Description
This Sesame Glazed Cauliflower recipe features tender, oven-baked cauliflower florets coated in a sweet and savory sesame sauce. Perfect as a flavorful vegetarian side dish or a light main, it combines low-sodium soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, garlic, and toasted sesame oil, finished with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and scallions for added crunch and freshness. This easy, gluten-free recipe is ready in just 35 minutes and brings a delightful Asian-inspired glaze to a healthy vegetable.
Ingredients
Scale
Cauliflower
- 1 small head cauliflower, chopped (6 1/2 cups florets)
Sauce
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp powdered ginger
- 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot
- 1/4 cup water
Garnish
- Sesame seeds
- Scallions, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). Cut the cauliflower into florets, making sure one side of each floret is flat to help them roast evenly. Arrange the florets in a single layer on a baking pan.
- Bake Cauliflower: Roast the cauliflower in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then carefully flip the florets to ensure even cooking. Bake for an additional 10 minutes until the cauliflower is tender and slightly crispy on the edges.
- Make Sauce: While the cauliflower is baking, combine the low-sodium soy sauce, maple syrup (or honey/agave), rice vinegar, minced garlic, toasted sesame oil, and powdered ginger in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally.
- Thicken Sauce: In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch (or arrowroot) in 1/4 cup water to create a slurry. Slowly whisk this slurry into the boiling sauce. Continue cooking the sauce, stirring frequently, until it thickens and becomes glossy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Coat Cauliflower: Pour the thickened sesame sauce evenly over the baked cauliflower florets on the baking pan. For extra crispiness, you can optionally place the coated cauliflower under the oven broiler for about 1 minute, watching carefully to prevent burning.
- Serve: Transfer the glazed cauliflower to a serving dish. Garnish generously with sesame seeds and sliced scallions to add texture and flavor. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- For a vegan option, use maple syrup or agave instead of honey.
- You can substitute arrowroot for cornstarch as a thickener to make the sauce gluten-free.
- Broiling the glazed cauliflower is optional but adds a nice crispy finish.
- Adjust sweetness or tanginess by varying the maple syrup and rice vinegar ratios according to your taste.
- This recipe can be doubled easily to serve more people.
