Best Whole Roasted Cauliflower
One of my favorite vegan dinners, this whole roasted cauliflower is easy to make and looks stunning at the center of a holiday table! Every person I have made it for has absolutely loved it – including meat eaters.
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The very first time I roasted a whole head of cauliflower, I made it for a holiday dinner and the whole family LOVED it.
It’s so dang good and tastes crazy similar to a traditional pot roast, while still being 100% vegan.
Admittedly, I could eat the gravy by the spoonful. The secret to making a “meaty”-tasting gravy is to use soy sauce and a little Worcestershire sauce (be careful not to get one that contains anchovies.)
I also add some smoked paprika for a little umami oomph. Smoked paprika is a must-have in my pantry! It’s what gives bacon alternatives that perfect smokey flavor.
Keeping up with the roast tradition, this cauliflower roast is surrounded by carrots and potatoes. I love how the potatoes just soak up all that savory gravy. Classic comfort food with incredible flavor!
Enjoy with vegan green bean casserole and baked mac and cheese for a traditional holiday meal.
Oven roasted whole cauliflower is the perfect vegan roast for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas or a Sunday dinner with family. While very simple to make, it does need a little TLC while roasting. I like to baste the cauliflower with the homemade gravy to keep it moist and really amplify the flavor.
The trick to getting even more flavor inside of the cauliflower is…putting the gravy literally inside. Place the cauliflower bottom-side-up and pour in some gravy. Then, give it a little shake to evenly distribute that yummy flavor between the florets. Set the cauliflower right-side-up and brush more gravy all over.
Ingredients
Reminder: You can find the full, detailed and printable recipe in the recipe card below.
For the gravy, you’ll need:
- Vegetable stock: Buy a carton at the store or make your own. You can also buy bouillon paste – it’s usually cheaper to make veggie stock that way!
- Soy Sauce: Adds a rich umami flavor to the gravy without using beef.
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce: Traditionally, Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies. However, many brands are anchovy-free. The Kroger store brand and Annie’s brand are vegan. You can also make homemade vegan Worcestershire sauce.
- Maple syrup: Adds a touch of sweetness.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, thyme, sage, smoked paprika, and pepper
- Cornstarch mixed with water for a cornstarch slurry to help thicken the gravy.
For the roast:
- Head of cauliflower: Choose a medium-sized whole cauliflower. A larger cauliflower will increase the cooking time.
- Carrots and potatoes: I love to add these for that vegan pot roast flair.
- Vegetable stock: To add moisture and help cook the veggies.
How to Roast Whole Cauliflower
Reminder: You can find the full, detailed and printable recipe in the recipe card below.
The Gravy
- In a medium-sized pot, whisk together all of the gravy ingredients EXCEPT for the cornstarch & water.
- Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer on medium-low heat for 5 minutes. (This will allow all the flavors to marry.) Remove from the heat.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water to make a cornstarch slurry.
- Once the pot is no longer simmering, slowly whisk the cornstarch slurry into the gravy a little at a time. Going slow will ensure that no clumps form.
- The gravy will begin to thicken as soon as the cornstarch is whisked in. Put the pot back on the stove and return to a simmer for an additional 3 minutes.
The Roast
- Preheat oven to 450F degrees.
- Arrange the potatoes and carrots in a roasting dish with the cauliflower in the center. Be careful not to overcrowd the dish.
- Place the cauliflower upside-down and pour 1/3 cup of the gravy into it. Give it a good shake to distribute the gravy.
- Place cauliflower right-side up and brush more gravy on the top to cover it (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup)
- Add 1/2 cup of vegetable stock to the bottom of the dish (this will help steam the veggies.)
- Pour about a 1/3 cup of gravy over top of the potatoes and carrots.
- Cover the dish tightly with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes, brushing the cauliflower with more gravy halfway through.
- Uncover the cauliflower roast and brush more gravy on. Bake for another 30 minutes (uncovered), brushing with more gravy halfway again.
- Remove from the oven and serve while hot.
Once the whole roasted cauliflower comes out of the oven, I recommend cutting it like you would a round cake. Serve alongside those potatoes and carrots, and perhaps some salad, green bean casserole or stuffing, and that’s a complete meal!
FAQ
If you have a larger-than-average head of cauliflower, allow for additional cooking time OR if it’s super large, steam the cauliflower for 10-15 minutes beforehand. Make sure to cover the roast tightly for the first 40 minutes of cooking time. This is really important to help steam the roast in the oven. To cover, I recommend using aluminum foil, a casserole dish with a lid, or a dutch oven. You could also cover your dish with a baking sheet if your dish is deep enough. Also, avoid overcrowding your dish. If you only have a small casserole dish or roasting pan, just cook the potatoes and carrots in a separate dish.
