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Bold, peppery cauliflower with a sunny hit of turmeric meets twirl-able garlic butter rice noodles. It’s cozy, a little spicy-sweet, and ready fast. Cauliflower tossed with turmeric and black pepper, roasted until crispy, then served over saucy garlic butter rice noodles and topped with a spritz of lime and fresh Thai basil. We’ll roast the cauliflower until crisp, toss noodles in a garlic-coconut sauce, then finish with lime and fresh basil or cilantro. Every bite has hints of crispy, creamy, spicy-sweet flavor. So delicious!
Why You’ll Love It
- Crunchy, creamy, and saucy in every bite.
- Pantry spices, simple method, highly customizable.
- Great meatless main that still feels hearty.
Ingredient Notes
- Cauliflower: Cut into similar-size florets and dry very well so they roast (not steam).
- Spices: Turmeric, ginger, and lots of black pepper. Bloom in hot oil for a deeper, toasty flavor before adding garlic (garlic scorches fast).
- Honey + soy/tamari: Add toward the end of roasting so sugars caramelize without burning; toss to coat for shiny edges.
- Cashews: Add halfway through so they toast, not char. Nut-free? Use toasted sesame seeds or pepitas at the end.
- Noodles: Rice vermicelli is delicate and saucy; wider rice noodles are chewier; angel hair is a non-GF option. Rinse rice noodles briefly to prevent clumping.
- Butter & coconut milk: Butter (or ghee/vegan butter) + a splash of coconut milk creates a silky sauce that coats, not pools.
- Finishers: Lime juice and Thai basil/cilantro brighten and balance the richness.
Happy St. Patrick’s day everyone!! How are you guys celebrating? I didn’t roll out any new Irish-inspired recipes this year (sorry). But I sure hope you guys are celebrating in some way today. My brother Creighton would be SO excited if you ate a corned beef sandwich for him. I’m 120% positive he’d just about die and go to heaven if I made him one. Sadly for him, it’s just not in the cards today. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a delicious recipe to share.
Because I do! And it’s personally one of my favorites.
With my older brother around so much over the past few months, recipes have been swaying heavier on the meat and chicken than I’d like. He’s one of those “guys-guys” that believes no meal is complete without some kind of meat. Since I love to cook for others, I’ve tried my best to cater a bit more to him. Remember those cheesy gordita crunch tacos? Yep, all his doing.
But today, it’s all about the cauliflower and the noodles. So, my kind of food.
The Inspiration
I’m such a big fan of cauliflower these days, but especially roasted cauliflower that gets a little crispy and crunchy. It all started when I made this Crispy Roasted Cauliflower with Creamy Pesto Pasta back in January. And then followed it up with Cauliflower Tinga Tacos. Ever since I’ve been loving any form of roasted cauliflower.
And that kind of brings me to this recipe. It’s a mash-up of a couple of recipes that I make on repeat and has a bit of a Thai inspiration to it. Sounds a little different, but trust me, this is different in a good way.
Recipe inspiration
The cauliflower is the shining star of this recipe. It’s oven-roasted with lots of turmeric, ginger, and black pepper. Throw it in the oven, then about halfway through cooking, add some cashews to the mix. Then toss on a little honey and soy sauce. The honey helps the cauliflower caramelize and become sweet and spicy. By the time it comes out of the oven, it’s extra crispy with just the right amount of char and so much flavor. It is delicious! Especially atop a big bowl of creamy garlic butter rice noodles.
Fun fact, before we move onto those noddles? Using the two spices together packs anti-inflammatory powder and plenty of antioxidant properties. But even cooler? Pairing black pepper with turmeric is said to help your body better absorb the curcumin that’s found in turmeric.
Soo, you see? Very healthy. I love when delicious food is also nutritious.
Step by Step
Roast the Cauliflower
- Toss florets with oil, turmeric, black pepper, ginger, and salt. Spread with space on a hot sheet pan.
- Roast until edges are deep golden, then add cashews; roast briefly more.
- Pull pan, drizzle/toss with honey + soy/tamari; return just until sticky and caramelized.
Make the Garlic Noodles
- While the cauliflower is roasting, make those noodles. Boil rice noodles and toss them in a hot pan full of butter and garlic. Yes, noodles, butter, and garlic…but then add a touch of coconut milk for a little more sauce and additional creaminess.
- I like to use vermicelli rice noodles, but you could use any variety of rice noodles, or even angel hair pasta. The noodles are meant to be saucy, so once you toss them with the garlic butter sauce, be sure to serve them right away.
- Boil noodles to just shy of tender; reserve a splash of cooking water.
- In a skillet, melt butter/oil; add turmeric + pepper, then add garlic until lightly golden and sweet.
- Stir in coconut milk, a splash of soy/tamari, and a little noodle water; simmer to a glossy, clinging sauce. Toss in noodles.
Bring It Together
- Spoon saucy noodles into bowls, top with crispy cauliflower + cashews.
- Finish each bowl off with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and fresh basil or cilantro. Add extra black pepper or chili crisp if you like heat.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheat
- Make-ahead: Roast cauliflower and cool completely; cook noodles and toss with a little oil to prevent sticking; keep sauce separate.
- Storage: Store cauliflower, noodles, and sauce in separate airtight containers in the fridge.
- Reheat: Re-crisp cauliflower on a hot sheet pan or in the air fryer. Warm sauce gently, loosen with coconut milk or water, then toss with noodles.
Looking for other easy dinner recipes with a Thai flare? Here are a few to try:
30 Minute Creamy Turmeric Chicken and Noodles
Oven Fried Coconut Shrimp with Pineapple Chili Sauce
Weeknight Chicken Meatball Khao Soi.
