Sometimes you need those meals that are just so good that you know you’re going to serve it to guests the next time they come over.
Well this roasted cauliflower and lentils dish does just that. It’s perfectly cooked in a creamy coconut tomato sauce that begs to be scooped up with some crunchy bread. You know those types of sauces!
When we first decided to go vegan, it was hard to know what meals to serve when we had friends over but dishes like these do just that!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Find Ingredients – This recipe is mostly ingredients that people keep on hand all the time or can be swapped for what you do have making it amazing to make all the time
- Good Year Round – It’s one of those dishes that’s worth the effort to make a few times a year!
- Bold Flavors with Simple Work– You love those dishes were you get so much impact from the ingredients carrying the work rather than you have to put in a ton of effort to get the flavor.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
Gather your ingredients!
Cauliflower
This is the star of the dish. It roasts perfectly and adds a bite and warmth to the overall dish.
Substitute: Broccoli, sweet potatoes, or yukon potatoes would also work for swapping and roasted. If you want something else you’ll want to use the same seasoning blend, but you could do chickpeas or white beans. Just be mindful that you are also adding lentils.
Lentils
We love these little legumes that carry a big protein punch. You’ll want to either use canned or pre-cook brown or green lentils prior to starting this recipe.
Substitute: Chickpeas or white beans like great northern, butter beans, or cannellini would work great.
Cherry Tomatoes
We’re blistering the tomatoes in a skillet prior to adding them back at the end. The get extra juicy when doing this and softened which give an excellent mouthfeel to the final dish.
Dried Spices
We’re using smoked paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, garlic powder, salt and black pepper to layer flavor into our meal.
Aromatics
Ginger, onions, and garlic are pulling their weight in helping build base flavor that is absolutely crucial for meals like this.
Sauce Ingredients
You will also need low-sodium vegetable broth, low-sodium soy sauce. coconut milk, and tomato paste are the remaining ingredients you’ll dish for this dish.
Substitutes: For the soy sauce – you’ll want to swap with a safe for you alternative – coconut aminos, liquid aminos, tamari, etc. For the coconut milk – use a safe for your non-dairy milk preferably a creamier one (for example, extra creamy oat milk).
Optional Ingredients
Finishing ingredients we added were lemon juice and chopped fresh parsley to balance the dish off at the end. You’ll also want something like rice or quinoa to serve it with alongside some crunchy bread slices.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Other One Pot Dishes to Try:
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Creamy Coconut Tomato Sauce with Lentils and Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients
For the Roasted Cauliflower
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 6–7 cups / 700g)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, more or less to taste
For the Creamy Coconut Tomato Lentil Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon
low sodium soy sauce
- 1 cup
cooked lentils,
(green or brown work best) - 13.5 ounces canned full-fat coconut milk (400mL)
- ½ cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
To Finish
- Fresh parsley or cilantro chopped
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Cooked rice and/or warm flatbread for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425˚F (218˚C).
- In a large bowl, add your cauliflower florets and drizzle with 2 tablespoon olive oil. Toss to coat. Then add your seasonings: 1 ½ teaspoon each smoked paprika and ground cumin, 1 teaspoon each turmeric and garlic powder, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Toss until every piece is coated well. Transfer to a baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until soft and easily pierced through with a fork.
- Into a large skillet (preferably with high walls) over medium heat, add 1 teaspoon olive oil. When hot, add your cherry tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Cook for about -7 minutes until slightly charred and softened. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate.
- To the same skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon more olive oil. Once hot, add your diced onions and cook for 5-7 minutes until soft and translucent. Then, add 6 cloves minced garlic and grated 1 tablespoon fresh ginger. Stir together and cook for amount 30-60 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add 2 tablespoon tomato paste and stir together until spread out and other ingredients are coated. Then add in 1 teaspoon each ground cumin, ground coriander, and smoked paprika and ½ teaspoon each turmeric and black pepper.
- Add a splash out of your ½ cup vegetable stock and scrap anything off the bottom of your skillet. Then add the remaining stock, 13.5 ounces coconut milk and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Stir together well, then add your 1 cup cooked lentils. Reduce heat to simmer and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes. Stir one more time.
- Add in your cooked cauliflower, tomatoes, and top with chopped fresh parsley and squeeze some lemon juice on top if desired. Serve with a grain and some crunchy bread.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Recipe FAQs:
For the soy sauce – you’ll want to swap with a safe for you alternative – coconut aminos, liquid aminos, tamari, etc. For the coconut milk – use a safe for your non-dairy milk preferably a creamier one (for example, extra creamy oat milk). Otherwise, this dish is Top 9 Allergen Friendly.
We don’t recommend freezing this dish.
Yes, this dish is good for 3-5 days after it’s made. Store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge when not using.
We typically pair this with a small salad, some type of grain like rice or quinoa, and some crunchy bread on the side!
No worries. When it says to add the lentils in the recipe, you’re going to add an additional ½ cup of vegetable stock and then cover the dish while simmering. Allow them to cook in the sauce for 15-20 minutes until they are softened. You may need a little more liquid, but judge as it’s cooking.
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