Roasted Cauliflower Leaves


Published: October 11, 2024 · Updated: October 11, 2024 by Mark & Sacha — This post may contain affiliate links. Read our full disclosure.

Wondering what to do with cauliflower leaves? Instead of throwing them out, try making roasted cauliflower leaves to accompany your meal! This delicious (and nutritious) side dish is packed with flavor, crispy and tender at once, and a great way to stretch your dollar further and prevent kitchen waste.

Bowl of roasted cauliflower leaves.

Did you know that cauliflower leaves are just as edible as the florets?

I stumbled upon that information about a decade ago as I was staring at a head of cauliflower and thinking what a waste it would be to throw away the leaves, and I've been happily making this dish ever since.

Roasted cauliflower leaves are both nutritious and delicious, provided you know how to prepare them. And if you're paying for the whole head of cauliflower anyway, why not use it to feed your family instead of throwing out a large part of it?

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

  • Flavorful: Cauliflower leaves are surprisingly tasty, and you can use your favorite blend of spices to enhance the flavor even more. Even our kids enjoy these, and they're quite picky!
  • Fun texture: Because cauliflower leaves have a fairly thick stem, the leafy part turns crispy as it cooks, while the stem becomes soft and tender. I personally love the combination of textures, and can't think of any other dish that's quite the same.
  • Zero waste: Most people don't know that cauliflower leaves are edible, and simply throw them out (or compost them). This recipe is a great way to save money while making use of a part of the vegetable that most people discard!

Looking for more tasty side dishes to accompany your meal? Try this Creamy Tubed Polenta.

Required Ingredients

Ingredients to make roasted cauliflower leaves.
  • Cauliflower leaves: You won't be able to buy these on their own, but when cauliflower is in season, you should be able to find heads of cauliflower that still have the leaves attached—at the farmer's market in particular, but even at the regular grocery store.
  • Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil is what I tend to use, but if you don't have any, you can use any type of liquid cooking oil you have on hand, such as vegetable oil.
  • Spices: I used dill seeds , mild smoked paprika (hot smoked paprika would work too), garlic powder, onion powder, dry oregano, and freshly ground salt and pepper. You can use the same spices or any other combination that you enjoy.

The full ingredient list, quantities and instructions can be found in the recipe card.

Getting Extra Cauliflower Leaves (for Free)

Love this dish? Check to see if your local store has any extra leaves mixed in with the heads of cauliflower in their display, and ask if you can take some of them home with your cauliflower.

Customers who don't know how to use cauliflower leaves often remove them at the store to avoid having to discard them at home. After we noticed this, we asked a manager about it, and they said it was fine for us to add extra leaves to our bag if we were buying cauliflower.

Grocery stores don't typically sell the leaves separately, and simply discard them, so they may not mind if you take some of them home—make sure you check with yours to see if you can snag some extra leaves at no cost!

How to Make Roasted Cauliflower Leaves (Step-by-Step)

Cauliflower leaves on a cutting board, with the stem cut in half.

Step 1: Wash and prep cauliflower leaves. Set your oven to preheat to 400°F, then thoroughly rinse the cauliflower leaves to remove any dirt. Dry them with a paper towel and prep the leaves by splitting any large stems in half with a knife.

Bowl of cauliflower leaves with olive oil added.

Step 2: Add olive oil. Place the washed and prepped cauliflower leaves in a bowl and add the olive oil. Gently toss or stir with a wooden spoon to coat the leaves. (This process allows for minimal oil to be used and prevents the leaves from ending up greasy.)

Cauliflower leaves laid out on a baking sheet with spices.

Step 3: Add spices. Arrange the prepared leaves on a large baking sheet (or two small ones) and sprinkle evenly with spices, topping them off with freshly ground salt and black pepper.

Roasted cauliflower leaved on a baking sheet after cooking.

Step 4: Bake cauliflower leaves. Place the baking sheet in your pre-heated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the leaves are crispy and the stems are soft enough to easily spear with a fork.

We have been making these for almost a decade now, and I can't imagine tossing cauliflower leaves when they're so good to eat! I have even served them at dinner parties and been told that I "made compost taste good".

Hand holding up a crispy roasted cauliflower leaf.

