The Ultimate Guide to Cauliflower Recipes
In this Ultimate Guide to Cauliflower Recipes, you will find hundreds of cauliflower recipes, plus tips and facts about your favorite coniferous vegetable.
A person can never have too many cauliflower recipes at their disposal. There's been a massive surge in cauliflower recipes in the past few years, with chefs creating everything from breakfast cauliflower recipes to dessert cauliflower recipes, and just about everything in between.
Cauliflower is quite the actor, being able to turn itself into creamy sauces, pizza dough and a near dead ringer for rice. Its powers of transformation are pretty awesome.
In this Ultimate Guide to Cauliflower Recipes, you'll find tons of recipes as well as information about how to buy and store cauliflower, why it's so healthy, why it turns brown and how to prevent that.
Make sure to scroll down to the bottom of this post to find some fun facts about cauliflower!
How to Buy and Store Cauliflower
When buying cauliflower look for white or pale beige heads that are free of any grey discoloration. The leaves should be tightly packed and not show any signs of yellowing.
Once you're home, make sure to put your cauliflower in the fridge right away. Warm temperatures will cause it to brown quickly. Store cauliflower in a perforated plastic bag (often the bag it came in) and make sure it is stem side down.
Why Does Cauliflower Turn Brown?
It's frustrating, to say the least when you bring home a big, beautiful, white head of cauliflower only to find little brown spots appearing all over it the next day. Frustrating? Yes. Dangerous? No.
The brown spots are places where the cauliflower has started to oxidize. These brown spots are safe to eat, but most people (including me!) like to remove them first. The easiest way to do this is by using a Microplane to shave off the color.
Note: if the area under the brown spot is soft and mushy that should be cut away. If you see black spots, it's time to toss the cauliflower.
When is Cauliflower Season?
Cauliflower can be grown year round, but it is best during the winter and spring. Have you ever had a bitter cauliflower? It was likely grown in the summer. Heat and sunshine bring out bitter flavors in cauliflower, whereas the chilly weather turns cauliflower sweeter.
If you're thinking of planting a few in your garden this year, make sure you have lots of room. Each head will take up at least 3ft of space!
Is Cauliflower Healthy?
Cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamin C, just 1 cup of cauliflower contains nearly the same amount of vitamin C as an orange, which is half the recommended daily intake for women. It is also full of vitamin K (a strong anti-inflammatory), folate and B6.
Cauliflower is also very low in calories; there are only 25 calories in 1 full cup!
Studies have shown that glucosinolates, the compound in cauliflower that makes it smell of sulfur, may help prevent cancer. While it is not fully understood, one theory is that glucosinolates promote detoxification and help your body to remove carcinogens.
Fun Cauliflower Facts
- The name ‘cauliflower' means ‘cabbage flower'. The part we eat is really just an underdeveloped flower.
- China produces more cauliflower than anywhere else in the world.
- Cauliflower was originally grown in Asia, around the Mediterranean Sea in the 1500s. It wasn't until the 1900s that it was finally brought to North America.
Favorite Cauliflower Recipes
Cauliflower Salad with Avocado Pesto Dressing
Creamy Cauliflower Hummus
Spinach Lemon Cauliflower Rice Risotto
Dreamy Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo
Paleo Cauliflower Fried Rice
Paleo Bacon Cauliflower Soup
Cheesy Irish Cheddar Cauliflower
Roasted Tandoori Cauliflower
Curried Chicken Cauliflower Rice Soup
Brown Butter Mashed Cauliflower
Whole Roasted Sesame Cauliflower
Roasted Turmeric Cauliflower
Skinny Bang Bang Cauliflower
General Tso's Cauliflower
Blackened Cauliflower with Rosemary Garlic Panko
Najib's Special Lebanese Fried Cauliflower
Curried Lime Cauliflower Bites
Wow! This is a huge list of cauliflower recipes. I love how they are organized, Must try some since I love cauliflower so much.
Thank you so much! Cauliflower is the best, isn’t it?!!
Speaking of an ode to cauliflower…you already wrote one! Wonderful!!
Ha ha I guess I kind of have! Well if you ever write an official one I’ll still definitely buy it! 🙂
I love cauliflower, especially roasted mmm. There are so many delicious recipes there I don’t know where to start!
Roasted cauliflower is my fav too!
WOW!!! This is such an amazing post. Pinned and bookmarked!! This is going to be a lifesaver over winter.
You just put the biggest smile on my face, Lucy! Thank you so much!!
Love this round-up! I’ve never seen so many recipes for cauliflower in one place. Thanks for including my recipe!
Thank you so much for featuring my recipe!!
Thanks for sharing my cauliflower recipe! Excited to make all the other ones… they all look so good! Happy Saturday!
This is a great article about cauliflower! And a great compilation too! Thanks a bunch for this article and for giving my blog a place here! 🙂
WOW, I have never seen such a comprehensive list of cauliflower recipes! Thanks for including me in your round up!!
No problem at all! That cauliflower recipe of yours with the almond sauce has been on constant rotation around here since I first made it. 🙂
Just wanted to drop by and say a quick ‘thank you’ for including my Cauliflower Tacos in your round up! 🙂
You are so welcome! They look amazing!!
You’re killing it with these veggie round-ups! Again, thank you for including my “rice” recipe and for putting together such a yummy perfect post! XOXOXOXO
It’s kind of ridiculous how much I enjoy veggies. I think I have a problem lol! You’re rice recipe looks so delicious! 🙂