Make sure to bring the gravy back to a simmer after adding the cornstarch and water mixture (aka, cornstarch slurry). You can also make more cornstarch slurry to add to the gravy.
Coconut aminos or tamari are good substitutes.
Make a homemade Worcestershire sauce or just leave it out, it adds a nice touch but won’t compromise the overall flavor of the gravy if you don’t add any.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Please leave a comment and a ⭐ star review below!
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients
The Gravy
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 1/3 cup soy sauce I use low sodium
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup optional, for sweetness
- 3 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce *
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 3/4 teaspoon thyme
- 3/4 teaspoon sage
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 5 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup water
The Roast
- 1 whole cauliflower leaves and outer stalk trimmed off
- 4 large carrots chopped
- 4 medium potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
Instructions
The Gravy
- In a medium-sized pot, whisk together all of the gravy ingredients EXCEPT for the cornstarch & water.
- Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer on medium-low heat for 5 minutes. (This will allow all the flavors to marry.) Remove from the heat.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water to make a cornstarch slurry.
- Once the pot is no longer simmering, slowly whisk the cornstarch slurry into the gravy a little at a time. Going slow will ensure that no clumps form.
- The gravy will begin to thicken as soon as the cornstarch is whisked in. Put the pot back on the stove and return to a simmer for an additional 3 minutes.
The Roast
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Arrange the potatoes and carrots in a roasting dish with the cauliflower in the center. Be careful not to overcrowd the dish.
- Place the cauliflower upside-down and pour 1/3 cup of the gravy into it. Give it a good shake to distribute the gravy.
- Place cauliflower right-side up and brush more gravy on the top to cover it (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup)
- Add 1/2 cup of vegetable stock to the bottom of the dish (this will help steam the veggies.)
- Pour about a 1/3 cup of gravy over top of the potatoes and carrots.
- Cover the dish tightly with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes, brushing the cauliflower with more gravy halfway through.
- Uncover the cauliflower roast and brush more gravy on. Bake for another 30 minutes (uncovered), brushing with more gravy halfway again.
- Remove from the oven and serve while hot.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Thanksgiving Recipes:
Following the instructions in my old Litten Microwave cook book, I followed all all the ingredients and placed the cauliflower in the Microwave along with the veggis. Covered, Cooked for about 9-11 minutes. Check after 9 minutes with a knife, Comes out perfect. If you want the top browned put under the broiler after removing from the Micro
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing!
Delicious!! The only thing different I did was added onions to the pan. Can’t wait to make again. Thank you!
Great recipe!
The gravy is the best I’d ever tried, vegan or not! Very rich, herb-y and flavorful.
I’ll be coming back this again when I want to make an impressive gravy!
This came out AMAZING!!!!! Super yummy!! Definitely recommend!!
Added an onion to veggie mixture and served with stuffing.
Even my meat-loving father raved about it!!!
We will definitely have to make it for a holiday meal!!!
I forgot to cook uncovered for 30 minutes so I plan to put Cauliflower back in oven today. It tastes good without doing that however now I understand why it didn’t look roasted. As a vegan I don’t eat meat so for protein will the Cauliflower 6 grams be enough?
Thank you
I just put Cauliflower carrots and potatoes in the oven. At first, it seems I’m making a disaster here. First I didn’t understand the concept of how to put gravy in the flower so I tried to cut out the (whole core) which left some of the flowers to collapse. I placed the gravy over it anyway then turned Cauliflower upright and coated the flower as instructed. In making the gravy after putting the skillet back on the fire to simmer another 3 minutes the gravy seemed like it wasn’t thickening and because I read the review on such a situation I added more ( just another tablespoon of cornstarch blended with water) in the skillet however just as I was doing that, the gravy was thickening, this could be because I turned the heat up a little? In any case, the gravy may be thicker than suppose to be. If that doesn’t make matters shacky the pot couldn’t fit in the over because of the way the racks were situated, I reached into the 450 degrees oven with a mitten removing one rack. My next move will be after 20 minutes to add a coating of gravy and while it is not perfect I do hope it taste good still. I did go back over the video and think I understand better how to keep the Cauliflower together?
Thanks for the heads up on anchovies, I had no idea that was fish, I’m getting rid of this messed up Worcestershire sauce and getting me some vegan Worcestershire. I don’t understand why anybody would want to put fish in a sauce so much to learn. I remember ordering something I think it may have been pizza, I asked the cook was anchovies meat and he said no:( I may have been something other than a pizza I was ordering could have been a sandwich?
Do you remove the carrots and potatoes before the second round of baking?
I do not.
Really delicious! The gravy made all the difference, and we will definitely be enjoying this again! Thank you 🙂
This was amazing! I made it in the Instant Pot instead of in the oven, The gravy is the bomb! Thank you for sharing!
