Zen and Zaatar

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • About
  • Meal Plan
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Cookbook
    • About
    • Meal Plan
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Zen and Zaatar » Recipes » Middle Eastern

    Cauliflower with Tahini

    Published: May 4, 2016 · Modified: Mar 30, 2025 by Zena | Zen and Zaatar · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Love it? Share it!

    Jump to Recipe

    cauliflower with tahini

    Cauliflower and tahini were meant to be together, and this dish proved it to me. The first time my mom made this Arabic dish for me, I could not believe something so delicious was centered around just two basic ingredients. The true beauty of this dish is in its simplicity.

    cauliflower with tahini

    First, you just slightly steam the cauliflower and then begin to brown it, as the garlic and olive oil infuse it with flavor.cauliflower with tahini

    Then you add the fragrant Mediterranean spices, sumac and cumin. While the cauliflower continues to crisp, you prepare the simple tahini sauce. This creamy, tangy sauce works beautifully with so many Middle-Eastern dishes, yet each combination of tahini and flavors is always unique.cauliplate3

    Finally before serving, you toast the pine nuts, releasing their irresistible aroma and crunch. Topped with the toasted pine nuts, chopped parsley, and an extra sprinkle of sumac, this simple, flavorful dish comes together in under half an hour for you to enjoy! I love to serve cauliflower with tahini alongside white rice to soak up the flavors of the sauce and spices.

    cauli plate1

     
    3.5.3229

    Recipe

    Cauliflower with Tahini

    Zena Hassoun
    Fragrant cauliflower and tangy tahini join together with Mediterranean spices in this simple Middle-Eastern dish.
    No ratings yet
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Total Time 5 minutes mins
    Course Uncategorized
    Cuisine Middle Eastern
    Servings 2 -3
    Calories 616 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Cauliflower

    • 2 heads cauliflower
    • 3 tablespoon olive oil
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • ½ teaspoon cumin
    • ½ teaspoon sumac
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ cup parsley leaves chopped
    • ¼ cup pine nuts

    Tahini

    • ¼ cup tahini
    • 2 ½ tablespoon lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoon water
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Instructions
     

    • Chop cauliflower into florets and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes. I heated ½ of the florets at a time, for 1 and a half minutes each. Cauliflower should just begin to be tender, but still maintain its texture and not become too soft.
    • In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté minced garlic in olive oil until fragrant, about 2 minutes, then add cauliflower. After about 5 minutes, once cauliflower starts to brown, add cumin, sumac, pepper, and salt. Continue to cook cauliflower for about 10-15 more minutes, until most florets are browned. Keep an eye on the cauliflower to make sure it does not burn.
    • Meanwhile, prepare tahini sauce by whisking all ingredients for tahini together until no lumps remain.
    • Dry toast the pine nuts in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring or shaking frequently to make sure they do not burn. As soon as they start to brown, after 3-5 minutes, remove from heat and set aside.
    • Remove cauliflower from heat and immediately pour tahini sauce over it while it is still hot. Stir through to make sure florets are evenly coated with tahini.
    • Serve immediately alongside rice or pita bread, and top with chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servingCalories: 616kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 19gFat: 51gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 40gSodium: 998mgFiber: 16gSugar: 13g
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below and tag @zenandzaatar on social!

    More Vegan Middle Eastern Recipes

    • A bowl of Arabic lentil soup topped with pita chips, crispy onions, and parsley, and served with lemon.
      Authentic Arabic Lentil Soup (Shorbat Adas)
    • The freekeh recipe shown with the cooked freekeh, topped with roasted cauliflower and chickpeas and drizzled with tahini.
      Simple Middle Eastern Freekeh with Cauliflower and Chickpeas
    • Lemon tahini sauce being drizzled with a spoon to show consistency.
      Creamy Lemon Tahini Sauce (Vegan, Mediterranean Dressing)
    • This is the featured Palestinian salad photo, showing all the components of the salad.
      Palestinian salad (Mediterranean tomato cucumber salad)

    Love it? Share it!

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Headshot image of the author of Zen and Zaatar, Zena Hassoun, MS.

    Welcome!

    Hi, I’m Zena, a passionate home cook with a Master’s in Medical Health Sciences. I’ve been vegan for nearly a decade and love creating approachable, Mediterranean-inspired recipes that nourish your body and soul.

    More about me

    55+ Vegan Recipes for Real Life

    The cover image of my e-cookbook, with text overlay "Vegan is Delicious: 55+ nourishing, innovative, plant-based recipes to satisfy vegans and omnivores alike! by Zena Hassoun, M.S., creator of Zen and Zaatar."

    Tired of the same meals or relying on takeout? Vegan is Delicious is full of flavorful, plant-based recipes (with photos!) plus a 7-day meal plan to make home cooking feel effortless.

    Get it now!

    Trending Recipes 🔥

    • How to make a super flavorful tofu scramble with spinach and cherry tomatoes. Forget about “bland” tofu, this tofu scramble is bursting with umami flavor, seasoned with nutritional yeast and tahini. A great plant-based alternative to scrambled eggs, this flavorful tofu scramble recipe is sure to be a vegan breakfast favorite!
      Super Flavorful Tofu Scramble with Spinach and Tomatoes
    • This healthy vegan nutella is date sweetened
      Healthy Vegan Nutella (Date-Sweetened)
    • vegan kunafa or knafeh, a shredded phyllo and sweet cheese dessert
      Vegan Kunafa (Knafeh) | Shredded Phyllo and Sweet Cheese Dessert
    • ful medames, a syrian fava bean and chickpea breakfast salad
      Ful Medames, Syrian Style (Arabic Bean Salad) [Vegan, GF]
    • This horaa osbao (horak esbao) is a syrian pasta dish with lentils and tangy pomegranate sauce.
      Syrian Pasta with Lentils & Caramelized Onion (Horaa Osbao) | حراق اصبعه - Vegan
    • The sweet potato and chickpea quinoa bowl with brussels sprouts, pepitas, and topped with maple tahini drizzle.
      High-Protein Sweet Potato and Chickpea Quinoa Bowls

    Vegan Summer Recipes

    • Finished image of the kale salad topped with tahini dressing, chickpeas, and slices of avocado.
      Hearty Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing and Chickpeas (Savory)
    • The green apple kale smoothie featured image
      Green apple kale smoothie
    • Vegan tomato tart with basil cashew ricotta and a gluten free tart crust
      Vegan tomato tart with basil cashew ricotta (gluten-free)
    • a photo showing the mediterranean tomato salad with zaatar, lemon, and olive oil
      Middle Eastern tomato and red onion salad with za’atar
    • This is the featured image of galayet bandora, the finished product of Palestinian sautéed tomatoes and olive oil.
      Galayet Bandora (Palestinian Pan Fried Tomatoes) Recipe
    • Mediterranean pearl couscous salad featuring moghrabieh couscous, lemon, cucumber, and olives, in a lemon herb olive oil dressing.
      Irresistible Pearl Couscous Salad (Vegan)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Connect

    On this site, we share products we genuinely love through affiliate links. This means we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Your support helps keep this blog running, and we appreciate it!

    Copyright © 2025 Zen and Zaatar LLC

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required