Grilled Cauliflower With Cilantro Pistou (French Pesto)

This recipe was inspired by a local restaurant we love in Hillsboro, Oregon that has since closed. The char flavor from the grilled cauliflower is a great contrast to the bright flavors of the sauce.

Grilled Cauliflower Ingredients

See the recipe card for the full recipe ingredient list. Start with the grilled cauliflower marinade and then make the sauce.

• Cauliflower – We cut up a whole cauliflower into florets to make it easier to steam and grill. Or you can make this as steaks.
• Soy Sauce – You can use any soy sauce you prefer. If you want to add more lemon flavor you can substitute with Ponzu sauce.
• Olive Oil – We prefer extra virgin olive oil to help bring the marinade together.
• Lemon Juice – Adds a nice acidity and balance to the soy.
• Seasoning – We use kosher salt and coarse black pepper but you can explore all of our seasoning recipes to modify. Another good one is our Blackened Seasoning.

Cilantro Pistou

If you prefer, you can swap the pistou for an Easy Chimichurri Sauce if you don’t like cilantro.

• Parmesan Cheese – We recommend buying a brick and shredding it on your own with a good microplane.
• Cilantro – Use an entire bunch, rinsed and dried. Stems removed.
• Parsley – Balance the cilantro with parsley so it’s not too strong.
• Red Chili Pepper Flakes – Adds a nice heat element without being spicy.
• Fresh Lemon Juice – Adds nice acidity.
• Olive Oil – We prefer extra virgin olive oil. It helps emulsify the pistou.

Preparation

Using a pairing knife, remove the stem first by cutting around the stem from the base of the cauliflower in a circular motion. This keeps the florets intact.

In a large bowl, fill with ice and water for an ice bath.

Steam Cauliflower

For grilled cauliflower to shine steam the cauliflower florets then cool them in an ice bath. This softens the texture, but also rapidly cools the cauliflower so it doesn’t get mushy and fall apart on the grill. If you skip this step, the cooking time takes longer, the texture may become crunchy, and you risk burning it.

• Get your steamer to boiling and then add the florets. Cover and steam for four minutes. Remove from steamer and place cauliflower florets in an ice batch in a large bowl to immediately cool. About 4 additional minutes.
• Once cool, strain and prepare for the seasoning. The ice bath rapidly cools the florets to keep a solid texture. Be sure to strain and dry off the florets before seasoning.

Seasoning

We love to add a little extra flavor just prior to grilling, so we’re adding a quick marinade first. In a large bowl, add extra virgin olive oil, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Whisk to combine.

Then toss in the dried florets. Stir with a large spoon (or toss if you are brave). After incorporating the marinade, liberally apply the salt and pepper and toss again. Now it’s ready to grill.

Make Pistou

If you are wondering what is pistou? It’s basically a French pesto (without nuts), or think of it as a French Chimichurri. The main profile addition is parsley and cheese. We’re modifying to add more herbal flavors with cilantro and then citrus (and acid) with grilled lemon.

In a food processor add all the ingredients except oil. Pulse four or five times to incorporate the flavors. Then add the olive oil in one tablespoon increments. Continue pulsing a few times and then taste. Adjust flavors to give it your preferred balance of acid and herbal.

See recipe card for recipe ingredient details. You can make this the day prior to make prep easier.

Grilling Cauliflower

Plan to be standing by the grill, because you’ll be moving the grilled cauliflower around a bit with good long tongs to get the perfect color.

1. Prepare the grill for two-zone grilling. Most of the cooking is direct, but having a cooler side helps since some of the cauliflower is going to cook faster than others. Target 400 degrees as the ambient temperature in the grill.
2. Place the cauliflower over the direct heat and close the grill. Grill for approximately five minutes. If the grill is running hotter, then plan to reduce the time.
3. After 5 minutes, continue to rotate the cauliflower so all sides have good grill marks or char. If any are done early you can move them to the indirect heat side so they stay warm.
4. Remove and serve warm with the cilantro pistou drizzled on top or as a dipping sauce.

For plating, we like to start with the pistou on our plate while reserving 1/2 cup of the sauce. Then, place the grilled cauliflower on top and finish with the reserved pistou.