Orange Cauliflower (Dairy Free, Gluten Free)

Orange Cauliflower – Roasted cauliflower in a sticky sweet orange sauce that’s loaded with diced peppers. Ready in less than 30 minutes!

I’m dubbing myself the queen of cauliflower. I love the stuff so much. And you guys seem to love it too, making my Crispy Baked Cauliflower Tacos and my Buffalo Cauliflower Bites two of the most popular recipes on the blog.

I’m back today with another quick and easy recipe featuring this versatile veggie – Orange Cauliflower!

The cauliflower is roasted until just tender and then smothered in a sticky sweet fresh orange sauce. Serve it over rice for a healthy meal more delicious  than take-out place down the street.

Orange Cauliflower

This recipe is a play off of Orange Chicken, which you’ve probably seen before. Traditionally, the chicken is battered and fried before being added to the sauce.

Obviously, we are using cauliflower here in place of the chicken. You also won’t find any batter to be fried in this recipe.

Sure, I could have battered it and then baked it for a healthier version, but personally, I just don’t think that’s necessary.

Instead I roasted the cauliflower until just tender, with still a bit of a crunch. Then finished it off in this sweet and sticky fresh orange sauce.

Full of vitamins

Not only is the cauliflower super healthy, but the orange sauce is loaded with bell peppers and fresh squeezed orange juice, which means even more vitamins coming your way.

I have no idea what’s in the orange chicken at your local take-out joint, but I can pretty much guarantee it’s got nothing on the nutrient profile of my Orange Cauliflower!

Add this Orange Cauliflower to your list of recipes to try. When you do try it, please come back and leave me feedback below with your star rating, letting me know how much you loved it.

You can also find me on social media. Be sure to tag @veggie_inspired and #veggieinspired so I’m sure to see your posts.

Enjoy!

Orange Cauliflower

This Orange Cauliflower is a veganized version of your favorite orange chicken recipe. The cauliflower is roasted and then tossed in a sticky sweet orange sauce that's loaded with sweet diced bell peppers. Perfect alone or served over rice.

5 from 1 vote

Print Rate

Course: Entree

Cuisine: dairy free, egg free, oil free, vegan

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 338kcal

Author: Jenn Sebestyen

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 large head of cauliflower
• ▢ ¼ cup + 2 tbsp vegetable broth
• ▢ ½ of a red onion (diced)
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• ▢ 2 sweet bell peppers (diced) (I used 1 red and 1 orange)
• ▢ 1 ½ cups + 1 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
• ▢ 4 tbsp soy sauce or tamari (use wheat-free tamari for gluten-free)
• ▢ 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
• ▢ 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• ▢ 2 tbsp cornstarch
• ▢ 2 tbsp water (or more juice)
• ▢ Sesame seeds for garnish (if desired)
• ▢ Cooked Rice (for serving)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Cut the cauliflower into large bite size florets. In a medium bowl toss the cauliflower with 1 tbsp juice.
• Place the cauliflower in one even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, (Add an additional 5 minutes if desired, but I like mine to still have a crunch). Cauliflower should be just browning on the edges.
• While the cauliflower is roasting, whisk together the orange juice, soy sauce, maple syrup, and vinegar. Set aside.
• Stir together the cornstarch and water until smooth and set aside.
• Add ¼ cup vegetable broth to a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté 5-6 minutes until soft.
• Add another 2 tbsp vegetable broth to the pan and add the peppers. Saute 5-6 minutes until softened.
• When the peppers are softened, add the orange sauce to the pan and turn up the heat to bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, add the cornstarch/water mixture and stir well to incorporate. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce reduces and thickens to almost a syrup like consistency.
• Add the cauliflower to the sauce when it's done roasting and stir to coat well.
• Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top, if using, and serve immediately by itself or over rice.

Notes

~Fresh squeezed juice will give the best flavor in this recipe. Store bought juice will work in a pinch, but know that the orange flavor won't be as vibrant.

~Nutrition facts calculated without sesame seed garnish or rice for serving.

 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 1171mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 20050IU | Vitamin C: 1081.6mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 5mg

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More Easy Dairy Free Dinner Ideas:

Stir Fry Zucchini Noodles

Fregola Pasta w/ Cherry Tomatoes & Basil

Sloppy Lentil Sandwiches