Description

This Thanksgiving Cauliflower recipe offers a delicious and elegant vegetarian centerpiece for your holiday meal. Whole cauliflower is roasted with aromatic herbs and garlic until tender and slightly charred, then served with a rich and flavorful mushroom herb gravy. It’s a perfect alternative to traditional turkey, delivering savory depth and comforting textures that everyone will enjoy.

Ingredients

Scale

Main Ingredients

1 large head of cauliflower
4 Tbsp. melted butter, divided
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 whole cloves garlic (skin-on)
4 leaves fresh sage
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh rosemary

Gravy Ingredients

4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 onion, finely chopped
4 oz. cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
1 tsp. freshly chopped sage
1 tsp. freshly chopped rosemary
1 tsp. freshly chopped thyme
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 to 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

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Instructions

Prepare and Season Cauliflower: Preheat your oven to 450°F. Place the whole cauliflower in a large oven-safe skillet, then rub it all over with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange the skin-on garlic cloves and fresh herb leaves and sprigs (sage, thyme, rosemary) around the cauliflower to infuse it with their aromatic flavors during roasting.
Roast Cauliflower: Bake the cauliflower in the preheated oven until tender and slightly charred, roughly between 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Halfway through roasting, brush the cauliflower with the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter to keep it moist and flavorful. Test doneness by piercing the cauliflower with a paring knife to ensure tenderness.
Make Gravy Base: While the cauliflower roasts, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped cremini mushrooms and fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme). Season with salt and pepper, then cook the mushroom mixture until the mushrooms become soft and golden, about 4 minutes.
Add Roasted Garlic and Flour: Remove 1 or 2 cloves of the roasted garlic from the cauliflower, discard the skins, and mash the cloves with a wooden spoon into the mushroom mixture. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute to eliminate the raw flour taste, creating a flavorful roux that will thicken the gravy.
Simmer Gravy: Gradually whisk in 2 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth, bringing the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let the gravy simmer until it thickens to your desired consistency, about 5 minutes. If needed, add more vegetable broth (up to 2 additional cups) to thin the gravy or adjust thickness.
Serve: Plate the roasted cauliflower and generously spoon the warm mushroom herb gravy over it. Serve immediately as a hearty vegetarian centerpiece for your Thanksgiving meal.

Notes

Use a paring knife to check the cauliflower’s tenderness during roasting; it should pierce easily but the head should hold together.
For a vegan version, substitute butter with a plant-based alternative and ensure the vegetable broth is vegan.
The garlic cloves roast inside the skin to mellow their flavor; removing and mashing them into the gravy adds a subtle roasted garlic depth.
Gravy thickness can be adjusted by adding more or less vegetable broth according to preference.
Fresh herbs are essential for authentic flavor; however, dried herbs can be used in a pinch at one-third the quantity.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving (approximate)
Calories: 220 kcal
Sugar: 4 g
Sodium: 180 mg
Fat: 15 g
Saturated Fat: 9 g
Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 14 g
Fiber: 5 g
Protein: 5 g
Cholesterol: 35 mg