Helpful Tips

  • Don't skip the prep: Cutting the thicker stems in half with a knife before you roast the leaves is very important, because it helps them cook faster and ensures that the leafy part doesn't get burnt to a crisp before the stems have a chance to soften.
  • Experiment with different flavors: I'm not usually a fan of dill seeds, but they work great in this recipe. Feel free to experiment with different spices and herbs to see which you like best.
  • Try serving with dip: We usually eat these leaves as a side dish to accompany our meal, but they would also make a great healthy snack if you serve them on their own with some kind of dip.
Roasted cauliflower leaved on a baking sheet after cooking.

Storage & Reheating Instructions

Roasted cauliflower leaves are best right out of the oven, and aren't as good reheated. For this reason, I recommend making only as many as you can eat, and keeping the rest of the leaves in the fridge, unwashed and uncooked (see FAQ for storage tips), until you're ready to make more.

If you do end up with leftovers, place them in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat them by placing them on a baking sheet and warming them in the oven at 400˚F until they crisp up. Do not reheat them in the microwave, as this will make the texture rubbery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely! Every part of a head of cauliflower is edible, including the florets, leaves and stem. Not only that, but cauliflower leaves are packed with fiber, calcium and Vitamin C.

Use a knife to remove the leaves from the head of cauliflower, then place the dry, unwashed leaves inside an airtight container or zip-top bag inside your fridge. You can place a paper towel in between the leaves to remove any excess moisture.

Storing your cauliflower leaves this way will reduce their exposure to air and prevent them from drying out in the fridge. Depending on how fresh they were when you bought them, they should last 2 to 3 weeks.

While cauliflower florets can be successfully frozen, I wouldn't recommend freezing the leaves unless you're planning on using them for vegetable stock (or another recipe where they'll be boiled). The thawing process will change the texture and cause them to get soggy.

Have a question that wasn't answered here? Let us know in the comments and we'll be happy to help!

If you have tried these Roasted Cauliflower Leaves or any other recipe on our website, please let us know how it went in the comments below. We can't wait to hear from you!

Bowl of roasted cauliflower leaves.

Roasted Cauliflower Leaves

Sacha
Wondering what to do with cauliflower leaves? Instead of throwing them out, whip up a batch of roasted cauliflower leaves to accompany your meal! This nutritious side dish is packed with flavor, and a great way to save money and avoid kitchen waste.
No ratings yet
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 2
Calories 54 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 12 cauliflower leaves
  • ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon dill seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika mild or hot
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon dry oregano
  • freshly ground salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 400°F. While the oven is preheating, thoroughly rinse the cauliflower leaves to remove any dirt. Dry them with a paper towel and prep the leaves by splitting any large stems in half with a knife.
  • Place the cauliflower leaves in a bowl and add the olive oil. Gently toss or stir with a wooden spoon to coat the leaves. (This process allows for minimal oil to be used and prevents the leaves from ending up greasy.)
  • Arrange the prepared leaves on a baking sheet and sprinkle evenly with spices, topping them off with freshly ground salt and pepper.
  • Place the baking sheet in your pre-heated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the leaves are crispy and the stems are soft enough to easily spear with a fork. Serve immediately.

Notes

1. Storage and reheating instructions: This dish is best right out of the oven, so try to make only as much as you'll be eating and store any remaining leaves, unwashed and uncooked, inside an airtight zip-top bag or container up to 3 weeks. If you do have leftovers, place them in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat them on a baking sheet in the oven at 400˚F until they crisp up. (Do not reheat in the microwave.)
2. Getting extra cauliflower leaves at no cost: Ask your grocery store if you can take some of the extra leaves removed by other customers when you're buying cauliflower.
3. Helpful tips:
  • Don't skip the prep: Cutting the thicker stems in half with a knife will help them cook faster and ensure that the leafy part doesn't burn before the stems have a chance to soften.
  • Experiment with different flavors: Try adding different spices and herbs to see which you like best.
  • Try serving with dip: These cauliflower can be served on their own with dip as a healthy snack.

Nutrition

Calories: 54kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 2gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 22mgFiber: 2gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 128IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 1mg
Have you tried this?Mention @thecunningkitchen or tag #thecunningkitchen to let us know how it went!

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