Roasted Cauliflower Slices with Red Pepper, Capers, Lemon, and Olives

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Low-Carb Roasted Cauliflower Slices with Red Peppers, Olives, Capers, and Lemon are absolutely delicious for a meatless dinner and this recipe is also dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan! Use Sheet Pan Meals to find more ideas like this one!

Pin Roasted Cauliflower Slices with Red Pepper to try it later!

I’m updating this recipe for one of my favorite cauliflower dishes that I think is perfect as a season-spanning recipe for this time of year, even though I realize some of you would never be happy with a big slice of roasted cauliflower for dinner, even if it had a garlicky topping with red pepper, capers, lemon, and olives.  So if you’re one of those people who can’t get that excited about roasted cauliflower, feel free to consider these Low-Carb Roasted Cauliflower Slices with Red Pepper, Capers, Lemon, and Olives as a side dish. But I promise you, cauliflower lovers like myself will happily devour this as a meatless main dish and call it dinner.  And I ate the leftovers cold out of the fridge the next day; it was that good!

This recipe was adapted from Melissa Roberts’ Roasted Cauliflower with Kalamata Vinaigrette that appeared in Gourmet Magazine. And there was certainly nothing wrong with that version of the recipe; my Greek friend Mary tried it and loved it. But the original photos were nothing to get excited about and when we decided to update them Jake and I got a little creative and added chopped red pepper and a few capers to the garlicky vinaigrette, which made it even more flavorful and definitely more colorful. 

The hardest part of the recipe might be slicing the cauliflower so it doesn’t fall apart, so buy the biggest cauliflower you can find. But even if your cauliflower ends up in pieces instead of slices, I promise you that this is really delicious!

How to Make Roasted Cauliflower Slices with Red Pepper, Capers, Lemon, and Olives:

(Scroll down for complete printable recipe including nutritional information.)

1. Cut a head of cauliflower into slices about 3/4 inches thick. I cut through the core of the cauliflower to keep the pieces intact, and then cut some of the core away afterwards.
2. Lay the cauliflower slices in a single layer on a roasting pan. It’s important that the pan isn’t crowded. 
3. Drizzle both sides of the cauliflower with olive oil and season liberally with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
4. Roast cauliflower in a 450F/220C oven, cooking without turning for at least the first 15 minutes.
5. While the cauliflower roasts, mash 1/2 tsp. minced garlic with some salt. I used a mortar and pestle, but you can do this in a bowl with a fork.
6. Put the garlic and salt into a bowl with lemon juice (I rinsed out the mortar and pestle with the lemon juice), then stir in olive oil, whisking until the vinaigrette is emulsified. 
7. Then mix in the chopped olives, diced red pepper, and capers, and let dressing sit so the flavors blend while the cauliflower finishes roasting.
8. When the Roasted Cauliflower Slices are crisp and slightly browned, spoon the spicy garlic dressing mixture over the cauliflower pieces and serve hot.

More Cauliflower Recipes for Cauliflower Fans:

The BEST Low-Carb Roasted Cauliflower Recipes ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Mashed Cauliflower Colcannon ~ Well Plated
Roasted Christmas Cauliflower with Red Bell Pepper, Green Olives, and Pine Nuts ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Turmeric Cauliflower Broccoli Chicken ~ Reluctant Entertainer
Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen

Print

Roasted Cauliflower Slices with Red Pepper, Capers, Lemon, and Olives

Yield 4 servings

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Unless you're a complete cauliflower avoider, you'll enjoy these Low-Carb Roasted Cauliflower Slices with Red Pepper, Capers, Lemon, and Olives for a meatless main dish or a side dish!

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower
• 2 T olive oil
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• pinch sea salt
• 3 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Kalamata olives (optional, see notes)
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped small
• 1 T capers

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450F/200C.
2. Remove leaves from cauliflower, then use a large knife to cut the cauliflower into slices an even 3/4 inch thick, slicing through the core. Cut core section away from the slices and arrange cauliflower slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. (Don’t worry if some piece break off; they will still taste great!)
3. Drizzle both sides of cauliflower with olive oil and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. (I used a generous amount of pepper, but not too much salt.)
4. Start cauliflower roasting while you make the vinaigrette, and let it roast 15 minutes without turning.
5. While cauliflower roasts, mash garlic and sea salt in a mortar and pestle (or use a fork and a bowl), then rinse the garlic and salt mixture into a bowl with the lemon juice. Stir in the olive oil, whisking until the dressing is emulsified. Stir in chopped red peppers, capers and olives and let the vinaigrette ingredients blend while cauliflower continues cooking.
6. After about 15 minutes, remove cauliflower from the oven and carefully turn cauliflower pieces with a large turner.
7. Put back in oven and roast 10-15 minutes more, or until cauliflower is slightly crisp and nicely browned, and done to your liking.
8. Serve hot, with the garlicky dressing mixture drizzled over cauliflower

Notes

You can use plain black olives if you prefer, or skip the olives completely.

This recipe adapted from a recipe by Melissa Roberts for Gourmet Magazine.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 228Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 314mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 6gSugar: 6gProtein: 4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
These Low-Carb Roasted Cauliflower Slices with Red Peppers, Olives, Capers, and Lemon are a great side dish or vegetarian main dish for any phase of the South Beach Diet or any other type of low-carb or low-glycemic eating plan.

Find More Recipes Like This One:

Use Cauliflower Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Recipes by Diet Type photo index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

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