A vegan roasted garlic and cauliflower dip recipe made with crunchy toasted pepitas and freshly grated nutmeg. Jump to recipe.
Years ago now, there was a fire in our building in Brooklyn. Nothing serious, but even so, the city cut electricity and gas to the building for six weeks and our family (then consisting of me, Brian, a single daughter, and a very cute dog) moved into the Affinia Hotel on 7th Avenue, directly across the street from Madison Square Garden. In February. Save one beautiful snowstorm, our days in that hotel were bleak – walking the dog in Midtown and needing to go blocks to find even a tiny patch of earth, making the long trek to the foreign world of the Madison Square Park playground, cooking for three in the tiny kitchenette, and other catastrophes major and minor. We’d occasionally get back to Brooklyn, and coming out of the subway I’d always be stunned by all the light there. The low-rise buildings that made up the Brooklyn skyline (especially back then) left more room for the sky. Even though it was frigid out, I started to bring my sunglasses.
I often circle back to that time. A fire, followed quickly by a devastating layoff and the whole financial debacle of the late aughts. In many ways, we’re still pulling ourselves out of that abyss. Recently, it’s been on my mind for a different reason – the light. Last week, it rained nine days out of 10. On Wednesday, the clouds parted for an afternoon and we saw the sun and the waning moon briefly before the clouds gathered and a second round of rain started up. Just like those days stuck in Midtown, my eyes became accustomed to the gloom – brightness needed to be cultivated elsewhere.
Over the weekend, that brightness came in the form of a friend’s birthday party. For an appetizer, I made this lemony roasted cauliflower dip to suit the occasion. It’s surprisingly creamy and very delicious, but I love it for other reasons too – the smoky blend of roasted cauliflower and garlic, salty pepitas, lemon juice, and just the right amount of freshly grated nutmeg make for a snack that fits the season perfectly. Vivid flavors contrast nicely with permanently gray skies and low-hanging clouds.
A vegan roasted garlic and cauliflower dip recipe made with crunchy toasted pepitas and freshly grated nutmeg.
- 4 cups 3/4-inch thick cauliflower florets
- 1 head garlic , root end trimmed and broken into cloves
- 4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil , divided
- sea salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ground cayenne pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons pepitas
- 2 tablespoons minced flatleaf parsley
- flatbreads or crackers , for serving
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
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In a medium-sized bowl, toss the cauliflower florets and garlic cloves (still in their papery skin) with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with sea salt. Make sure garlic is tucked up against the cauliflower florets to protect it from the heat. Flipping halfway through, roast until cauliflower is tender and golden, about 20 - 25 minutes. Set aside to cool.
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Meanwhile, set a small skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil, then the pepitas. Toast 2 - 3 minutes, just until the seeds become fragrant and a few start to pop. Toss with sea salt and set aside.
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When cool enough to handle, squeeze roasted garlic out of the papery skins.
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In the bowl of a food processor, pulse to combine roasted cauliflower and garlic, 2 tablespoons toasted pepitas, lemon juice, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper to taste. With food processor running, drizzle in 3 tablespoons olive oil (for a creamier dip, add an additional 2 tablespoons olive oil). Taste and add additional sea salt, pepper, and lemon juice as needed.
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Spoon dip into a wide bowl, drizzle with remaining teaspoon olive oil, minced parsley, and remaining toasted pepitas. Serve with warm flatbread triangles or crackers.
This dip looks so completely addicting!! Love the roasted garlic in there!
In such bleak times, those moments of warm light are very welcome.
This dip is so beautiful… I’m in love with the deep flavors and I have no doubt dinner guests will feel the same.
I really enjoy the use of lemon here, both in the styling and as an ingredient. I’ve always thought it isn’t so accidental that citrus season just happens to be in the darkest of months. It’s Earth’s little gift of vibrancy and light. I hope the sun comes out soon for you. This dip is beautiful, xx.
I LOVE this! The spots of brightness in our day are so importance, and we shouldn’t rely solely on the weather for that light, or winter might get a little overwhelming. Gorgeous idea of blending roasted cauliflower into a hummus-like dip – I imagine lemon, garlic and those subtle spices would be incredible with it. So saving to try! 🙂
What a treat, I love the idea so much! Going to do this soon, and I’ll probably add some tahini to hide the cauliflower taste 🙂 Your photos are gorgeous!
Thanks Ana! I bet tahini would be nice. Though the cauliflower had it’s typical cabbage smell while cooking, once pureed into the dip, it was creamy with a very mild flavor (and no smelliness at all).
Cauliflower at its prettiest, oh my! really great
a good reminder to at least try to find the bright in the gloom. sometimes it is so very difficult, but it makes that journey easier.
I am saving this recipe to try soon – it sounds lovely.
So this dish looks splendid (always a fan of garlic and cauliflower and dips!) but I think what I love the most about this post is your words, Elizabeth. Especially that last line…so true, so true. xx
yum. i made this but i put cumin, smoked paprika, on the roasted cauliflower and added toasted sesame to the puree.
I omitted the nutmeg and added ground coriander and cumin. Sprinkled smoked paprika on top of the olive oil.
Great dip!
I love the roasted flavors of garlic and cauliflower, this dip looks incredible. I have to agree, there are many ways to add a touch of vibrancy to an otherwise gloomy day.
I’m going to try this tonight. How long would you say this would keep in the fridge? Five days?
Hi Sarah,
I think it will be wonderful for at least four days. I had leftovers of mine a full week later, though it lost some of the vibrancy. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Could this be made the day before? Of so, how would you reheat it?
Hi Natalie,
It can definitely be made the day before! I like this dip at room temperature in case you don’t want to reheat. Otherwise, I’d cover it and reheat gently in a 300 degree F oven, maybe stirring a few times along the way. If the dip isn’t as creamy as you’d like, add a drizzle of olive oil.
I made it and busy eating it as I write. Delicious! Thank you for a great recipe
This recipe has been sitting on my dip pinterest board (and in the back of my mind) since you first shared it, and I finally got around to making it yesterday. I loved it–every bit as bold and luscious as I thought it’d be. It serves as a good reminder that not every dip these days needs tahini in it, too.
Like so many others I pinned this for the love of cauliflower and the beautiful photos of the finished product. i made it and loved it even more in real life. thank you!
Hi there, thanks for this recipe. Quick question, how long do you think this would keep? And do you think it could be frozen? Thank You
Hi Christine,
It keeps well for 3 days or so. I have not tried freezing it, so I couldn’t say that it would work.
Hope that helps!
Omg — this blog never disappoints! This is delicious and feels so healthy too. Thank you so much for this great combination of flavors — especially with the pepitas and garlic 🙂