August 27, 2018

Firecracker Cauliflower

POSTED BY: ERIN WYSOCARSKI | ON: AUGUST 27, 2018 | 44 COMMENTS

This firecracker cauliflower is sauced with a spicy blend of sriracha, peanut butter, vegan butter and miso, then baked to perfection. The outside is fiery, rich and full of flavor while the inside is soft and tender. Serve it with vegan ranch or bleu cheese dressing and experience an explosion of flavor!

A hand sprinkling parsley over a whole head of firecracker cauliflower in a cast iron pan against a dark background.

I’m not sure why I had urge to crank up my oven during late August here in Boston, but I had a head of cauliflower and a craving for some sriracha, so this firecracker cauliflower happened. This is a perfect vegan fall recipe and hits the spot on any crisp day.

A head of cauliflower upside-down on a baking sheet against a dark background.

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How To Make This Recipe

Start with a big ‘ol head of cauliflower to make your firecracker cauliflower. The cauliflower head should be firm and pale, with no brown spots.

A hand holding a whole head of cauliflower against a dark background.

If you cut away some of the stems and bones around the core, you’ve created a little cavity to pour in some spicy sauce. This one’s got vegan butter, garlic, peanut butter, sriracha and miso for umami.

Firecracker sauce in a glass measuring cup being poured into a whole head of cauliflower.

Double The Sauce!

Something I wish I had done for this recipe: doubled the sauce! It all soaks into the cauliflower, but some extra + warmed sauce on the side would have been a bonus.

A hand painting a head of cauliflower with firecracker sauce.

Once the cavity is filled with sauce, paint your cauliflower. Get into those nooks and crannies.

A whole head of cauliflower with firecracker sauce.

This is the position it will start out roasting in. I left the end unsauced, so it wouldn’t burn.

A whole head of cauliflower painted with firecracker sauce.

Making The Perfect Firecracker Cauliflower

Once it’s baked for about 30 minutes, flip in your cast iron pan and paint the top all over with the sauce. Roast for 30 minutes more, or until it’s toasty and perfect. During these last 30 minutes, remove from the oven, tip the pan to the side so all the liquid collects in one end. Dip in a large spoon and repeatedly toss all over the top until there is no liquid left. Do this twice!

A whole head of firecracker cauliflower, basted with sauce in a cast iron pan against a dark background.

How To Serve This Dish

Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Vegan bleu cheese or vegan ranch dressing on the side for dunking goes perfectly here.

A whole head of firecracker cauliflower on a serving tray with a slice cut out of it.

This will fill your kitchen and belly with goodness. Sriracha FTW.

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Firecracker Cauliflower

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 15 reviews

Author: erin wysocarski
Total Time: 1 hours 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Diet: Vegan

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Description

Firecracker cauliflower that’s been roasted in a garlic, vegan butter, sriracha, miso and peanut butter sauce. It’s perfectly spicy and easy to make!

Ingredients

for the firecracker sauce

2 TB olive oil
4–6 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1/2 cup vegan butter
1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1/2 cup sriracha
2 TB miso (I used chickpea miso, but any kind would work)

for the cauliflower

one head of cauliflower
2 TB olive oil
medium-sized pyrex dish filled halfway with water

to serve

extra firecracker sauce
fresh parsley, chopped
vegan bleu cheeze or ranch dressing

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Instructions

to make the firecracker sauce

Warm the oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir to coat.
Allow to soften for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, ensuring that it does not brown.
Add in the vegan butter and allow to fully melt. Add in the peanut butter and allow it to fully melt, stirring as needed to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Add in the sriracha, stirring to combine, then add in the miso and stir until completely smooth. Remove from the heat.

to roast the cauliflower

Preheat oven to 400.
Cut away any green leaves from the base of the cauliflower, but keep the base intact.
You are going to pour some of the sauce into the cauliflower while it’s upside-down. To allow that, cut away any cauliflower stems that allow space for that (just minimal cutting and removal).
Grease a medium-sized cast iron pan with the oil. Place the cauliflower inside (stem-side up). Pour one-third of the sauce evenly into the cavity. Using a pastry brush, brush the sauce all over. Leave the part that’s face-down free from sauce.
Place the cauliflower into the oven (top rack) and place the pyrex with water on the rack below. Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and flip (I used two big spoons) and brush the top with the sauce until well coated.
Check to make sure the pyrex still has water – refill if needed.
Bake for 30 minutes more, or until the top is slightly charred.
During this bake time, remove twice from the oven. Tip the cast iron slightly to the side so the sauce pools on one side. Using a spoon, douse the top evenly with the sauce.
Once done, allow to slightly cool.
Serve immediately with any of the leftover firecracker sauce, vegan bleu cheeze or ranch dressing and fresh parsley.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hours
Category: Dinner, Side
Method: Baked, Basted
Cuisine: Asian, American