Spice Up Your Summer Palette With This Cauliflower And Burrata Dish

Half Baked Harvest's Tieghan Gerard recently joined Brit on a Teach Me Something New podcast episode all about her best cooking tips. Now, she's sharing her favorite recipes with us, all originally published on Half Baked Harvest. Take it away Tieghan!

This Crispy Roasted Blackened Cauliflower with Burrata and Herbs is THE best any night of the week dinner or side dish. We're taking your everyday roasted cauliflower and updating it with a homemade blackened seasoning, creamy burrata cheese, and lots of fresh spring herbs. This cauliflower is spicy and crispy, and the burrata is warm and melty. Together they're the perfect balance of flavor and texture. And most importantly…delicious!

I almost never share a recipe like this, but I think this might just be my favorite recipe of the week. I've had this idea for a while. But I hesitated to create it only because I wasn't sure you all needed yet another cauliflower recipe. But something told me I needed to make this. So I finally gave it a try, and wow, it turned out even better than imagined.

This is honestly so delicious. And while I know that typically we might look at a roasted vegetable like this as a side dish. This is hearty enough to be considered a main too. Trust me, this cauliflower is that good.

Photo by Half Baked Harvest

The Inspiration

With spring here and summer quickly approaching, I've definitely been inspired to create some lighter recipes with vegetables as more of the focus.

Salads, spring pasta, maybe a pizza or two. And then dishes like this, where the vegetable is really the star.

And then, I've been loving creating seasoning blends, and since blackened seasoning is one of my favorites to throw on vegetables, I was excited to try it out on this cauliflower. The burrata came in after the fact. And the herbs were added more for color, but ended up being my favorite part!

Photo by Half Baked Harvest

The Details

Start with the cauliflower, which is obviously the heart of this recipe.

I wanted to make an extra crispy roasted cauliflower. Originally I wanted to make a whole roasted cauliflower, but after testing out that method of cooking, I quickly switch gears to simple roasted florets. I thought the whole roasted cauliflower tasted just ok and took way longer than needed. This is simple and I think it tastes much, much better.

I cut the cauliflower into large florets, then tossed them up with olive oil, smoky paprika, chili powder, and a few other dry spices. By the time the cauliflower comes out of the oven, it's extra crispy with just the right amount of char and so much flavor. It is delicious! Especially with the creamy burrata on top.

Photo by Half Baked Harvest

But before the burrata, make the herb salad. Trust me, you NEED this too.

I used a bunch of mixed herbs, basil, cilantro, dill, and chives. Then I gave them a rough chop and tossed them together with a mix of toasted nuts and seeds, garlic, red wine vinegar, and lots of olive oil and sea salt.

Simple but so much flavor.

Photo by Half Baked Harvest

Putting It All Together...

I love to spoon the warm cauliflower onto a plate, then break the burrata over the roasted florets. The cheese melts into the cauliflower to create the most delicious combination of crispy, spicy cauliflower and creamy cheese. The herbs add a really nice flavor and of course great color too!

It's different, but so, so good.

Photo by Half Baked Harvest

And again, the crispy cauliflower is a game-changer. The flavor is a little spicy, but the burrata adds a creaminess that balances it out.

Serve this all on its own, as a main course with a side of crusty bread, or as a side dish. Either way, it's going to be well-loved by all.

Photo by Half Baked Harvest

Crispy Roasted Blackened Cauliflower with Burrata and Herbs

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 363 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets or small wedges
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• red pepper flakes
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1 cup chopped mixed herbs, such as basil, dill, and cilantro
• 1/4 cup mixed toasted nuts/seeds, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 8 ounces burrata cheese, at room temperature

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425° F.

2. On a baking sheet, combine the cauliflower, 1/3 cup olive oil, paprika, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, chili flakes, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Toss well to evenly coat. Transfer to the oven and roast for 15 minutes, or until tender. Toss the cauliflower and add the lemon wedges. Roast another 15 minutes, until charred.

3. Meanwhile, make the herb salad. In a bowl, combine the herbs, nuts/seeds, garlic, vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and a pinch each of chili flakes and salt.

4. To serve, arrange the cauliflower on a serving plate. Break the burrata over the cauliflower. Sprinkle the herb salad over everything, then drizzle the burrata with olive oil. Eat warm and enjoy!!

Thanks, Tieghan!

This recipe was originally published on Half Baked Harvest.

Check out our Teach Me Something New podcast episode with Half Baked Harvest's Tieghan Gerard for more food inspo.

Share your sweet creations with us @BritandCo and tag @HalfBakedHarvest!