How to sauté cauliflower that tastes good

Can you prepare sauteed cauliflower in advance?

You can prepare sauteed cauliflower in advance but we believe it is much better served fresh. 

If you are looking for a way to speed up the cooking process because you have a dinner party or you are just planning ahead, we do have a tip that will help. We recommend that you do the preparation work in advance and save the cooking for right before serving. 

Go ahead and wash and dry your cauliflower. Then cut the florets from the stalks into small bite-sized pieces. You can cut the large florets with a knife and then use your hands to break them into smaller pieces. 

Then place the florets in an airtight container and place it in the fridge. The cauliflower should last up to days in the fridge

How to reheat sauteed cauliflower

You can reheat sauteed cauliflower the next day. Our favorite method is to put a skillet over medium-low temperature and heat it up. While the skillet is heating up, set the cauliflower out on the counter so that it can start coming to room temperature. 

Add one teaspoon of olive oil to the skillet and the cauliflower. Stir it constantly until the cauliflower is warmed through and through.

You can also reheat sauteed cauliflower in the microwave but the results won’t be quite as tasty. 

Ingredients needed to saute cauliflower

A bonus that makes sauteing cauliflower so easy is that you really only need three ingredients. For a tasty yet simple dish, you only need cauliflower, olive oil, and salt.

While you only need three ingredients that doesn’t mean that you have to stop there. Feel free to spice it up with other herbs, spices, and even other vegetables.

Olive oil - We prefer to saute the cauliflower in olive oil over butter because it handles heat for an extended amount of time better. Feel free to experiment with coconut oil or grapeseed oil as well. If you want that rich buttery flavor, feel free to add a pat of butter during the last two minutes of the cooking process.

Salt - Salt is technically optional in this recipe but we highly recommend it. Salt enhances the flavor and compliments the nutty flavor of the cauliflower perfectly.

Optional ingredients for sauteed cauliflower

Herbs and spices - Consider adding herbs and spices to your cauliflower as you saute it.

For example, consider adding capers and chives to the sauteed cauliflower for a unique flavor profile. The options here are truly endless. Consider using just one of the suggestions below or mix and match to try out different varieties.

• Capers
• Chives
• Cinnamon
• Maple syrup
• Garlic
• Lemon slices
• Mace
• Rum
• Sage

What kind of pan is best for sauteing cauliflower

How to saute cauliflower

This is an overview of how to saute cauliflower with a few additional tips. Below you will see the detailed instructions that include temperature and measurements.

Step 1: Wash the cauliflower in a colander. Cut the cauliflower florets from the stalk. Then use your knife and cut it into smaller pieces or use your hands and break the florets into smaller pieces. 

Try and make the floret pieces bite-size and close to the same size. They will cook more evenly if they are closer to the same size. 

Step 2: Heat up a large non-stick pan. The cauliflower will turn out much better if the pan is hot when you add the oil and cauliflower.

Step 3: Once the pan is hot add the olive oil, salt, and cauliflower to the pan. Spread the florets out in the pan so that they are not stacked on top of one another.

If there isn’t enough room in the pan to keep them from stacking, saute the cauliflower in batches. If they are stacked they will steam instead of sauteing and you will not wind up with those perfectly charred edges that we all love.

Step 4: Allow the florets to cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes. 

Step 5: Stir the cauliflower and continue to cook it for another 5 minutes. Stir the florets every minute. Cook until the florets are browned all over and starting to char on the edges.

Note that cook time varies based upon the size of the florets and the pan and temperature.