This is the best Cauliflower Piccata recipe! It’s easy to make, full of flavor, and tastes just like a restaurant quality meal every time!
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This is the best cauliflower piccata! Not just saying that because it’s my recipe, but truly this recipe is one of our family’s favorites.
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure my children were going to like this dish, however, it’s one of their favorites. It’s one of my favorites not only because of the flavor, but it’s also so easy to make and takes little effort.
It truly tastes like a restaurant quality meal every single time without taking a lot on my part.
What is piccata?
If you’ve never heard of piccata, it’s an Italian dish that is very popular in Italian-American restaurants and typically made with chicken or veal. The sauce is made with lemons, butter, parsley, and capers.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Flavorful – with the aromatics, seasonings, and other ingredients that we build upon end with a super flavorful side dish that you will love
- Restaurant Quality – this dish tastes even better made at home, which means you get a restaurant quality meal in the comfort of your own space
- Easy – This doesn’t need a lot of ingredients or time which makes it a deliciously easy meal!
🥘Recipe Ingredients
Gather your ingredients!
- Cauliflower – this is the main ingredient for our dish. Cauliflower is great as a neutral base that tastes on flavor and absorbs it perfectly
- Capers – have a lemony, salty, briny taste that pairs amazingly with the vegan butter and lemons of this dish
- Shallots – these little bursts of flavor are in the onion family but have a sweetness to them but have a less punchy taste to onions
- Lemons – one of the bass flavors of piccata, this recipe uses lemons for the acid and to enhance the flavor
- Cornstarch – is used to thicken the sauce
- Vegan Dry White Wine – we used a Sauvignon Blanc, but feel free to use your favorite dry white wine for cooking. Make sure that you are using a vegan wine.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions and Variations:
- Cauliflower – you can sub this with broccoli instead or try with chickpeas. You can also do this with mushrooms, but you can skip the roasted first if you go with that options.
- Capers – while we don’t recommend swapping the capers, you could use chopped artichoke hearts instead, but you will want ones soaked in a brine to get the similar flavor
- Shallots – you can use white or yellow onions instead
- Cornstarch – swap with arrowroot powder, or chickpea or oat flour
- Vegan Dry White Wine – lemon water, or just use more stock would be a wine replacement.
Recipe FAQs:
As long as you make sure the vegan butter is soy free or swap with oil, this dish is top 9 allergen free.
We don’t recommend freezing this dish all together, but you can make the sauce in batches and freeze just the sauce.
This dish is best served the same day, but can be made 1-2 days in advance.
Other Vegan Restaurant Quality Recipes to Consider:
More Recipes To Try
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The Best Cauliflower Piccata
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into 1 inch slices
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon capers
- 1 lemon, half cut into thin slices, half for juice
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 cup vegetable stock (240g)
- ½ cup dry white wine (120g)
Instructions
- Preheat over to 425 degrees F. On a baking tray, add the cauliflower pieces. Drizzle with oil and toss together. In a small bowl, combine all the spices. Sprinkle half over the cauliflower, flip and sprinkle the remaining seasoning on the other side. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until the pieces are fork tender.
- In a skillet, over medium heat, add vegan butter and let melt. Add shallots and let softened for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and stir, cook for 30 seconds. Add capers, lemon slices, and lemon juice. Stir.
- Add cornstarch and stir together until no powder remains. Add vegetable stock and wine, stir, scraping any fond off the bottom of the pan. Let cook for 2-3 minutes or until it thickens. Add baked cauliflower pieces and spoon some of the sauce over top. Serve over pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or by itself.
Oh my goodness!! So freaking good! I love cauliflower and this is a recipe I will definitely make over and over again. It’s buttery and lemony but not overpowering on either end. Just a perfect blend. Thank you for helping me make a memorable Sunday dinner.
We’re so happy we could be a part of it!
Cette recette mérite définitivement un 5 étoiles! De plus, c’est facile à réaliser et nous laisse l’impression d’un grand souper même en plein milieu de semaine! Dé-li-cieux!
YAY! Je suis tellement contente que tu aies aimé ! (google translate used)
This is delicious. My kids LOVED it. I grew up a vegetarian and I love including vegetarian and vegan meals into our diet. This is hands down my favorite food site. The videos are so beautiful!
Aww, thank you so much Kirsten, we truly appreciate it!
Just so fresh and delicious! Thank you for your healing and pleasurable recipes!
Aww, so happy to hear that
This was amazing! So easy to make and it had so much flavor! I will add this to my recipe rotation!
So glad to hear that!
This turned out so delicious and came together easily! Thanks for another excellent recipe.
Yay!
Flavor was so satisfying! Great recipe
Love it!
Quite yummy! Another winner! Thank you.
love that!
I really enjoyed this recipe.. love the Instagram! I made it with cauliflower and mushrooms over pasta.. it was a hit! Thank you.
so happy to hear!
This recipe is a winner!
Delicious and without the usual overwhelming cauliflower smell or taste.
So glad you love it!