Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas with Creamy Tahini Maple Sauce

This roasted cauliflower and chickpea combo is on heavy rotation in our home, and I get really excited when pomegranates come into season, as their seeds are the perfect sweet-tart garnish for this dish. The tahini maple sauce is creamy and dreamy, and you’ll soon find yourself wanting to drizzle it on everything. That’s a good thing, as the recipe makes more sauce than you’ll need for this meal. Tahini-based sauces and dressings are a great way to add a protein and calcium boost to a plant-based dinner, not to mention mega flavour.

I love that this meal is so healthy and quick, but also tastes amazing and is really satisfying. It all comes together on two baking sheets, making cleaning up a breeze. Leftovers are tasty at room temperature, making it a wonderful packed lunch – if you manage to not eat it all in one go!

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

For Salad:

• 1 medium head cauliflower, washed, trimmed and cut into florets

• 1 can of chickpeas (398ml), drained and rinsed

• ½ cup pomegranate seeds

• a few sprigs of parsley, washed, dried and coarsely chopped

• 1 tsp fine sea salt, separated

• 1 tsp garlic powder, separated

• 3 tbsp olive oil, separated

For dressing:

• ½ cup tahini

• 1 large lemon, juiced

• ¼ cup maple syrup

• ½ cup water

• 1¼ tsp fine sea salt

• 1 garlic clove, peeled

• ¼ cup olive oil (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit.

2. On a large baking sheet, toss cauliflower florets with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ tsp of garlic powder. (Make sure that your baking sheet is large enough that the cauliflower is not too crowded, otherwise it will steam rather than brown. You can use two smaller baking sheets, if that works better.)

3. Roast cauliflower until golden brown and tender, tossing after 10 minutes, and then every five minutes or so. This should take about 25-30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, spread chickpeas onto a medium baking sheet, and dry well with paper towel to remove any remaining water. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of garlic powder. Toss to combine.

5. Roast, tossing occasionally, until golden and slightly crispy, about 15-20 minutes.

6. While the cauliflower and chickpeas are roasting, prepare maple tahini sauce by combining all ingredients (except olive oil) in a blender and blending until smooth and creamy. If you are adding the olive oil, do so in a slow stream while the blender is running, after having already blended the other ingredients. Taste, and adjust seasoning if required.

7. To serve, divide the chickpeas and cauliflower between two bowls, then top with a good drizzle of sauce, some pomegranate seeds and a bit of parsley. I like to serve additional tahini sauce at the table, because I always want more! Any leftover sauce will last up to 5 days in the fridge.