Sheet Pan Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas with Cumin, Apples and Lemon Tahini
Roasted cauliflower and chickpeas with cumin, coriander, red onion and sweet apple wedges, finished with a garlicky lemon tahini sauce and plenty of parsley.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
Sheet Pan Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas with Cumin, Apples and Lemon Tahini is a vegan dinner recipe made with cauliflower, chickpeas, red onion. It takes 45 minutes of hands-on time, serves 4, and each serving has 532 calories, 19 g of protein and 18 g of fiber.
Cumin and coriander give the cauliflower and chickpeas a warm, toasty base. The apple wedges go in halfway through, so they turn soft and caramelized without falling apart. Splitting everything across two pans gives the cauliflower room to brown and the chickpeas a chance to crisp. A sharp lemon tahini sauce and a handful of parsley add brightness to the finished dish.
Ingredients
Roast
- 1 large748 gcauliflower, cut into bite-size florets
- 2 cans480 gchickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted very dry, 15-oz cans
- 1 medium110 gred onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
- 3 tbsp41 golive oil
- 2 tsp4.2 gground cumin
- 1½ tsp2.7 gground coriander
- 1¼ tsp7.5 gfine salt
- ½ tsp1.2 gblack pepper
- 2 medium364 gfirm apples (such as Honeycrisp or Pink Lady), cored and cut into 8 wedges each
- 1 tsp4.5 golive oil, for the apples
Lemon Tahini
- ⅓ cup79 gtahini, well stirred
- 3 tbsp46 gfresh lemon juice
- 1 clove3 ggarlic, finely grated
- 4 tbsp60 gcold water, plus more as needed
- ¼ tsp1.5 gfine salt
To Serve
- ½ cup30 gfresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup44 gpomegranate seeds (optional)
Kit: 2 rimmed sheet pans, parchment paper, large mixing bowl, small bowl and whisk
Tips
- Dry the chickpeas thoroughly with a clean towel and throw away any loose skins. Any water left on them keeps them from crisping.
- Don't crowd one pan. When cauliflower is packed tight it steams and turns pale and soft instead of browning.
- Use a firm, sweet-tart apple. Softer apples like McIntosh fall apart in the oven.
Swap ideas
- Pears instead of apples
- Softer and more honeyed. Roast them for about 12 minutes, since they cook faster.
- Add 1 tsp smoked paprika to the spice mix
- Adds a smoky depth that plays against the sweet fruit.
- Cilantro or mint instead of parsley
- Cilantro makes it brighter and more citrusy. Mint makes it cool and fresh.
- Serve over cooked bulgur or couscous
- Makes a heartier bowl that soaks up the tahini sauce.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
532kcal per serving
Everything else · 4 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 3.7 g 19%
- Sugars
- 20.4 g
- Sodium
- 969 mg 42%
- Potassium
- 1215 mg 26%
- Calcium
- 225 mg 17%
- Iron
- 7.6 mg 42%
- Vitamin C
- 113 mg 125%
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg 0%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Cauliflower, raw, Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt, Onions, raw, Oil, olive, salad or cooking, Spices, cumin seed, Spices, coriander seed, Salt, table, Spices, pepper, black, Apples, raw, with skin (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), Seeds, sesame butter, tahini, from roasted and toasted kernels (most common type), Lemon juice, raw, Garlic, raw, Beverages, water, tap, drinking, Parsley, fresh
Method
Put racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat it to 425°F (220°C). Line two rimmed sheet pans with parchment.
In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower, dried chickpeas and red onion with 3 tbsp olive oil, the cumin, coriander, 1¼ tsp salt and the pepper until everything is evenly coated. Divide between the two pans in a single layer with a little space between pieces.
Roast for 12 minutes. While it roasts, toss the apple wedges with 1 tsp olive oil in the same bowl so they pick up any spices left behind.
Take out the pans, stir the vegetables and chickpeas, and tuck the apple wedges in with a cut side down. Return the pans to the oven on the opposite racks.
Roast for 15–18 minutes more, until the cauliflower is tender with deep golden-brown edges, the chickpeas are crisp outside, and the apples are soft and caramelized underneath but still hold their shape.
While the pans roast, whisk the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and ¼ tsp salt in a small bowl. It will seize and get thick at first. Whisk in the water 1 tbsp at a time until the sauce is smooth and pourable, like heavy cream. Taste, then add more lemon or salt if needed.
Move the roasted vegetables to a platter or divide them among plates. Drizzle with the lemon tahini, then scatter the parsley and the pomegranate seeds, if using, over the top. Serve warm.
Storage: Keep the roasted vegetables in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, with the tahini sauce in a separate jar. To bring back some crispness, reheat at 400°F for 8–10 minutes. The chickpeas will be softer than when fresh. The sauce thickens in the fridge, so loosen it with a splash of water.
Questions
- How much protein is in sheet pan roasted cauliflower and chickpeas with cumin, apples and lemon tahini?
- Each of the 4 servings has 19 g of protein, 18 g of fiber and 532 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is sheet pan roasted cauliflower and chickpeas with cumin, apples and lemon tahini vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does sheet pan roasted cauliflower and chickpeas with cumin, apples and lemon tahini take to make?
- 15 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cooking, so 45 minutes of hands-on time.
- Can you make sheet pan roasted cauliflower and chickpeas with cumin, apples and lemon tahini ahead?
- Keep the roasted vegetables in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, with the tahini sauce in a separate jar. To bring back some crispness, reheat at 400°F for 8–10 minutes. The chickpeas will be softer than when fresh. The sauce thickens in the fridge, so loosen it with a splash of water.
- What can I substitute in sheet pan roasted cauliflower and chickpeas with cumin, apples and lemon tahini?
- Pears instead of apples — softer and more honeyed. roast them for about 12 minutes, since they cook faster.. Add 1 tsp smoked paprika to the spice mix — adds a smoky depth that plays against the sweet fruit.. Cilantro or mint instead of parsley — cilantro makes it brighter and more citrusy. mint makes it cool and fresh.. Serve over cooked bulgur or couscous — makes a heartier bowl that soaks up the tahini sauce..
- Does sheet pan roasted cauliflower and chickpeas with cumin, apples and lemon tahini contain gluten or nuts?
- None of the ingredients are a source of gluten, tree nuts or peanuts. That is a statement about the ingredient list, not a guarantee about the brands you buy — always read the labels if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published September 25, 2026 ·Middle Eastern
