Roasted Cauliflower with Red Peppers, Green Olives, and Pine Nuts
Roasted Cauliflower with Red Peppers, Green Olives, and Pine Nuts is perfect when you need a special cauliflower side dish! And it’s red and green so you could definitely serve this for a low-carb holiday meal!
PIN Roasted Cauliflower with Red Peppers, Green Olives, and Pine Nuts!
Roasted Cauliflower with Red Peppers, Green Olives, and Pine Nuts is a festive roasted cauliflower dish that has so many great flavors. And the colors in this recipe are so beautifully red and green that it’s absolutely great for a holiday side dish! Think of this recipe during the coming holiday week when there are high-carb and ultra-rich choices everywhere you look. You might be surprised how much you enjoy making something like this for a healthier option that’s still special enough for a holiday meal.
And with the colors and all the flavors going on here from red bell peppers, green olives, pine nuts, and capers, this is cauliflower at its finest; I promise anyone who loves roasted cauliflower will love this kicked-up version even more. Of course, PINE NUTS! Don’t you agree they make everything better?
And don’t skip the green olives either, unless you have family members who just won’t warm up to them. In fact, my sister Pam told me that she never had much appreciation for green olives before she started using them in this roasted cauliflower recipe! If you like the idea of a holiday side dish that’s still a healthy choice, I hope you’ll give this a try during the holidays!
And Happy Holidays to all the loyal readers who support this site. I’ll be enjoying some time off for visiting my family during this week, but some scheduled posts will still show up here and on social media. I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday week as well!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is ONLY a list of ingredients for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- cauliflower
- red bell pepper
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- pine nuts
- sliced green olives
- Capers (affiliate link)
- flat-leaf parsley (optional, but it adds some nice green color)
- lemon pieces to squeeze over (optional, but so good)
What if you don’t have pine nuts?
I love pine nuts so much I buy them at Costco in bags and keep them in the freezer! But if you don’t have pine nuts and don’t want to buy them I would use slivered almonds or pistachios in this dish, or just leave out the nuts.
What if you’re not a fan of green olives?
If you don’t like green olives you can definitely leave them out, although I think they add such a punch of flavor here. I’d use double the amount of capers if you’re not using green olives.
Who else loves Roasted Cauliflower like I do?
For everyone who’s also a big fan of roasted cauliflower, check out 25 Roasted Cauliflower Recipes for lots more amazing ideas for cauliflower as a side dish!
How to make Roasted Cauliflower with Red Peppers, Green Olives, and Pine Nuts:
(This is ONLY a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Cut up the cauliflower and red bell pepper into bite-sized pieces and toss with olive oil, salt, and fresh-ground pepper.
- Spread it out on a roasting pan and roast at 425F/220C for 20 minutes.
- While cauliflower roasts prepare other ingredients.
- After 20 minutes roasting time, toss the partially-roasted vegetables with the sliced olives, pine nuts, and capers.
- Spread out on baking sheet again, and roast 10-15 minutes more, or until the vegetables are getting nicely browned on the edges.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley if you have some and serve hot, with lemon to squeeze on at the table if desired. (I highly recommend the added lemon!)
More Holiday-Worthy Cauliflower:
- Twice-Baked Cauliflower
- Cauliflower Gratin
- Roasted Cauliflower Rice Medley
- Cauliflower Rice with Basil, Parmesan and Pine Nuts
- Easy Cheesy Baked Keto Cauliflower
Roasted Cauliflower with Red Peppers, Green Olives, and Pine Nuts
Roasted Cauliflower with Red Peppers, Green Olives, and Pine Nuts is as good as it gets for a special side dish!
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, cut up into smallish, same-size pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds cut out and cut into 1/2 inch dice
- 2 T olive oil
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 3 T pine nuts, or more (see notes)
- 2/3 cup sliced green olives
- 2 T capers
- 2 T chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional, but it adds some nice green color)
- cut lemon pieces to squeeze over (optional, but so good)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F/220C.
- Cut the cauliflower into smallish, same-size pieces and cut the red bell pepper into half inch dice.
