Honey Walnut Cauliflower will change the way you look at cauliflower. Vegetarian version, crispy baked cauliflower tossed in a creamy, sweet sauce topped with caramelized walnuts! Tastes just like take-out, but BETTER.
We love Chinese food. I could eat it on any given night, and whenever we order take-out, the honey walnut shrimp always makes it home. It’s my little ones favorite.
While I do make shrimp for the boy at home, I prefer the vegetarian version and healthier version more. Eat it without feeling guilty and for those days you crave vegetarian or if you are a vegetarian, this is perfect.
Now this dish involves baking the cauliflower to crispy perfection tossed in a creamy, sweet sauce along with some candy-glazed walnuts.
HOW TO MAKE HONEY WALNUT CAULIFLOWER
CRISPY CAULIFLOWER
In my take on honey walnut cauliflower take-out, I’m swapping out a heavier batter for a simple, light dusting of cornstarch. It actually gives just enough of a coating to make the cauliflower crispy without weighing it down or getting soggy.
I’ve seen other recipes that first dip each cauliflower in a batter of egg wash, but I find it unnecessary, it makes the outer coating heavier than I like anyway. Plus, it’s a mess and a hassle!
Sometimes the simplest approach really is the best, and here, that means just tossing the cauliflower in cornstarch in a gallon-size ziploc bag and shaking until the cauliflower evenly coated or toss in a bowl. Use an oil spray and Bah-da-bing, bah-da-boom, cauliflower are ready for the pan.
CRISPY WALNUTS
To make the candied walnuts, it’s just a matter of combining sugar and water in a saucepan and bringing it to a boil to make a quick simple syrup, then adding the walnuts for a couple of minutes before draining and spreading the walnuts out on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Those crunchy, candied walnuts are almost impossible for me to resist and I always make sure there are plenty because otherwise I inevitably pick through stealing everybody else’s walnuts when they aren’t looking.
But skim on those walnuts. They are SO GOOD!
SAUCE
And the sauce is even easier. It’s just mayonnaise, honey, salt and pepper. For an even better-for-you approach, you could swap out the mayo for plain greek yogurt or vegan mayonnaise.
Everything gets stirred together to make a sweet, creamy sauce that coats each bite of shrimp and walnuts.
Serve it with white rice and a nice green vegetable like bok choy and boom, you’ve got dinner that is loads better (and better for you!) than take-out.
- 1 head of cauliflower cut to 2 inch chunks
- 2 tbsp cornflower
- 1 tsp oil
- Salt and pepper for cauliflower
- 1/ 3 cup walnut halves
- 1 tbsp sugar
- Salt and pepper for walnutw
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1½ teaspoons honey
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- In a large bowl add the cauliflower florets, oil cornflour and salt and pepper. Toss it well and put it on a baking tray, bake it for 15 minutes in a 450 degree oven. Set aside
- Heat a small pan over medium heat and the sugar. Add walnuts and gently toss to combine with salt and pepper. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined plate.
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, honey salt and pepper; set aside.
- Using the same pan that the walnuts cooked, add the shrimp, the mayo mixture, toss well.
- Serve immediately, topped with walnuts. Garnish with scallions
If you try this honey walnut cauliflower, make sure to rate the recipe and tag me social media at #foodfashionparty.
*Please do tag me on Instagram @foodfashionparty if you make this, using the hashtag #foodfashionparty. Check out my book MASALA AND MEATBALLS.
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