Cauliflower is an absolutely badass imposter – it can literally be anything you want it to be – chicken, rice, tater tots, broccoli. Okay, maybe not that last one, but you know what I mean! I’m benching the chicken and calling up my boy cauliflower to sub into this Sticky Vegan Orange Cauliflower recipe. Inspired by orange chicken, made with less bird.
WHAT IS VEGAN ORANGE CAULIFLOWER?
We’ve all heard of (and possibly tried) the famous Chinese orange chicken dish. It’s sticky, saucy and absolutely slammin’ with flavour! Since I don’t eat meat, I wanted to sub the chicken for a plant-based ingredient, and what’s more versatile than the humble cauliflower?! Nothing is – cauliflower wins, hands down.
Personally, I am in love with this dish and most dishes with cauliflower as the star. Eat it with rice, some green onions and your choice of protein – vegan or not!
THE INGREDIENTS
Although this recipe may seem intimidating, the ingredients and method are truly simple. I add a medium head of cauliflower to the batter (as outlined below), bake it, and then quickly coat it in the sauce after they are baked through.
The batter:
- Whole wheat flour
- Paprika
- Salt & pepper
- Plant-based milk
The Sauce:
- Juice from an orange
- Soy sauce or tamari
- Maple syrup, agave or honey (if not vegan)
- Garlic
- Rice vinegar
- Cornstarch
HOW TO MAKE STICKY VEGAN ORANGE CAULIFLOWER
After you have washed, dried and broken up your cauliflower into florets, you will want to coat them in the batter. Whisk together the flour, spices and milk, and dump the florets into the smooth mixture, coating fully. Spread them out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, turning halfway.
While the cauliflower bakes, mix the sauce ingredients together and add to a hot pan with some sesame oil. Create a slurry with the cornstarch and some water and add it to the sauce with the baked cauliflower. It will get nice and thick and ooey and gooey. It’s like a saucy, boneless chicken wing, minus the chicken. So good!
OTHER CAULI-FORWARD RECIPES
Sumac Roasted Cauliflower (a crowd-pleaser!)
Hot and Sweet Cauliflower Wings (an amazing substitution for regular wings)
Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower (AS good as mashed potatoes)
Easy Creamy Cauliflower Soup (perfect for a cold winter day)
TOOLS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE
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Sticky Vegan Orange Cauliflower
Serving size: 4-5
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of cauliflower, washed, dried and cut into florets
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 1/4 cup plant-based milk (I use oat milk)
- juice of one orange
- 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (or honey, if not vegan)
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- For the batter: Whisk together the flour, paprika, salt, pepper and milk until smooth. Coat each cauliflower floret in the batter and shake off any extra. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, turning halfway through. While the cauliflower is baking prepare the sauce.
- For the sauce: Whisk together the orange juice, soy sauce, maple syrup, vinegar and garlic. In a separate bowl, whisk the cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water to make a slurry.
- Heat the sesame oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the cauliflower is ready, add it to the hot pan with the sauce and cornstarch slurry. Mix continuously for a minute or two – the sauce should thicken immediately. Remove from heat, sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve!
NOTES:
- This vegan orange cauliflower is great with rice and green onions