Moroccan Cauliflower with Tahini Honey is a 5 ingredient side dish with fiery flavor and a sweet sesame finish. Serve this plant-based side with your protein of choice for holiday entertaining or easy weeknight dinners. 
Why You’ll Love this Cauliflower with Tahini:
Welcome to Day 3 of 5 Ingredient Side Dish Week! Incase you missed it, we kicked off this week with Green Beans with Hazelnut Dukkah, followed by Brussels Sprouts with White-Balsamic Pear Chutney.
And, as a reminder, if you make and post any of the 5 Ingredient Side Dish recipes from this week between now and Nov 30th, you’ll be eligible to win a $150 Amazon gift card!
I’m really excited about today’s recipe because it combines two of my favorite flavor weapons: harissa and tahini! Together, these two create a superior side with a beautiful balance of sweetness and spice. If you follow me on Instagram, be sure to check out today’s post to get the scoop on a fun giveaway, too!
The Best Tahini-Honey Recipe:
Incase you’re new around here, tahini is my favorite powerhouse seed butter capable of adding nutty depth to both sweet and savory recipes. In this sauce, tahini teams up with honey and lemon to create a bright, toasty, and seductively sweet sauce. The creaminess of tahini makes for the dreamiest drizzles, and this sauce is incredibly versatile.
Beyond spooning it over roasted vegetables, it’s delicious over grains, baked fish, or hard cheeses.
In terms of brands, Soom is certainly my go-to for its smooth texture and rich, nutty flavor. It’s truly the perfect pairing for this cauliflower with tahini recipe.
To try any Soom products for 10% off, simply enter code ‘dishingouthealth’ at checkout!
How to Roast Cauliflower in the Oven:
For cauliflower that’s buttery and tender on the inside with quintessential crisp on the outside, roasting is the way to go. Not only does roasting create perfectly caramelized florets, it also brings out cauliflower’s inherent nutty flavor. However, they are a couple tricks to maximize this blank-canvas veggie’s goodness and versatility.
- First, avoid overcrowding the pan, which will encourage steaming over browning.
- Second, crank the oven up to 425°F, which will tenderize the veggies while also creating those yummy charred bits. Roasting cauliflower should take about 40 minutes total. If you pull it out too early, you’ll be missing out on its full flavor potential, so patience is key!
What to Serve with Roasted Cauliflower:
The beauty of this roasted cauliflower with tahini is that it can serve as an entree or side dish. If serving as a side, here are some of my favorite pairings:
- Baked white fish, such as halibut, grouper, or cod.
- Roasted chicken or crispy seared chicken thighs.
- Crispy cubes of tofu or baked tempeh.
- Black lentils with a swoosh of hummus.
Since the flavors are a fun departure from the norm, it would be a vibrant addition to any holiday spread, too. And don’t worry, the spice of the harissa is tempered by the tahini-honey, so both adults and kids can enjoy it.
For garnish, scatter some fresh parsley leaves overtop for a pop of color and freshness.
If you give this cauliflower with tahini recipe a try, be sure to tag #dishingoutheath so I can see your beautiful creations!
Other Easy 5 Ingredient Side Dish Recipes:
Brussels Sprouts with White Balsamic-Pear Chutney
Browned Butter Green Beans with Hazelnut Dukkah
Easy Marsala Mushrooms
Moroccan Cauliflower with Tahini-Honey
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 4 Tbsp. mild harissa paste, divided
- 1 head cauliflower, trimmed and sliced into florets
- 2 Tbsp. tahini (such as Soom)
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh parsley for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- In a large bowl, combine 2 Tbsp. of the oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 2 Tbsp. harissa; mix well. Add cauliflower and toss to evenly coat. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until tender. Remove from oven and toss with remaining 2 Tbsp. harissa; bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until caramelized and charred in some spots.
- Meanwhile, prepare Tahini-Honey by combining remaining 2 Tbsp. oil, 1/4 tsp. salt, tahini, honey, lemon juice, and black pepper; stir with a whisk. Whisk in 1 Tbsp. water to thin out to desired consistency.
- Transfer baked cauliflower to a bowl or serving platter. Drizzle with tahini-honey, and garnish with fresh parsley, if desired
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SO GOOD!! My fav way to make cauliflower.
Hi Janet–I’m so glad the recipe was a hit! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
This looks amazing! I’m wondering about the level of heat – I’ve got kids who are pretty averse to spicy foods. How does this rate on the mild-to-spicy spectrum? Thanks 🙂
Hi Jaime–As long as you use a mild harissa (such as Mina brand), the heat level definitely tinkers more mild. The honey does a good job of tempering the spice. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
This was soooooo good! I’m vegan so used maple syrup instead of honey! Definitely a keeper:)
I’m so glad you enjoyed this one, Kelli! Thank you for taking the time to leave a rating and review!
Thank you for this recipe! We make it weekly now and it’s one of my favorite dishes EVER
Hi Sara- I’m so glad you enjoyed this one!! It’s a favorite over here, too. Thank you for taking the time to leave the recipe a rating and review!
SOOOOOOOOOOO Good! I was skeptical at first, but even the hubs said he loved it! I am definitely making this again!!! I put it together with salmon,
This recipe turned me from a “I’ll only eat cauliflower fried” individual to a cauliflower addict. Now I make 1-2 heads of cauliflower this way each week and have been doing so for the past month and a half. Lol. It’s so good! I generally snack on it while preparing dinner.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Julie! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Another amazing gem! LOVED it!!
Ah I’m so glad, Nathalie! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
I have harissa in dry form. How do I adapt the dry to the recipe? Thanks!
Few ingredients and big flavor is my kind of recipe! I could just eat the whole bowl!
We loved the sweet and spicy combo of this dish! Thanks for a great recipe Jamie!!
Crazy delicious!! The tahini honey is such a great, easy sauce for elevating this dish!
This is a weekly staple in my house!
This was easy and delicious! Very creative flavors. Will be making this again! Thank you.
I rarely write comments, but I feel I needed to thank you for this recipe! Truly one of my favorites! I didn’t have honey so I used monk fruit sweeter in place of. Delicious and without the honey it is a great Keto and. Vegan option! I am an omnivore but often have friends over with those restrictions and this is a wonderful dish that everyone can eat. We once make it with the addition of chickpeas as a main course.
Hi Nancy, I’m SO glad you love the recipe!! Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review.