Copycat True Food Kitchen Tahini Harissa Cauliflower

This Copycat True Food Kitchen Tahini Harissa Cauliflower side dish was inspired by the Charred Cauliflower starter from True Food Kitchen! My version adds broccoli and swaps out the pistachios for toasted pumpkin seeds! The tahini harissa sauce is easy to make at home with a few simple spices, and of course garnish with lots of fresh dill! Gluten-free, vegan, nut-free.

Obsessed. Crave. OMG. That’s what comes to mind when I think of True Food’s Charred Cauliflower starter on their summer menu. I fell in love with it at first bite, and while it’s perfection as they created it, I needed to make my own version of it so I could have it whenever I pleased- which is like every dang day people, haha. This way, I can also tailor it to fit my dietary needs. I kept it very similar because why mess with perfection?! But I also decided to add broccoli, swap out the pistachios for toasted pumpkin seeds, and make my own “harissa”-style spice blend with what I had on hand.

The Ingredients

Cauliflower florets. I purchased pre-mixed organic broccoli and cauliflower florets to cut back on meal prep time, but feel free to buy a head of cauliflower and a head of broccoli and chop you own.

Broccoli florets. True Food Kitchen only uses cauliflower in their recipe, but I decided to add broccoli as well.

Avocado oil (or olive oil). I like using avocado oil in my recipes not only because it’s lightweight (it works great in baking recipes!) but also because it tastes neutral, has a high smoke point, and it’s rich in nutrients.

Garlic. I used the pre-minced garlic in this recipe to help cut back on meal prep time, but feel free to mince your own cloves of garlic.

Pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds not only add a nice little crunch, but also some great nutrients. I like toasting my own raw pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, but feel free to buy them already toasted/roasted.

Dates. I could probably add dates to everything! I love them so much. Chopped dates combined with the broccoli, cauliflower, and earthy tahini harissa sauce is just perfection! I pit and chop whole dates but feel free to buy chopped dates.

Dill. A touch of dill added to this wonderful side dish adds the best flavor! I suggest using fresh dill.

Tahini Harissa Sauce

Tahini. I love tahini so much! It makes an excellent base to this tahini harissa sauce. Using a high quality tahini such as this one make this sauce so smooth and creamy.

Lemon juice. I used pre-bottled NOT from concentrate lemon juice, but feel free to use fresh squeezed lemons!

Salt. You will need 1/2 teaspoon of salt, plus more to taste if desired.

Harissa seasoning. I made my own homemade harissa seasoning mix for this recipe (read below). Feel free to use pre-mixed harissa seasoning purchased at the supermarket or online.

Maple syrup. Just a touch of sweetness add the perfect finishing touch to this savory sauce.

Homemade Harissa Seasoning

Sometimes Harissa seasoning can be challenging to find at the grocery store, so I decided to make my own at home using a few simple spices. Harissa seasoning is usually a mixture of cumin, coriander, caraway, garlic, smoked paprika, salt, and red chili pepper. Sometimes herbs like oregano and mint can be added.

In my version of DIY Harissa Seasoning I am combining smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, and coriander. Feel free to use 2-3 teaspoons of pre-mixed Harissa seasoning in place of the smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, and coriander if you’d like, or adapt this spice mix to make your own.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, toss the broccoli, cauliflower, avocado oil and garlic together- then spread it in a single layer onto the lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients until smooth. Chop the dates and mince the dill.Add the roasted cauliflower and broccoli back into the large bowl, add the sauce, dates, dill, and toasted pumpkin seeds and toss to combine. Be sure to coat all of the cauliflower and broccoli with the sauce. Serve and garnish with more fresh dill and toasted pumpkin seeds if desired.

My hubby was really impressed with how much it did taste like True Food’s version. And this dish could not be simpler to make. I ate mine as the full entree, but you can also serve this as a side dish. Either way, it only takes 30 minutes to make and is so flavorful you’ll be saying “mmmm” with every bite!

And I know I’m not the only one who loves this dish- my foodie friend Casey over at The Mindful Hapa also created her own version of True Food’s Charred Cauliflower too! Be sure to check her recipe out as well 🙂

I would love to hear what you think of this Copycat True Food Kitchen Tahini Harissa Cauliflower! Especially if you’re a fan of True Food Kitchen’s recipe. Be sure to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook!

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