I made this the other day, and it turned out so so good.
Great flavor, gravy is amazing!
Will b making again, thanks for sharing..
I made the gravy exactly as written and it was the perfect consistency, and very tasty. I thought the carrots and potatoes were delicious and the cauliflower was pretty good. I’ll make the carrots and potatoes again with all the leftover gravy. I did have an issue with the gravy burning and sticking to the perimeter of the Dutch oven but it came off easily with an over night soak. Thanks for a nice recipe!
So savory! Yummy! I made the gravy as instructed but for the leftovers I made another batch of gravy… since I use Better than Bullion veggie broth where I need to add water, I used the 3 teaspoons of bullion but instead of 3 cups of water I did just 2 cups of water. Also used the called for amount of water but used 6 teaspoons instead of 5 teaspoons. My gravy turned out beautifully thick! I’m literally going to use this gravy for mashed potatoes and anything that calls for gravy! Savory savory savory!
Excellent! It came out perfect! Plenty of gravey! Any suggestions for a substitute for corn starch? As I am really not supposed to have anything corn. Appreciate any suggestions. I am gluten free also, allergic!
Arrowroot powder
Absolutely Delicious!! The gravy is wonderful! The cauliflower turned out perfect but the potatoes and carrots (and I added mushrooms) were a little too mushy. I may tweak the time somehow next time but even mushy it’s a five star! Full of flavor!!
Could you do this on low in a crockpot overnight? Or would it get too mushy?
This was amazing! Followed the recipe exactly (minus Worcestershire sauce). The cauliflower was cooked to perfection. Definitely going to be a staple
Do you use fresh or dried sage & thyme?
Dried
Delicious!!
Although the taste is 5-star, mine was overcooked, and I had a huge head of cauliflower and didn’t bake it for the last 15 minutes. Perhaps it’s my oven temp control? I don’t know. But cauliflower and potatoes and Brussels sprouts (I dislike cooked carrots so didn’t use) were too soft. The taste is great, though, and the gravy is terrific. I will make adjustments to cooking time and oven temp next time.
Hey, Cyndy! I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor. Cauliflower heads come in so many sizes, ranging from small to absolutely massive, so it’s hard to get the cooking time exact for everyone. But I’m happy you know how to make it work better next time! Good luck!
Made this yesterday. It’s good, just time consuming and the high temp makes it hard to cook other dishes at the same time. If you aren’t concerned with achieving the roast look, it might be easier just to cook the cauliflower another way and toss it in the gravy – the recipe for which is a keeper. My vegetarian daughter wanted gravy, but doesn’t like mushroom, so we tried this. I prepared it as written for the cauliflower, and with some half and half as stand alone gravy. The only thing I had to do differently was google a substitute for Worcestershire, which turned out to be a sprinkle of sugar and a squirt of lemon. I don’t know what difference that made in the taste, and next time I’ll be sure to get Worcestershire, but we liked it, including the meat eaters. (Thankfully, because my husband had a mishap with his turkey gravy.)
Hi! I am looking forward to trying this for Thanksgiving. Can I make it ahead of time? How do you recommend I reheat it? Thank you!
I made this about four weeks ago for a church fellowship meal. It was DELICIOUS!! Everyone liked it. I was thankful that there was some left. It was great the next day too. It looked just like your picture except I had a really huge head of cauliflower and made the recipe in my lasagna pan! I did add vidalia onion slices. Will make this again.
Thank you so much.
I made this pot roast over the weekend and it is absolutely delicious. Both my wife and I can ‘t wait to make it again. My gravy was very runny but it thickened up while it was cooking in the pot and it was delicious. It is amazing how good it tasted. I actually thought I was eating a real meat pot roast. I did not have any sage but the flavor was still fantastic. The only other thing I did differently was to cook it on my grill. We had a few left overs and that went yesterday for lunch. There was nothing left of that stew when we were finished. I cannot recommend it enough.
Thank you for the raving review, Rex!
We made this and it’s delicious! Thank you for this healthy, satisfying and heartwarming meal!
Fantastic! Thank you so much for leaving a review, it means so much to me!
Just brilliant! I didn’t have dried parsley or thyme and believe it or not ran out of pepper,. I did add some dried basil and oregano. I used liquid aminos instead of soy. The whole family of 4 cleared it!
Served with just a bit of bread to mop up the gravy! My gravy was *very* thick; I had to sometimes add some water during cooking to loosen it for basting (ie pouring on top).
I was dubious about no use of additional salt for seasoning but it was fine!
Delicious and filling! Second time making today! Long time vegan. The only challenge I came across was I needed to add more cornstarch to thicken the gravy.