Mediterranean Roasted Cauliflower With Feta and Olives

Feeling the winter produce doldrums? Why not brighten up your table with colorful roasted cauliflower? This Mediterranean Roasted Cauliflower with Feta and Olives will have you feeling like you’re summering in Greece or Italy.

Roasted Cauliflower with Feta and Olives

For this dish, we selected three heads of the brightest, prettiest cauliflower at the market, in green, gold, and purple. Does it come in any more colors? Well, there’s white, of course. If you see any others, let us know.

(If you aren’t seeing brightly colored cauliflower at your grocery store, ask the produce manager.)

Green, purple, and gold cauliflower

This hearty combination of flavors can make a great side dish, or a festive vegetarian main course.

To make this dish, we roasted the cauliflower with olive oil and garlic. Then we added feta cheese and olives for the last few minutes of roasting. Last, we topped it all off with toasted pine nuts and a spritz of lemon juice.

The result is… so, so good. The feta, olives, and lemon juice give the dish a salty tang. But the roasted cauliflower has a subtle sweetness that is just the perfect contrast. Put it all together and it’s magic. Here you go:

Mediterranean Roasted Cauliflower with Feta and Olives

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Mediterranean Roasted Cauliflower with Feta and Olives

Colorful roasted cauliflower is tossed with olives, feta cheese, and pine nuts for a pretty side dish or a hearty vegetarian main course.

Course Main Dish/Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword cauliflower, feta cheese, kalamata olives

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 small heads cauliflower, ideally in multiple colors (purple, green, gold)
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 4 ounces feta cheese, cut into small cubes
• 1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare the cauliflower: Rinse each head and remove the woody stems. Break the cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Arrange evenly on a large baking sheet. Add the (whole) garlic cloves to the baking sheet. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Roast at 400 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Check the cauliflower at the halfway point; remove any small florets that are getting too brown, or turn over larger pieces so they cook evenly.

2. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and add feta cheese and olives. Roast for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until the feta cheese gets soft and warm.

3. Remove baking sheet from the oven. Transfer the cauliflower mixture into a large bowl or serving tray. Top with toasted pine nuts and fresh mint, and drizzle with olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately if you want it warm. It may also be served at room temperature.

Wait – isn’t cauliflower supposed to be boring? Well, maybe if you just boil plain white cauliflower it might be. But cauliflower, particularly when it’s roasted, can be so delicious. Even if you think you might not like cauliflower, it’s worth giving it another try.

cauliflower florets

By the way, why is cauliflower so good for you? It’s high in fiber, as well as Vitamins C and K and antioxidants. It’s also hearty and filling without being high in calories.

If you want to keep this recipe vegan, simply omit the feta cheese, or substitute a vegan cheese. Don’t forget to check whether your vegan cheese can handle roasting. If not, add the cheese once it’s out of the oven.

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P.S. Love cauliflower recipes? Try this Italian-style Fioretto Cauliflower, or this too-good-to-be-true Cauliflower Date Pistachio Salad with Mint and Dill.