This recipe for cauliflower in tomato sauce is a healthy and utterly delicious vegetarian or vegan cauliflower recipe.
This cauliflower in sauce is a typical Romanian recipe, something we call “Mancare de ...”. The translation would be something like “Meal of...” and the possibilities are just endless.
You can take just about any veggie you like; you can use a mixture of different vegetables, or you can add chicken, pork, beef, or even rabbit or turkey.
My favorite variations, aside from cauliflower, are with eggplants in tomato sauce or green beans.
I am making this kind of vegetable vegetarian or vegan stews a lot nowadays. Check out Stewed Cabbage, or Potatoes in Tomato Sauce.
The way of making these dishes and the spices used differ slightly from vegetable to vegetable, but the main procedure remains the same.
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Vegetarian recipe with cauliflower
I first posted the recipe for the cauliflower in tomato sauce quite a long time ago, in 2015. It is still one of the most viewed recipes on Where Is My Spoon, so I thought it was high time to review the recipe, make some changes, and, especially, take new pictures.
The main change I made was to add some cream to the tomato sauce. When cooking the cauliflower in tomato sauce before, I used to make a plain marinara-style sauce, just tomatoes, herbs, onions, and garlic. A beautiful sauce, which I use all the time for countless other dishes.
However, a couple of years ago, when cooking this vegan cauliflower recipe as a side dish for a vegan meal for friends, I just happened to have half a pack of soy cream left over after cooking another dish.
As I didn't have any immediate plans for it, I just threw it in the cauliflower and tomato pan that was simmering on the stove. It was a revelation! It just lifted a dish that was already good to another level. I've never looked back! I have to admit that I haven't cooked this recipe in any other way ever since.
If I want to keep this cauliflower dish vegan, I still use soy cream or coconut milk, which is actually even better. If not, I add some regular heavy cream, which makes the cauliflower in tomato sauce only vegetarian and not vegan. The choice is yours. I have tried all these three variations, and I absolutely love every one of them.
How to make cauliflower stew?
- Cook the onions and the garlic in the olive oil until the onions are translucent.
- Add the chili and herbs, stir well, and add the canned tomatoes and their juices, vegetable stock, and sugar.
- Bring to a boil, cover, leaving a small crack open, then simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes. The sauce should be slightly thickened at this point.
- In the meantime, clean the cauliflower and divide it into small florets.
- Chop the stem into small cubes.
- Add the cauliflower and the cream to the pan, bring to a simmer, and continue simmering on low heat until the cauliflower is tender but not mushy between 10 and 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Adjust taste with a little lemon juice, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar if necessary.
- Should the sauce be too thick, add 2-3 tablespoons extra cream or 1-2 tablespoons water. Sprinkle with parsley.
How to serve?
This cauliflower in tomato sauce would make a great vegetarian/ vegan meal on its own, which you can serve with mashed potatoes (my favorite side dish for this).
Boiled potatoes or basic polenta would also be a great choice. Also are rice or even bulgur or quinoa.
This cauliflower stew makes a wonderful side dish for meat, chicken, or fish dishes as well.
The recipe serves two as a main dish and four as a side dish. The nutrition is calculated for two portions of cauliflower in tomato sauce.
More cauliflower recipes
Recipe
Cauliflower In Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 small onion
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon red chili flakes to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 can chopped tomatoes 400 g/ 14 oz
- ½ cup vegetable stock 125 ml
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 lb cauliflower 450 g
- ½ cup heavy cream 125 ml, Note
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 small bunch of parsley
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Saute: Heat the oil in a larger saucepan. Chop the onions and the garlic cloves very finely. Cook them on medium-low heat, stirring often, for about 3-4 minutes or until the onions are translucent.1 small onion + 2 large garlic cloves + 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add spices: Add the red chili flakes, dried oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Stir well for about 30 seconds.¼ – ½ teaspoon red chili flakes + 1 teaspoon dried oregano + 1 teaspoon dried thyme + ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- Add the canned tomatoes and their juices, vegetable stock, and sugar.1 can chopped tomatoes + ½ cup vegetable stock + 1 teaspoon sugar
- Simmer tomato sauce: Bring to a boil, turn the heat down, and cover the pan, leaving a small crack open. Simmer the tomato sauce for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken very slightly.
