sweet potatoes come together in a dish so good, you’ll keep marinated chicken at the ready to make it all the time. The key to getting everything to cook at the same rate was cutting each ingredient into different sizes—1½-inch pieces for the cauliflower and 1-inch pieces for the sweet potatoes.

This casserole recipe developed by Cook’s Illustrated’s Annie Petito is light yet satisfying. It calls for a whopping 4 pounds of cauliflower and only a scant 2 ounces of Parmesan cheese. The cauliflower provides its own creaminess. Digital member Sharon G says, “it’s much healthier and I don’t miss the heavy dairy ingredients.”

This Chinese-Indian fusion is a classic Asian dish that takes humble cauliflower to the next level, yet this recipe from Cook’s Country’s Mark Huxsoll is easy to make and follow, according to Otto E. They go on to say that it “Tastes as good, or better, than a restaurant.”

Put your multicooker to work so you can spend less time in the kitchen. Test cook Joe Gitter brings a whole braised cauliflower ready in under an hour. To serve, spoon the supersavory cooking liquid over the head of cauliflower for a real showstopping dinner.

Cauliflower makes a great taco filling. This recipe is rich in smokiness for a pleasant contrast to crema and shredded purple cabbage. Here, Cook’s Country’s Jess Rudolph adds mushrooms to the mix for a meaty variation that hits every taste bud. 

We ensured this vegetable curry was anything but bland with a host of spices and toasted store-bought curry for ease of preparation. Digital member Devin M “Had this for dinner last night and it was great.” They go on to say this easy recipe “made the house smell fantastic.” Though this recipe serves a whopping 6–8 people, that “isn’t a bad thing considering how tasty it is.”

We used the risotto method for a streamlined, weeknight pasta dish featuring a creamy sauce. Skillet-browned cauliflower with bacon-flavored bread crumbs level up the flavor and add crunch. Digital member Melanie J. says, “Yum! Great combo of flavors, and the lemon juice at the end really brightened the whole dish.”