From hearty wraps & sandwiches to creamy casseroles & bakes, I have all your cravings covered. Cauliflower is every vegan’s best friend. While it’s admittedly dull and bland on its own, it’s also versatile and absorbs flavors well. Think of it as a blank canvas you can experiment flavors with. That’s why if you look at this recipe catalog, you’ll find a wide range of flavor profiles. There’s something rich and creamy, sweet and spicy, savory and smoky, and every other flavor combination in the book! If you think being vegan is no fun, these vegan cauliflower recipes will prove otherwise.
1. Sticky Sesame Cauliflower
Think Panda Express’ sesame chicken, but without the chicken. Cooked in a thick sauce of honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil, this dish is as sweet, sticky, and tasty as the original. Instead of chicken, you use cauliflower florets toasted to crunchy perfection. Trust me, once the florets get coated with the sauce, they’ll be unrecognizable!
2. Vegan Crispy Roasted Cauliflower
Sometimes, it’s the simple things that satisfy us the most. Such is the case with this scrumptious side dish. Simply coat the cauliflower florets with olive oil and seasonings and pop them in the oven. Roasting releases the natural sweetness of the veg, giving it a deeper flavor. The seasonings provide the extra oomph. This recipe uses a mix of smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder. Of course, you can use your own blend, too.
3. Vegan Sweet and Sour Cauliflower
A combination of broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, tahini, and maple syrup makes up the sauce of this Asian-inspired dish. The key to success here is to perfect the ratio of the sauce ingredients. Follow the recipe to a tee to get the best balance of sweet and tangy flavors. This sauce is so delectable, you won’t even need to batter and deep-fry the cauliflower to make the dish delish. Par-boiled florets will do.
4. Vegan Cauliflower Casserole
This casserole could honestly convince someone to turn vegan. Baked with garlic, lemon, and tomatoes, it bursts with impeccably fresh flavors. It’s so delightful, even kids and picky eaters will ask for a second helping. To make it even more irresistible, top the casserole with cheese and broil until it bubbles. With this little trick, no one can say no to it.
5. Vegan Blackened Cauliflower With Creamy Pesto Pasta
Roasted cauliflower and pesto pasta combine to create the perfect vegan dish. It’s so hearty and tasty, you won’t miss the meat. The key here is to coat the florets with blackened seasoning. It’s a blend of smoked paprika, thyme, cayenne, and more. It makes the simple roasted cauliflower restaurant-quality. The florets’ smokiness and the pesto’s creaminess create a wonderful balance of flavors.
6. Healthy Vegan Cauliflower Fried Rice
Coming from someone who eats rice all day, every day, I know giving up rice is near-impossible. But I also know that this recipe will make things easier. I’m won’t try to convince you that ground-up cauliflower will give you the exact satisfaction that real rice does. But it does make the transition to veganism more doable. With its combination of colors, flavors, and textures, this faux fried rice won’t disappoint.
7. Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
These cauliflower florets taste just like buffalo wings! Crispy and crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, these cauliflower wings taste almost like the real thing. When a vegetable is this good, no one will notice the absence of meat. To make things more exciting, serve these wings with ranch or blue cheese for dipping.
8. Indian Butter Cauliflower
This dish is creamy, dreamy, and delicious. This Indian-inspired dish marinates cauliflower in a mix of coconut cream, tomatoes, and a whole lot of spices. To give the cauliflower a deeper flavor, roast it in the oven or give it a quick spin in the air fryer. It’s a simple recipe that transforms cauliflower from basic to mind-blowing!
9. Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Steaks
I won’t lie and tell you these cauliflower steaks taste just like actual steaks. I’ll just be honest and say they’re surprisingly amazing. If you’re looking for a hearty vegan dinner, look no further than this dish. These steaks are covered in a blanket of sriracha garlic mayo and roasted to perfection. They’re crunchy and tender with a beautiful char on the outside. Season the steaks with fresh herbs for extra flavor.
10. Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Bake
If you’re trying to make healthier choices but also can’t live without creamy bakes at the same time, this recipe is the solution. Here, the florets are smothered with a sauce made of cashews, nutritional yeast, and seasonings. I know it doesn’t sound too appetizing, but just you wait until you experience its creamy decadence.
11. Vegan Cauliflower Tacos
Instead of the usual chicken, steak, or fish filling, these tacos use cauliflower. Taco Tuesday has just gotten more interesting! The faux meat filling is made of baked florets that have been seasoned with paprika, cumin, and tons of spices. The tacos are then drizzled with a heavenly cilantro lime dressing and finished with avocado slices and red cabbage.
12. Vegan Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Who says you can’t enjoy pizza when you’re vegan? Nothing’s impossible with ingenuity, creativity, and this recipe. To make your very own vegan-friendly crust, all you need are ground cauliflower, flaxseeds, cornstarch, and cornmeal. With just 25 minutes of prep and 1 hour of cooking, this vegan pizza crust is a breeze to make.
13. Vegan Cauliflower Pizza Bites
These morsels are heaven in a bite! They’re also dairy- and carb-free. The only problem is they’re way too addictive. Topped with vegan cheese, sauce, seasonings, and other vegan toppings you can dream of, these bites are nothing short of divine. The combo of toppings is so scrumptious you’ll barely even notice that the crust is made of cauliflower.
14. Ultimate Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwich
This vegan sandwich is filled with the glorious flavors of buffalo wings, sans the chicken. The sandwich filling is made of cauliflower steaks that have been coated in hot and tangy buffalo sauce. This recipe mimics the flavors and textures of actual buffalo wings, without having to use actual chicken. Serve the filling in toasted ciabatta buns along with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and your choice of dressing.
15. Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Wraps
A colorful mix of roasted cauliflower, buffalo sauce, vegetables, avocado, and ranch dressing is bound together by soft whole wheat wraps. They’re like burritos but much healthier. And just like burritos, the ingredients are highly customizable. Feel free to add as many crunchy veggies as you can fit in there! As an added bonus, the recipe comes with directions to make these wraps gluten- and carb-free.
16. Cheesy Vegan Cauliflower Pasta Bake
Here’s another recipe for a rich and creamy pasta bake. You really can’t have too much of these casseroles. This dish features pasta shells, cauliflower, and tomatoes covered in a smooth and creamy vegan Alfredo sauce. Finished with breadcrumbs and cheese, the casserole gets an extra crunchy and bubbly outer crust.
17. Spicy Roasted Cauliflower Pasta With Lemon
This pasta dish is extra savory and flavorful thanks to roasted cauliflower and red onion. The sauce is a simple combination of olive oil and garlic. But we all know extremely flavorful this humble tandem is, so expect nothing but greatness here. Spritz some lemon juice to counterbalance the richness of the sauce, and voila, lunch or dinner is served.
18. Dreamy Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
It doesn’t look it, but this Alfredo sauce is 100% vegan and dairy-free. The trick is to puree cooked onions, garlic, and cauliflower until they turn into a smooth and creamy sauce. Sprinkle nutritional yeast to give it a cheesy taste and boom, you’re done. Toss the sauce with your favorite pasta noodles and enjoy.
19. Crispy Cauliflower Pasta Salad
If you’re looking for a light yet satisfying dinner, this pasta salad is the answer. A beautiful medley of bowtie pasta, arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, and avocado, this salad is packed with wonderful colors, flavors, and textures. The lemon vinaigrette is light yet delicious, tying all the flavors together beautifully. The toppings are what takes it to the next level, though. I’m talking roasted cauliflower, walnuts, and avocado slices! They add an extra layer of flavor and texture to the already delicious dish.
20. Vegan Roasted Cauliflower Soup
This soup is ridiculously creamy and packed with flavor! It’s hard to believe it’s vegan. The key here is to roast the cauliflower beforehand. This gives the soup a deeper and more complex flavor. Blended with white beans, cashews, and garlic, this soup’s richness is undeniable.
21. Southern Fried Cauliflower “Chicken”
If you’re missing the crispy and crunchy goodness of fried chicken, this recipe has you covered. While it doesn’t taste like chicken at all, this copycat still manages to hit all the right notes. It’s crispy and crunchy on the outside, while the “meat” inside is very tender. The flavors are on point, too. It’s first coated with a spice mix made of cayennes, paprika, and Old Bay, among others. And then it’s dipped in batter flavored with soy milk, mustard, and hot sauce.
22. General Tso’s Cauliflower
This version of General Tso’s signature chicken dish uses cauliflower, but it’s so good, you’ll devour it up to the very last bit. The crunch from the cauliflower makes this copycat a great, vegan replica of the original. But let’s be honest, the star of the dish here isn’t the cauliflower, but the sauce. Made with brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, and tomato paste, the sauce is sweet, sticky, savory, and tangy.
23. Vegan Thai Red Curry With Cauliflower and Potatoes
The thing I love about curry is that the sauce is already so good, it doesn’t matter what protein or vegetables you throw in there. In fact, this version of curry only contains mainly cauliflower and potatoes, yet it’s just as mouthwatering as any meat-filled curry.
24. Thai Peanut Cauliflower Wings
In the mood for Thai food? Coat cauliflower florets with a creamy peanut sauce, bake, and you’re good to go. The sauce isn’t just your average peanut sauce, though. Aside from the usual ingredients, curry and sriracha also join the mix. These additions give the sauce extra flavor and a spicy kick.
25. Vegan Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
Move over mashed potatoes, this mashed cauliflower tastes just as good, and it’s a lot healthier. Okay, maybe it doesn’t taste exactly as good, but it’s pretty irresistible. The cauliflower is roasted to perfection. It’s then mashed with soy almond milk, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper.
26. Vegan Cauliflower “Potato” Salad
If you’re craving grandma’s hearty and creamy potato salad, this recipe has your name on it. Swapping out cauliflower for potatoes makes this dish low in carbs but still high in flavor.
27. Vegan Cauliflower Gnocchi With Pesto
Got no time to make dinner from scratch? Turn to store-bought pesto and cauliflower gnocchi and you’re all set. With the pillowy dumplings and buttery pesto sauce, this dish tastes as if you worked hard on it, but you’ll barely work at all.
28. Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Chowder
This chowder is thick, creamy, and packed with flavor. While this chowder doesn’t have clams or oysters, it still bursts with seafood flavor. The trick is to top it with oyster crackers!
29. Roasted Cauliflower and Hummus Bowl
This hummus bowl is loaded with roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, and carrot ribbons. It doesn’t just taste amazing, but looks stunning, too. You’ll love the creamy, nutty, and smoky flavor combination, here. The carrots add a mild sweetness, too, to cut through the bowl’s richness.
30. Vegan Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Craving mac and cheese but can’t have dairy? This vegan version is the next best thing. The sauce is made from almond milk and nutritional yeast. Together, they mimic the flavors and creamy textures of a traditional mac and cheese sauce. Toss it with al dente elbow macaroni and enjoy! Click on a star to rate it!
Average rating 5 / 5. Vote count: 1 No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.
Share on social media: Let us improve this post!
