Balsamic and Garlic Roasted Cauliflower

Hmmm…roasted cauliflower. It’s kind of touted as the ultimate cauliflower preparation. The one that turns even cauliflower haters into fans. I’ll be honest. I’ve never been all that impressed with roasted cauliflower. I like cauliflower even in standard, boring preparations, and to me, roasting it didn’t really change the flavor as much as people say it does. At least, the change wasn’t as drastic as it is with roasted broccoli (which I love).

Still, it’s a side that everyone raves about, and so I kept trying. I tried different recipes. I tweaked things here and there. Finally, I came up with something that the hubs (who isn’t a usual cauliflower fan) actually liked.

The secret – adding other flavors to caramelize along with the cauliflower. I mean, who doesn’t love roasted garlic? If that’s you, I’m not sure we can be friends.

And this balsamic. Have you ever tasted balsamic vinegar that’s been caramelized? So good. Use good, aged balsamic. The kind that’s a little thick. It’ll thicken even more and caramelize and become sweet with just a hint of tart.

Now can you imagine that with roasted garlic and cauliflower that’s tender with crispy edges? Uh huh. Yeah.

Author: Joy @ The Joyful Foodie

Recipe type: side dish, vegetable

Ingredients

8 cups cauliflower, about 2 small heads
2 tbsp balsamic, high quality, aged
2 tbsp fat, olive oil or browned butter
4-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tsp rosemary or thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Toss cauliflower in balsamic vinegar and fat of choice.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and allow to marinate while your oven preheats.
Preheat oven to 425ºF
Line a baking sheet with foil and spread cauliflower evenly over the foil.
Roast for 10 minutes.
Remove baking sheet from the oven, add the garlic and herbs and toss cauliflower to coat as evenly as possible.
Return cauliflower to the oven and roast for an additional 15 minutes or until balsamic is caramelized and garlic is roasted.