Tahini Roasted Cauliflower Couscous
on Dec 17, 2025
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A blend of dried spices gives this tahini roasted cauliflower couscous bold flavor. I whisk together a marinade for the cauliflower with tahini, cumin and curry powder. While it roasts in the oven, I quickly make the couscous. Then I combine everything with pomegranate seeds, pistachios, scallions and parsley. It’s a simple vegan recipe that you can serve as a side dish or a main.
Also, check out my collection of healthy cauliflower recipes.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It’s an easy, flavor-packed recipe that makes the most of pantry staples. Tahini is a must-have in my kitchen because there are so many ways to use it besides homemade hummus. It’s perfect for marinades like this one paired with a mix of dried spices.
Together roasted vegetables and grains create a hearty side dish recipe that also can be a vegan main. Name the season and I’ll give you an example of why this combination is a sure thing.
This couscous recipe has an interesting combo of roasted, pantry and fresh ingredients. In each bite you get roasted cauliflower and couscous plus herbs, pistachios and sweet and tart pomegranate seeds.
The Ingredients
This is what you need:
- Cauliflower: A head of cauliflower should feel heavy for its size. Also, it should not have any brown spots on it. You can use any color you want including white, purple, orange or green.
- Couscous looks small grains, but actually it’s pasta made from semolina flour. It’s used in North African cuisine. You can substitute with quinoa to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Dried spices: I season the cauliflower with curry powder, ground cumin, kosher salt and black pepper.
- Tahini: Made from sesame seed paste, tahini is creamy in the marinade, coating the cauliflower and giving it nutty flavor.
- Pomegranate seeds are tart and juicy. They are a sweet accent with all the spiced and savory ingredients in this roasted cauliflower recipe.
- Pistachios give the couscous some nutty crunch. Use either lightly salted or unsalted pistachios. You can substitute with chopped almonds.
- Scallions: Thinly sliced, these green onions land somewhere between an onion and herbs with their mild taste.
- Parsley: To go with the scallions, I also include chopped fresh parsley. These greens add freshness.
- Olive oil: You will need oil in the marinade for the cauliflower.
How To Make This Roasted Cauliflower Couscous
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
1. Prep the cauliflower. Stir the tahini, oil, curry powder, cumin, salt and pepper in a big bowl. Toss the cauliflower in this mixture. Then spread the vegetables across a baking sheet in a single layer.
2. Roast the cauliflower. Give it 25-30 minutes. Flip it over about halfway through roasting, so it nicely browns on both sides.
3. Make the couscous. Pour the boiling water into the couscous in a large bowl. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Use a fork to comb through the couscous.
4. Combine the couscous, cauliflower, scallions, pistachios, pomegranate seeds and parsley in a large bowl.
5. Stir everything together.
Serving
I love any easy recipe that starts with couscous, rice or another grain as a base paired with roasted veggies. Depending on the season, I change the feature vegetables. You can serve it as a side dish or main dish. Increase or decrease the portion size to make this work.
You can add a protein such as tofu. If you don’t need the couscous to be vegan, you can include roasted chicken, shrimp or salmon.
Leftovers & Storage
You can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. The cauliflower will soften the longer you store it. Reheat the couscous in the microwave if you want to eat leftovers warm. I also like stirring in arugula and a splash of vinaigrette and eating it cold as a salad.
Recipe Tips
Cut a head of cauliflower and don’t buy precut florets. I like to slice cauliflower because then all those flat sides make direct contact with the hot metal of the pan getting the edges to caramelize and brown.
You don’t need to line the pan. The oil in the marinade is enough to prevent the cauliflower from sticking.
More Cauliflower Recipes
Roasted Vegetable Salad
Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
Cauliflower Lentil Salad
Roasted Cauliflower Rice
Cauliflower and Chickpeas with Herby Tahini
Cauliflower Pasta with Spinach Pesto
Harissa Roasted Cauliflower Couscous
Roasted Cauliflower Steaks
I also have a collection of easy roasted vegetable recipes organized by season with tips, go-to ingredients and sheet pan favorites.
Tahini Roasted Cauliflower Couscous
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower, leaves removed, bottom stem trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices and and broken into small to medium pieces
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup couscous
- 1 cup boiling water
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
- 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the tahini, olive oil, curry powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Toss the cauliflower into the tahini mixture.
- Arrange the cauliflower in a single layer on a sheet pan. It should not be overlapping.
- Roast for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through roasting, until well browned on both sides.
- For the couscous, combine the couscous grains and boiling water in a large bowl. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Use a fork to comb through the couscous, breaking up any clumps. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Combine the cauliflower, scallions, pistachios, pomegranate seeds and parsley with the couscous.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
