Zaatar spices turn Roasted Cauliflower into something special! Serve it as a side dish, stuff it in a pita, or throw it in a bowl with some chickpeas and ancient grains. Quick, easy, and delicious!
If you think you don’t like cauliflower, just try roasting it in the oven with some olive oil and zaatar. This has become one of my go-to recipes and I make it nearly every week!
I have never been anti-cauliflower, but only since I started roasting it have I learned to absolutely love it. It’s so incredibly versatile, but my favorite way to prepare it is to slather it in zaatar seasoning before I pop it in the oven.
This middle eastern cauliflower recipe is delicious as a side dish or stuffed into a pita, but lately I’ve been making it in large batches to eat as part of a middle eastern-inspired vegan bowl, along with fried chickpeas, cooked freekeh, Jerusalem salad, and a quick lemon-tahini sauce.
I actually just got back from a camping trip yesterday, and I brought along a whole container filled with this zaatar roasted cauliflower. You really can’t go wrong with this stuff!
So, about zaatar. If you’re not familiar with this stuff, get ready to meet your new favorite seasoning. My aunt, who lives in Israel, brought me this little jar of zaatar last time she came to visit, and I’ve become pretty much obsessed with it.
Zaatar is a fragrant herb that is usually mixed with sesame seeds and salt. If you can’t find true zaatar, you can make a great substitution by following this recipe which uses sumac, savory, oregano, and thyme.
Other than zaatar, the only other ingredients you need are cauliflower and oil! I like to bake mine on these rimmed baking sheets.
These baking sheets help to get this middle eastern roasted cauliflower nice and crisp on the edges.
I’m completely exhausted from my camping trip and need to go clean out the coolers, so I’ll keep today’s post short and sweet.
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Zaatar Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons zaatar seasoning
- 1 large head cauliflower - cut into thin florets
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the oil and zaatar in a large bowl and whisk until well-combined. Add the cauliflower and toss well.
- Transfer to a large baking sheet and place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Turn the cauliflower over and return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes, or until tender and browned on the edges.
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Please note that this zaatar roasted cauliflower recipe is also spelled as za’atar roasted cauliflower recipe.
I make this mix in the morning and let it Marinate for the day in a freezer bag in the fridge: cut up cauliflower with the chickpeas, a diced onion, the zaatar spice and extra virgin olive oil in a big freezer bag
You will never want to fry your chick peas again.
I love sides with minimal ingredients. And with just 3 main foods, this definitely a easy-to make, keeper recipe of sorts. Love the crunchy texture seen in gorgeous pictures. I’ll add some cayenne pepper or paprika for a bit of heat, as it like it a tad spicier than most people.
Zaatar does add a punch to many dishes. Although, the quality of zaatar mixes vary a lot, as Andi pointed out. Unless your blend contains real zaatar herb from the middle east, you won’t get the classic and original flavour. After searching around for a quality mix like the one gifted by a friend from a trip to the Middle East, I found the best Za’atar from https://www.eatzaatar.com. Their blends contain 30% of zaatar herb that is grown in Lebanon.
Hi, I just came across your blog, and found this recipe which looks great, I’m going to try it today. I just wanted to mention that Zaatar is actually a certain herb (Origanum syriacum), which is mixed with other things, such as sesame to make that mix. If you don’t use this herb, then the mix isn’t actually zaatar, and won’t have that special taste that you’re looking for.
Thanks for the idea of adding zaatar to roasted cauliflower.
Andi
Andi, you’re totally right! I didn’t know this until just a day or two ago when I read it in a book. Thanks for commenting, I’ll update the post right now 🙂