- Put chopped cauliflower and peppers into a plastic bowl and toss with 2 T olive oil, stirring so the vegetables are all lightly coated with oil. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper and stir again.
- Spread the vegetables out in a single layer on a cookie sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
- While the cauliflower and peppers are roasting, slice the olives and measure out the pine nuts and capers. Chop the parsley if using.
- After 20 minutes, remove cookie sheet from the oven, put the cauliflower and peppers back into the same bowl, and toss with the olives, pine nuts, and capers.
- Spread the mixture on to the cookie sheet again and roast an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the vegetables are starting to brown and the olive pieces are looking slightly cooked.
- Sprinkle with parsley if you're using it and serve hot, with a slice of lemon to squeeze over if desired.
- If you don't eat this all at once it will keep in the refrigerator for a day or two. I would reheat it in a very hot dry non-stick pan instead of using a microwave.
Notes
Slivered almonds or pistachios would also be nice if you don't want to buy pine nuts.
Recipe adapted from Food and Wine Annual Cookbook 2008.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 138Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 0mgSodium 574mgCarbohydrates 8gFiber 4gSugar 3gProtein 3g
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:
Everything in this festive roasted cauliflower recipe is a low-carb ingredient, and this is suitable for low-carb, Keto, Paleo, Whole 30, dairy-free, or vegan diets as well as any phase of the original South Beach Diet.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Side Dishes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was first posted in 2011. It was updated with better photos in 2015 and was last updated with more information in 2023.
64 Comments on “Roasted Cauliflower with Red Peppers, Green Olives, and Pine Nuts”
What type of green olive do you recommend using in this recipe? Thanks
Any type of green olives you like the flavor of will be good in this recipe.
Such a delicious recipe!
How could I make this in my air fryer?
I wish I could help with that. But I haven’t ever made this recipe or even roasted cauliflower in an Air Fryer, so I wouldn’t feel comfortable giving advice about it.
This was absolutely fabulous. It hit all the high notes. Thanks.
So glad you enjoyed it!
I made the roasted Christmas cauliflower for Christmas dinner and it was a hit. Tonight I’m taking it to a potluck dinner. Easy to make and absolutely delicious. I followed recipe exactly as written.
Thanks Katrina, so glad you are enjoying it!
This was good, I used California olives and enjoyed the flavor they added. Someone mentioned adding garlic cloves and I think that would go nicely with this dish.
Glad you liked it!
Such a gorgeous side dish! Perfect addition to any holiday menu!!
So glad you like it; thanks Liz!
My husband made this last night for dinner, except he hates olives so he used broccoli instead. It was delicious! One day when he's not around I'll make it with olives. 😉
So glad you enjoyed it Patty! (Sorry about the lack of appreciation for olives. I just don't get it!)
This may have to be a new addition to my Christmas dinner! So pretty and festive. 🙂
Thanks Janice; I really love this combination (green olives!)
Kalyn, do you think this would go well with a traditional Christmas Dinner (turkey, etc. etc)? JD
Judith, yes, absolutely!
Can you reheat in the micorwave? I want to bring to a Christmas potlouck.
I haven't tried reheating in the microwave, but truthfully I think the cauliflower will not be nearly as good that way. I'm saying that because in my opinion there's nothing quite like roasted vegetables right out of the oven. If you want a cauliflower dish that's good reheated, I would recommend Twice Baked Cauliflower.
Or try this in advance and see what you think, maybe it will be better than I'm imagining.
Can this dish sit out for over an hour
It won't hurt it all to sit as far as still being safe to eat. I am guessing it will still be good at room temperature, but I've only eaten it hot out of the oven or reheated.
I love this, we make a similar version for sandwich spread.
Thanks Amy, so glad you like it!
So glad you enjoyed it; just made this and took new photos so I'll be updating it soon.
Me again :- ) I’ve had great fun with your recipe, such a great concept. You’ll see my own version here, Christmas Cauliflower. I made it all year last year … every version different!
Okay then, not for our Christmas Eve open house but my cookie swap, think I’ll build a salad for underneath it!
