This Instant Pot Whole Roasted Cauliflower is getting all dressed up today, get ready for the ultimate taste bud party! Tender roasted cauliflower on a swoosh of Homemade Hummus, drizzled with a bright herbaceous chimichurri sauce . . . are you with me?
THESE are the kinds of recipes I dream of at night!
The kind of recipes you might see on cooking competitions or in fine dining restaurants, yet in reality, they are so simple and doable and ready to grace your beautiful table and make you feel like a rockstar!
The night I served this I was like a giddy school kid who just received news that they were going to Disneyland.
I giggled without reason, couldn't sit on my stool for more than 30 seconds at a time, felt eruptions of joy bursting from my chest, and loudly exclaimed, “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm MMM!” after nearly every bite.
Gahhh! I love this recipe!
Hubby? Also totally and completely on board. Kids? Gosh darn it, I love the heck out of them, but when will they stop asking for “grilled cheese like all the other kids”?
I mean honestly, what other kids? Do you serve your kids grilled cheese every night? Am I really that much of a failure in the “mom cook” category? Be honest, I can take it.
Anyways, back to yummy food: Cauliflower itself is the perfect blank slate for experimenting with all kinds of flavors, and I believe I found my new favorite with this one!
WHY YOU WILL LOVE INSTANT POT WHOLE ROASTED CAULIFLOWER
- The entire head of cauliflower gets cooked to perfectly tender perfection which means no breaking down the cauliflower into bite-size florets and dealing with the tiny bits that fly everywhere (just me?).
- It cooks in one minute! Well, two, if you are like me and like cauliflower on the borderline too soft side.
- Herby, tangy chimichurri sauce . . . I could drink this stuff! Chimichurri’s not just for steak, oh no, it's going next level here to elevate our cauliflower “steak”.
- Chimichurri sauce gets brushed into the nooks and crannies of the pressure cooked cauliflower, then broiled until browned and crispy – stay away from the extra browned/kind of burnt sections – those are mine!
- The final presentation: Swoosh of warm hummus, topped with a wedge of cauliflower, drizzled with just borderline too much chimichurri sauce, and sprinkled with a handful of roasted pine nuts. If you win yourself a Food Network cooking competition with this presentation, be sure and give me a shout out!
HOW TO COOK A WHOLE CAULIFLOWER HEAD IN THE PRESSURE COOKER
- Remove the core and leaves from a whole head of cauliflower
- Place on a sling and lower it into the pot
- Cook to desired tenderness
- Separate the florets just a little bit
- Brush generously with chimichurri sauce
- Place under the oven broiler until browned and crisp
SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST ROASTED CAULIFLOWER
- For crisp-tender cauliflower, cook for one minute. If you prefer it on the softer side, cook for two.
- A 6-quart pot will hold a medium-sized head of cauliflower. If you're cooking it in an 8-quart pot, you could get a large one – cook time will remain the same.
- To get flavor inside the cauliflower, you will need to take the time to separate the cauliflower just a little bit after it's pressure cooked. No need to go crazy, you don't want to ruin the integrity of it. You only need those small cracks for the chimichurri sauce to seep into and infuse the entire thing with flavor. Still, most of the flavor will be on the outside, so make sure you reserve extra chimichurri sauce for drizzling at the table.
- Homemade or store-bought pesto makes a great substitute for the chimichurri sauce if you'd like to skip a step.
- Whole Roasted Cauliflower can be cut into wedges (like you'd cut a pizza) or straight across the entire thing to make a cauliflower steak. Both ways look and taste amazing!
- The bed of hummus is undeniably delightful, don't skip it! This Homemade Hummus is my favorite, but your favorite store-bought hummus will work well too!
HOW TO STORE, REHEAT, AND FREEZE ROASTED CAULIFLOWER
- Store: Place cooled leftovers in a sealed container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: Cauliflower can be reheated in the microwave, or to bring back it's texture, roast in an air fryer or oven.
- Freeze: Place cauliflower in a freezer-safe ziptop bag and freeze for up to 3 months. The texture will be softer once it thaws, but the flavor will still be good. Place it on a sheet pan and roast it to revive its crisp texture.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH WHOLE ROASTED CAULIFLOWER
This Roasted Cauliflower is an amazing vegetarian entree, but if you'd like to add some protein:
VARIATIONS OF WHOLE ROASTED CAULIFLOWER
- Indian Spiced Whole Roasted Cauliflower – this one is so pretty!
- Parmesan Whole Roasted Cauliflower – brush it with butter and a top with a sprinkle of parmesan and broil until cheese is browned.
- Lemon Pepper Whole Roasted Cauliflower – Brush with oil, sprinkle with a heavy hand of Lemon Pepper and kosher salt; roast until browned.
Whether you're out to impress guests, or just want to treat yourself to a “fine dining at home” type of experience, this Chimichurri Cauliflower will not disappoint!
Forget spending hundreds of dollars at a restaurant, you can absolutely make yourself amazing food at a fraction of the cost that will make you feel like a million bucks.
Eat your veggies and enjoy them too – a good standard to live by!
MORE INSTANT POT VEGETABLE SIDE DISH RECIPES
- Instant Pot Kale
- Instant Pot Honey Glazed Carrots
- Instant Pot Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Instant Pot Cheesy Vegetable Medley
- Instant Pot Smashed Potatoes with Hummus
TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT WHOLE ROASTED CAULIFLOWER
PrintInstant Pot Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Chimichurri Sauce
Instant Pot Whole Roasted Cauliflower on a bed of Hummus and drizzled with Chimichurri sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minute
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 medium sized head of cauliflower
For the Chimichurri
- 1 cup packed fresh italian parsley
- ½ cup packed cilantro
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
For serving: hummus, toasted pine nuts
Instructions
- Rinse and dry cauliflower. Cut off the bottom stalk, being careful not to remove so much of the core that the cauliflower can’t hold it’s shape. Tear off remaining green leaves.
- Add 1 cup of water to the pressure cooker pot and place trivet inside. Place cauliflower core side down on top of the trivet.
- Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 1 minute (or 2 minutes if you like it very soft).
- While the cauliflower cooks, make chimichurri by putting all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender. Pulse until it’s right in the middle of being chunky and smooth.
- Preheat oven broiler.
- When pressure cooking is complete, use a quick release.
- Gently place cauliflower on a baking sheet. Separate the florets just a little bit to create some spaces for the chimichurri to soak in to.
- Brush cauliflower generously with the chimichurri sauce. You want some of the sauce to soak into the cracks so that it will flavor the inside too. Reserve the extra for serving.
- Place cauliflower under the oven broiler until it gets browned and crisp. Depending on your broiler this could be anywhere from 3 – 7 minutes. Watch closely so it doesn’t burn.
- To serve, make a bed of hummus on a plate or in a shallow bowl. Cut cauliflower into wedges or 1 inch steaks and place on top of the hummus. Drizzle with extra chimichurri sauce and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you like cauliflower VERY tender, cook for 2 minutes.
- Unless you really get into the nooks and crannies when brushing your cauliflower with the chimichurri sauce, most of the flavor will be on the outside of the cauliflower. Drizzling it with extra chimichurri sauce once it’s plated solves this dilemma!
- Pesto makes a great substitute for the chimichurri if you want to avoid the extra step.
Keywords: Whole Roasted Cauliflower, Instant Pot Cauliflower, Vegetarian Entree
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