This dish is part of a series of recipes of vegetarian and Colombian (ish) barbecue ideas. In Colombia people love to grill during lengthy ‘asados’ on the weekends, however they are hardly ever vegetarian-friendly. Roasting a whole cauliflower on the grill and serving it with (homemade) chimichurri sauce is a delicious and no-fuss showstopper at any barbecue.
Jump to RecipeHaz clic en Coliflor Asada a la Parrilla con Chimichurri para la receta en español.
Colombian Barbecue
I went to more barbecues in Colombia these past years than in my whole life (and those years in Colombia include a worldwide pandemic, mind you). The Colombian asado is a favorite activity on the weekends. They usually start somewhere around or after lunchtime, until well, the last person leaves. The asado is about grilling animal protein: often some types of red meat/steak, chorizo (sausage) and morcilla (blood sausage). Common side dishes are grilled corn on the cob, arepas (corn cakes), papas saladas (colombian salt potatoes, boiled) and of course guacamole.
BBQ Grilled Cauliflower with Chimichurri Sauce
It doesn’t get any easier than this. Roasting a whole cauliflower on the BBQ, and serving it with an easy herby chimichurri sauce that you can make in advance (or even buy at the store, I won’t judge). The cauliflower will keep some bite to it and will have a delicious smoky flavor. The chimichurri is an Argentinian sauce, but very popular in Colombia as well. It has an oily base and is flavored with parsley, oregano, chili pepper and garlic. I make an adjusted version in which I use half parts parsley and half parts cilantro, because I have a parsley hater at home.
Ingredients
Cauliflower Take into account that the bigger the cauliflower, the longer it will take to cook.
Chimichurri Traditional chimichurri is made with oil, red wine vinegar, parsley, oregano, fresh or dried chilis, garlic, pepper and salt. I made some adjustments using equal parts of parsley and cilantro, to get less of a parsley-y and more of a subtle flavor. I use white vinegar instead of red wine vinegar because the latter is only found in big supermarkets and I only a little difference in taste. Also, I use dried oregano because fresh oregano is not always easy to find in Colombia.
How to roast the cauliflower on a BBQ grill
This is the easy part. Rub the cauliflower with oil, pepper and salt, and place on the rack of the BBQ grill. Turn it around every now and then so it won’t burn. Depending on the size, this might take up to an hour. I roasted a medium-sized cauliflower for about 40 minutes. It still had some body and bite to it, mushy grilled cauliflower is nobody’s favorite.
Serving suggestions
Place the whole roasted cauliflower on a cutting board and cut into 4 pieces (or more if you have a very big cauliflower). Serve while hot with the homemade chimichurri sauce, or replace with a store-bought version. You can serve this as a “replacement” for animal protein, or as a side dish.
Tips
- I don’t recommend that you wrap the cauliflower in tin foil to prevent burning or to speed up the cooking process. I tried, and you will get a softer and blander texture and will miss some of that smoky BBQ flavor
- Use plenty of oil, pepper and salt on the cauliflower. The BBQ smoke and chimichurri will do the rest
- Switch up the herbs if you are not a fan of parsley. Use cilantro. If you don’t like cilantro, use only parsley. It will still come out delicious
- If 40-60 minutes is too long, cut up the cauliflower in “steaks” of about 2 cm thick, so they cook faster
- You can make this dish in an oven as well, but it won’t have the smoky flavor of being cooked on the grill
You might also like
- Vegetables Wrapped in Banana Leaf (grill them instead of baking in the oven)
- Colombian Vegan Beetroot Salad (side dish for a BBQ)
- Colombian Salt Potatoes (Papas Saladas) (THE side dish for a BBQ)
- Easy Colombian Guacamole (all-time essential)
- Colombian Cheese and Cauliflower Fritatta (for the cauliflower lovers)
Do you love this recipe? Give it a 5-star rating below and leave me a comment! Or tag @vecinavegetariana on Instagram. You can also pin this recipe now and make it later!
BBQ Grilled Cauliflower with Chimichurri Sauce
Equipment
- barbecue
Ingredients
Roasted cauliflower
- 1 head of cauliflower, medium in size, outer leaves removed
- plenty of good quality olive oil to rub the cauliflower (5-6 tablespoons)
- pepper and coarse sea salt
Chimichurri sauce
- 100 ml good quality olive oil (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar (replace with red wine vinegar)
- 1 handful of parsley, chopped finely (about 1/4 cup)
- 1 handful of cilantro, chopped finely (about 1/4 cup)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 big clove of garlic, chopped finely
- 1/2 red chilipepper (without the seeds), chopped finely (replace with dried chili flakes)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare and roast cauliflower
- Rub oil, salt and pepper on the head of cauliflower. Place on the hot BBQ grill. Let the cauliflower cook evenly and prevent burning by turning it around frequently. Roast until softer, but still firm. Depending on the size and the type of grill that might take between 30-60 minutes.
Prepare chimichurri
- In the meantime, or in advance, prepare chimichurri sauce. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Allow the flavors to mix by letting the sauce rest for 30-60 minutes before serving
Serve
- Place roasted cauliflower on a cutting board. Cut into 4 pieces and serve a couple of teaspoons of chimichurri sauce with each piece of cauliflower