- Add cauliflower: In the meantime, clean the cauliflower and divide it into small florets. Chop the stem into small cubes. Add the cauliflower and the cream to the pan, bring to a simmer, and continue simmering on low heat until the cauliflower is tender but not mushy. Stir occasionally.1 lb cauliflower/ 450 g
- Cooking time: This will take between 10 and 15 minutes, depending on how small the florets are and how tender you like them. They should definitely retain a good bite and not become mushy.
- Adjust the taste with lemon juice, salt, pepper, and one extra pinch of sugar if necessary. If the sauce is too thick, you can loosen it with 2 tablespoons extra cream or even water.½ cup heavy cream/ 125 ml + 1 teaspoon lemon juice + fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Serve: Chop the parsley and add it to the cauliflower tomato stew. Serve with mashed or boiled potatoes.1 small bunch of parsley
Notes
Nutrition
Mel says
This is now one of our go-to recipes for cauliflower and it tastes amazing every time! An absolute comfort dish that my son just raves about. I can't wait to try it with other veggies in the future. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Adina says
Thank you for the feedback, Mel, I am glad you like it. 🙂
Phil says
Loved this recipe. I did it with a red bell pepper and black olives (since I love those as well). I only found recipes for roasting cauliflower and I wanted to try something different and this hit the spot. I did use it as a side dish, but I loved what the tomato sauce did for the cauliflower. I actually simmered it for over an hour and the cauliflower was soft and crunchy enough for me. This will be my go to recipe for cauliflower. Thank you for sharing. I look forward to trying some of your other recipes.
Adina says
Hi Phil. Thank you so much for the feedback, I am so happy you liked the recipe, it is probably my favorite cauliflower recipe as well, can't think of another one I like more now. 🙂 . If you like vegetable stews including olives, you might one to try the Leek and Olive Stew, I am addicted to it. 🙂
Mateo says
Hi Adina!
This looks so good. And it’s super delicious with all these spices inside. I must give this a try asap. I bet my family will enjoy this too. Thanks for recipe and instructions. So helpful. keep sharing more gorgeous recipes.
Evi says
Love this! I just have a head of cauliflower in my fridge and had no idea what to do with it, so thanks for the inspo! 🙂
Claudia says
This is one of my favourite vegan recipe ”mancare de...” I made it with different vegetables. The potatoes one reminds me of my grand father. He used to cook it often.
Yours, with cauliflower looks so delicious!
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
Oh! Love this tangy and flavorsome cauliflower. And I adore your suggestion of serving this with mashed potatoes — will definitely give this a try. Thank you for this awesome share. 🙂
Adina says
Let me know if you like it, Anu!
marcela says
yummy! the cauliflower looks tempting!
Chris Scheuer says
Oh wow, this looks great. I love that there's so many flavors cauliflower can take on as it's quite mild on it's own.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
This is exactly what I would love for my dinner, Adina.
Adina says
No, no MSG (I had to think for a moment to realise what that stands for). We have lots of really good MSG and other nasty stuff-free products here, so I never have to buy anything else.
GiGi Eats says
YUMMM! totally right up my alley! For a second I thought you were recommending MSG in the recipe though! ha ah ah!
Rachel @ Delicious Balance says
I love your suggestion of serving this with mashed potatoes! This is going on my "fall comfort food" list! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Adina says
It is really comforting, actually anything eaten with mashed potatoes is comforting...
Deana says
This sounds so delicious! I'm always looking for Meatless Monday dinners and this would be perfect! Yum!
Adina says
I really hope you enjoy it, Deana.
Kathryn Doherty says
I seriously love cauliflower and always default to roasting it. I love this idea with the tomatoes - yum!! Looks like a new favorite 🙂 And I'm so excited the cookbook is out - bring on the veggies!
Adina says
So excited about the cookbook too.
🙂