Saw this last night — color and the great combination definitely caught my attention! Question: how do you think it would be served at room temperature, on a buffet platter, say?
Alanna, I think if you served it from the oven and it gradually cooled sitting there it would be fine. Love this, hope you enjoy!
Thanks Karen!
This looks so festive!! YUMMY!
Chris, so glad yo like it!
Yum, yum, yum! Main course for my taste. Been looking for more cauliflower recipes. Thanks, Kalyn.
Donna my favorite would have to be some kind of creamy cauliflower dish with cheese!
So festive – and you always make me want to try cauliflower – NOT my favorite vegggie. What's your favorite way to use cauliflower???
Anne, so glad you liked it!
Just tried this thanks to a pin onto a paleo board, and absolutely loved it! I added some marinated artichokes to the leftovers and liked it that way too. This will be a new salad in the regular rotation!
— Anne
Thanks Christine, glad you like it.
This looks heavenly! Love the colors and can imagine the taste. Have some pine nuts that need to be used before they turn so I'll be making this next week as a treat! Thanks so much.
Sarah, I can imagine eating this summer or winter, but glad to hear it was a hit there where the weather is warm now.
This was so simple and delicious! My husband was skeptical of the cauli and olive combo, but he loved it, as did I. I served it alongside vegetable paninis with lemon pesto, and it was a delicious meal, even for the summer here Down Under 🙂
Desiree, so glad you liked it. And good for you for staying strong during this tempting time of year.
100,000,000 thanks! This is absolutely wonderful…I made it tonight, and this is just great…its just lipsmacking good, I could barely wait to serve, I mean I wanted to eat it right out the baking dish and if I had it wouldn't be a big deal, right?! I mean it is that good and good for me. 🙂
Swimchick, so glad you liked it. I made my pieces what I'd call bite-sized, kind of medium-size.
Hallo, another keeper. I only made the cauliflower pieces maybe too small – but will make them again soon. Tried it yesterday and my husband liked it a lot – used only a small head, so there were no leftovers.
Thanks a lot, Kalyn
Lauren, hope they enjoy it. Someone on the KK Facebook page suggested sprinkling on a little Parmesan, which I'm sure is a nice addition.
This looks incredible! I'm going to make it for my in-laws this weekend. Thanks for some meatless inspiration!
Watch the pine nuts. They burn easily! Just as good and not as expensive, try walnuts (chopped into smaller pieces). I think you'll be happy with the substitute.
Love the colors!! This looks like it would be a perfect side dish for Christmas Dinner!
Christmas cauliflower – I love it! I could absolutely eat this for an entree, so your story rings true with me.
I eat dinners like this all the time. In fact, I'm always a bit baffled and unsure of what to do when I have to cook a "real" dinner for other people.
Festive, healthy, and love those colours!
I think I'd happily have a bowl of this for lunch, too!
I love hearing that I'm not the only one who will eat a dish like this for a main course!
I will often eat a side dish for dinner!! This looks fabulous!
So festive Kalyn, love it!
We love roasted cauliflower in our house – and I love the idea of the olives in this, adding some briny flavors. Very pretty, and festive enough for Christmas!
I love cauliflower but have never had it roasted. The colours are really festive Kalyn.
I almost always make meals out of my side dishes, so I think you're totally fine with this. I love all of the flavors here! Briny olives, sweet bell peppers…the works!
This is so tasty, and it's true that the olives add such a great flavor.
Christmas cauliflower–what a lovely side dish! Olives are such creative addition, and I bet they add some satiety with the extra fat.
Love the addition of green olives! Very Christmas-like, and I love the slightly pungent accent it gives.
I am jealous you are in Cali 🙁 I have family in the San Diego area and I never get there often enough. Anways I love love love the roasted cauliflower with red bell pepper recipe. I might have to skimp out on the olives because my kids hate them haha. Anywho, thanks for a taking the time to share these with us:) btw, love the pictues!
You know that I'm not a fan of cauliflower, but when you surround it with all other ingredients I love, I just might have to try it! The colors really do look like the holidays, too.