Quick Summary: Crispy roasted cauliflower florets drizzled with a bright, herby chimichurri sauce made with parsley, cilantro, oregano, and toasted almonds. A flavorful slow carb side dish that pairs with any protein. Prep: 10 min | Cook: 30 min | Serves: 4
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Roasted cauliflower with salt and oil is fine, but drizzled with chimichurri it becomes something you actually look forward to eating.
This version adds toasted almonds to the classic Argentine herb sauce, which gives it body and a slight nuttiness. I make a batch of chimichurri on the weekend and use it all week on vegetables, eggs, and grilled meat. It keeps for weeks in the refrigerator.
Perfect way to enhance vegetables on a slow carb diet!
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Why Cauliflower Works for Slow Carb Eating
Cauliflower definitely rose in popularity with the rise of Paleo, low-carb and slow carb diets. It’s a non-starchy vegetable with loads of fiber and very little carbohydrates, but its star status comes from its versatility.
Cauliflower is one of those low carb vegetables that can be pureed into mock mashed potatoes, baked into mock tortilla shells, shredded into cauliflower “rice” and roasted into all kinds of crusty deliciousness.
Who knew? I certainly didn’t, but now cauliflower is one of our go-to low carb vegetables. I am a particular fan of the mock mashed potatoes on busy week nights, but I love pairing roasted cauliflower with chimichurri sauce when my schedule is a bit more relaxed.
Cauliflower is sometimes referred to as one of the world’s healthiest foods. That’s an anecdotal reference of course, but there is no doubt that cauliflower is a slow carb vegetable with many nutritional benefits!
Sauces That Make Slow Carb Vegetables Better
While roasted cauliflower (or any roasted vegetable actually) with a little oil and salt is fine on its own, it pairs perfectly with a range of sauces to add variety to your meals.
Mustard sauces, tahini sauces, romesco sauces and chimichurri sauces all work to dress up roasted vegetables and make them into flavor bombs.
The recipe below involves a twist on a chimichurri sauce, with the addition of almonds. This traditional chimichurri sauce does not include the almonds.
Slow carb Romesco sauce or slow carb harissa sauce are two other flavor-packed sauces to liven up your roasted vegetables. They are all robust low carb sauces that can go with just about any other protein or vegetable on a slow-carb diet. Eggs too (of course).
How to Make Roasted Cauliflower with Chimichurri
The ingredient and recipe details are listed in the recipe card below. In short, break cauliflower into florets, toss with olive oil and salt, and roast at 400°F until browned and crispy (20 to 30 minutes).
For the chimichurri, toast almonds, then blend with garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, parsley, cilantro, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Drizzle over the roasted cauliflower and serve extra on the side.
More Ways to Use Cauliflower
FAQ
Yes. Cauliflower, olive oil, herbs, and almonds are all compliant. This makes an excellent side dish for any slow carb meal.
Yes. Traditional chimichurri doesn’t include nuts. The almonds add body and a slight richness, but the sauce works without them.
Covered and refrigerated, it keeps for 2 to 3 weeks. The flavor actually improves after a day or two.
Roasted broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers, or asparagus all pair well. Basically any roasted vegetable benefits from this sauce.
Fresh herbs are essential for chimichurri. Dried herbs won’t give you the bright, vibrant flavor that defines this sauce.
Interested in the Slow Carb Diet? Check out this comprehensive E-Guide on Fat Loss through a Slow Carb Diet.
Low Carb Roasted Cauliflower with Chimichurri Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 to 2 tsp salt
- ½ cup almonds toasted
- 3 garlic cloves peeled
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ Cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup coarsely chopped parsley
- ½ Cup Cilantro Coarsley chopped
- ¼ Cup Oregano leaves
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes or your favorite hot chile spice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400-425 degrees F.Tear off the cauliflower leaves and cut the stem to be flush with the base of the cauliflower. Cut out the core of the cauliflower, and remove florets and place on sheet pan.1 large cauliflower
- Sprinkle florets heavily with salt and then drizzle with oil. Using your hands rub in the salt and oil so all florets are covered.1 to 2 tsp salt
- Roast for 20-30 minutes, or until browned and crispy. Roast longer if you prefer them more crispy.
For the chimichurri sauce:
- Toast the almonds in a small skillet over low heat for a few minutes until they just start to brown and get a fragrance (don't burn).1/2 cup almonds
- In a blender or food processor combine almonds and garlic cloves and blend until finely chopped. Add oil and vinegar and pulse to combine. Blend in the parsley, cilantro, oregano and red pepper flakes (and any other optional herbs). Season with salt and pepper.3 garlic cloves, 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 Cup red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley, 1/2 Cup Cilantro, 1/4 Cup Oregano leaves, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste
- Drizzle some of the chimichurri over cauliflower and serve rest on the side in small bowls. The sauce should keep (covered) and in the refrigerator for several weeks.
The list of ingredients did not have almonds. Could you please add it with the quantity?
1/4 cup of almonds has been added to the ingredient list and a new nutritional analysis done. Thanks!
Hi Christiane, So I checked over the recipe and did the nutritional analysis using 1/4 cup of almonds. It is an older recipe of mine and I didn’t have access to nutritional calculators at that time. Hope this helps!