Sephardic style cauliflower with tomato and dill

Cauliflower with fresh tomato and dill is a delicious dish that elevates cauliflower to something special! This Sephardic-style recipe is easy and impressive.

I’m always on the lookout for new things to do with cauliflower. Otherwise, it ends up in a risotto, or cauliflower cheese, or some sort of pasta dish. I’m also always on the look out for vegan-friendly cauliflower dishes, as so many recipes pair this tasty vegetable with cheese, and it’s always good to have some dairy-free ideas to call on.

Sephardic style cauliflower

As I was browsing through Gil Mark’s lovely book, Olive Trees and Honey, I came across a recipe for Sephardic style cauliflower. The florets were cooked in a fresh tomato sauce, which looked really delicious. However the cooking times for the cauliflower looked WAY too long. DH has a thing about traditional Jewish food always being overcooked, and I didn’t want to prove him right!

Incidentally, the great Florence Greenberg of blessed memory, doyenne of Jewish cooking, recommends boiling cauliflower for 20-30 minutes. So DH may have a point. 

Cauliflower – Soft or crisp?

I amended the original recipe, cutting the cooking time by about half. As it turned out, the cauliflower was still too soft for our liking – next time I will skip the initial boiling step altogether and simply poach/steam the cauliflower in the sauce to try and keep it crisp. Depending on how well done you like your cauli, I suggest you amend as appropriate too.

Delicious dill

I also added some dill to the tomato sauce. This was a last minute decision, but a very tasty one.

Dill has a unique flavour that complements a lot of vegetables, although traditionally it’s paired with fish and eggs. It’s used a lot in Sephardic and especially Greek cooking, and it paired really well with the cauliflower and tomato.

Ingredients in Sephardic style cauliflower, tomato and dill

This tasty recipe for cauliflower with tomato sauce uses only a few deliciously fresh ingredients. Make sure the tomatoes are ripe for the best flavour.

• Cauliflower – I used a medium cauliflower which served about 4 people as a side dish, but you can scale the recipe depending on the size of your cauli.
• Onion and garlic – for deliciousness!
• Olive oil
• Fresh ripe tomatoes – give a gorgeous flavour
• Fresh dill – so yummy!
• Salt and pepper to taste

Delicious cauliflower with tomato

We ate a whole bowl of this cauliflower with tomato and dill between the three of us. The flavour is delicious, and this recipe will definitely be added to the list of ‘things to do with cauliflower’. I’d say it serves 3-4.

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📖 Recipe

Sephardic-style cauliflower with dill and tomato

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A delicious side dish that elevates cauliflower to something special. With dill and fresh tomatoes this cauliflower is sure to impress. Easy to make, too!

5 from 2 votes

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Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine European, Jewish, Vegan

Servings 4

Calories 134 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 1 medium cauliflower (about 750g/ 26½ oz per cauliflower)
• 1 medium onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 fresh medium-sized tomatoes
• 100 ml hot water (approx. 0.4 cups)
• 1-2 tablespoon chopped dill
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• 1 medium cauliflower
  Cut the cauliflower into florets and wash well. If desired, boil for 3-5 minutes, then drain and set aside. (If you like your cauliflower firmer, omit the boiling step.)
• 1 medium onion, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoon olive oil
  Peel and finely dice the onion. Peel and crush the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a large shallow pan over a medium heat, and sauté the onions and garlic until just softening – 2-4 minutes.
• 4 fresh medium-sized tomatoes
  Remove the skin from the tomatoes. I do this by putting the tomatoes in a dish and pouring over boiling water. Stand for 1-2 minutes, then remove from the hot water. Score the skin and it should then peel away without difficulty.
• 100 ml (3/7 cups) hot water
  Dice the peeled tomatoes and add to the pan with the onions. Stir well and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add the hot water and simmer, covered for around 5 minutes.
• 1-2 tablespoon chopped dill, salt and pepper to taste
  Add the cauliflower florets to the tomato mixture in the pan, and simmer for 8-10 minutes (or less), until the cauliflower is cooked to your liking. Stir in the chopped dill, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Sephardic-style cauliflower with dill and tomato

Amount per Serving

Calories

134

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

8

g

12

%

Saturated Fat

 

1

g

6

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

5

g

Sodium

 

51

mg

2

%

Potassium

 

771

mg

22

%

Carbohydrates

 

15

g

5

%

Fiber

 

5

g

21

%

Sugar

 

7

g

8

%

Protein

 

4

g

8

%

Vitamin A

 

1025

IU

21

%

Vitamin C

 

89

mg

108

%

Calcium

 

54

mg

5

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword cauliflower, tomato

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