Roasted Cauliflower in Poblano Sauce
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This Roasted Cauliflower in Poblano Sauce is a complete vegan dinner. Filled with lentils, crispy cauliflower & the best poblano sauce!
This Roasted Cauliflower in Poblano Sauce is one of those recipes you keep going back to for one more bite. It has SO many layers of flavor. Lentils are cooked in the homemade poblano sauce, which is flavor-packed and has the perfect kick. Cauliflower is coated in spices and roasted until crispy – finishing them off with a little agave for a some sweetness. And it all comes together over rice. Veggies, protein and alllll the best flavors!
Step One: Prep the Poblano Sauce
The poblano sauce is a little bit of a process, but I promise it is worth the effort.
Turn the oven to broil and place the oven rack on the top. Add the poblanos, yellow onion & jalapeño to a baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and rub it into the veggies. Place in the oven to char. Once browned, flip the poblanos and brown the other side. Remove from the oven and place the poblanos in a bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel to steam for 10 minutes.
Remove the kitchen towel from the peppers, and when cool enough to handle, peel the skins off and remove the stems & seeds. Add the poblanos, jalapeño, onion, oil from the baking sheet, cilantro, garlic, cumin, salt & pepper to a food processor. Blend until mostly smooth.
Step Two: Make the Cauliflower
This roasted cauliflower is smoky, and has a little bit of heat. It adds the perfect crunch to the poblano sauce.
To a baking sheet, add a head of cauliflower that has been cut into florets, oil, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt & pepper.
Place the cauliflower in the oven for 20 minutes. Pull it out, and add a little agave – this will give it some sweetness and caramelize the cauliflower. Toss the cauliflower and place it back in the oven for 5-10 minutes – keep an eye on it so the agave doesn’t burn.
Step Three: Finish the Sauce
While the cauliflower is roasting, add the poblano puree, some broth and non-dairy cream to a skillet. Bring to a boil, add the dry lentils, stir, cover and lower the heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring every couple minutes. You want the lentils to be tender, but not mushy.
When the lentils are done add some more cream to the sauce and some lime juice. Stir to combine, taste and add salt if needed.
Step Four: Serve
When it comes to serving, you can keep this low carb and eat it as is. But, you can also serve it over rice for a more filling meal.
I like to add a layer of rice, some of the lentils/poblano sauce and finish it off with the cauliflower. Sprinkle on some extra cilantro and serve with lime wedges on the side.
This meal is filling and tasty. Plus, you get in lots of different veggies in one meal!
Tips & Tricks
If you are sensitive to spice, I would omit the jalapeño.
You can use your hands to remove the poblano skins or a small paring knife – I prefer the knife method. You don’t have to get every piece of skin off, just the bulk of it.
For the sake of presentation I added the cauliflower to the lentil skillet, but this isn’t necessary – unless you want to impress your guests 😉
Need more recipe inspo? Check these out:
Roasted Cauliflower in Poblano Sauce
Ingredients
FOR THE POBLANO SAUCE
- 2 poblano peppers
- 1 yellow onion quartered
- 1 jalapeño optional, see notes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small bunch cilantro stems removed
- 2-3 cloves garlic peeled
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 cup broth I used vegan chicken broth
- 1 cup non-dairy cream or non-dairy milk
- 1/2 cup green lentils dry
- lime juice to taste
FOR THE ROASTED CAULIFLOWER
- 1 head cauliflower cut in florets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons agave or maple syrup
FOR SERVING
- rice
- lime wedges
- cilantro chopped
Equipment
Instructions
- Turn the oven to broil and place the oven rack on the top. Add the poblanos, yellow onion & jalapeño to a baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and rub it into the veggies. Place in the oven to char. Once browned, flip the poblanos and brown the other side. Remove from the oven and place the poblanos in a bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel to steam for 10 minutes.
- Lower the oven temperature to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the cauliflower, oil & dry seasonings to the baking sheet. Toss to coat and set aside.
- Remove the kitchen towel from the peppers, and when cool enough to handle, peel the skins off (see notes) and remove the stems & seeds. Add the poblanos, jalapeño, onion, oil from the baking sheet, cilantro, garlic, cumin, salt & pepper to a food processor. Blend until mostly smooth.
- Place the cauliflower in the oven for 20 minutes. Add the agave, toss and place back in the oven for 5-10 minutes – keep an eye on it so the agave doesn't burn.
- While the cauliflower is roasting, add the poblano puree, broth and 1/2 of the cream to a skillet. Bring to a boil, add the lentils, stir, cover and lower the heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring every couple minutes. You want the lentils to be tender, but not mushy.
- When the lentils are done add the rest of the cream to the sauce and the lime juice. Stir to combine, taste and add salt if needed. To serve, add rice to each plate, top with the lentils/sauce, cauliflower and more cilantro.
Video
Notes
- If you are sensitive to spice, I would omit the jalapeño.
- You can use your hands to remove the poblano skins or a small paring knife – I prefer the knife method. You don’t have to get every piece of skin off, just the bulk of it.
- For the sake of presentation I added the cauliflower to the lentil skillet, but this isn’t necessary – unless you want to impress your guests 😉
- The nutrition info does not include the rice.
Delicious! I don’t eat onions, so I skipped them. I also didn’t add the 2nd half cup of milk since I wanted it thicker. I’ll definitely be saving this to make again. Thank you!
Thanks so much Brenda! So glad you loved it!
This is easy & delicious! But… it doesn’t look ANYTHING like your photos. Hahahaha mine is browner than brown. The roasted poblano & onion really made it dark. despite the cilantro. It doesn’t really matter unless someone is looking for that wow factor.