Lastly, if you make this Crispy Black Pepper Turmeric Cauliflower and Garlic Noodles be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crispy Black Pepper Turmeric Cauliflower and Garlic Noodles
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 427 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1-2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 medium shallots, sliced or chopped
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 8 ounces rice noodles
- 3 tablespoons salted butter or ghee
- 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
- zest and juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil or cilantro, roughly chopped
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 425° F. On a baking sheet, combine the cauliflower, the olive oil, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, paprika, and a pinch of chili flakes and salt. Toss well to evenly coat. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes, or until tender. 2. Remove the cauliflower from oven, add the shallots and cashews. Drizzle over the soy sauce and honey, toss to combine and evenly coat everything. Roast another 10 minutes, until charred.3. Meanwhile, cook rice noodles according to packaged directions.4. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the butter, garlic, and a pinch of red pepper flakes, if desired. Cook until the garlic begins to caramelize and turn light golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, cooking 3-5 minutes, until warmed through. Remove from the heat and toss the noodles with the sauce.5. To serve, divide the noodles among bowls and top with roasted cauliflower. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice and top with basil or cilantro. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on March 17, 2021
I made this specifically for my husband, a guy who really likes cauliflower. He liked it so much that he said I could make it for his birthday (in January!) along with his favorite corn soufflé. I might skip the corn side dish!
Hey Linda,
I am so glad that you liked this recipe, thanks for giving it a go! Happy Friday? xTieghan
I made this tonight and loved the flavours of the spices together and the textures with the crunchy cashews and creamy slightly sweet rice noodles. My husband enjoyed it topped with feta:) I will definitely be making sure this for my vegetarian friends! Thanks Tieghan for another great recipe. ?
Hey Kara,
I am so glad that you liked this recipe, thanks for giving it a go! Happy Friday? xTieghan
I was so excited to find this recipe! It was actually in my news feed, and I was needing a recipe using cauliflower besides my go-to “cauli buffalo wings”. I had all the ingredients on hand, so I ran to the kitchen to prepare (my husband had to leave in an hour)!
This was quite easy to put together. It was light and flavorful. I loved the creaminess of the rice noodles with the punch of spices that covers the cauliflower. I also enjoyed the sweetness of the honey with a hint of heat. It was delicious! My husband said he’d eat it again.? Next time, I won’t be in such a hurry and remember to add the lime juice, oops! But, even though I forgot, our dinner was still great! TY!
Hey Carrie,
I am so glad that you liked this recipe, thanks for giving it a go! Happy Friday? xTieghan
Hi Tieghan!
Looks delish, I plan on making tonight! Is it possible to sub fres ginger in for the ground dried ginger?
Thanks,
Annie
Hey Annie,
Yes, that would work well, I would use about 1 tablespoon. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Any suggestions for a substitute for the cashews? This looks amazing but I have a tree nut allergy! Still want to have that crunch factor!
Hey Katie,
Is there any other nut you can use? I also think crispy onions would be delicious! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
Looks so YUM!
Do you think adding some dark leafy greens to the party would work? I have some Swiss Chard begging to be eaten!
Hey Manasa,
I think that would be a fantastic idea! I would just add it to the sauce so the greens can wilt down. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I never cook for myself when I’m home alone, and yesterday I saw this recipe in my email and realized I had all of the ingredients for it already and needed to make it. It was SO easy and delicious!! One of my favorite ways I’ve ever prepared cauliflower. Will definitely be making it for friends in the future!
Hey Meg,
I am so glad that you liked this recipe, thanks for giving it a go! Happy Friday? xTieghan
Ok, I actually DID make this last night and it is awesome! I made it as written My cauliflower was pretty large so I doubled the spice, shallot mix and also the soy honey. It is very simple to put together and absolutely delicious as well as quite appealing to look at. I would highly recommend anyone try this recipe! Pretty sure you’re going to be happy!
Hey Nancy,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Do you add the shallots at step 1 or 2? Can’t wait to try this!
Hey Kara,
Sorry for the confusion, the shallots are going to be added in step 2. I hope you love the recipe, let me know if you make it! xTieghan
That sounds delicious, I did your corn beef recipe in the slow cooker but used it in traditional sandwiches instead of the french toast. It was the best corn beef I’ve ever made.
Thanks for trying the recipe Suzanne! xTieghan
Question…How much olive oil to use? The recipe calls for 3T olive oil, but step 1 of the instructions says 1/4 cup of olive oil.
Hey Barbara,
Sorry for the confusion, the recipe has been adjusted, you are going to use 3 tablespoons of olive oil in step 1. I hope you love the recipe! Thanks! xTieghan
This looks amazing and will make it this week. Question – assume you’re using unsweetened coconut milk, right? Also are you using fresh ginger or dried? Thank you! I love all your recipes!
Hey Dina,
Yes, I used unsweetened coconut milk and the recipe calls for ground ginger (so yes dried). I hope you love this recipe, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
How does this recipe already have 8 total ratings giving it a 4/5 when it was just posted this morning??? Do any of you actually make the recipe before you rate it?? WTH.
Hey Joe,
I read through the comments, only two people have commented before you, neither of them left a rating, so I am unsure where you are getting this info. Also, I encourage my readers to comment on recipes regardless of whether or not they have made it. I hope this clears things up for you. Have the best day!! xTieghan
will be making this soon with few subs i love cauliflower sooooooooooooo much will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
I hope you love the recipe Ramya! xTieghan
The cashews, are those added at Step #1 or Step #2 ?? I want to be certain. Thank you so much 🙂
Hey Judi,
Sorry for any confusion, the cashews are added in step 2. I hope you enjoy the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan