This Instant Pot Whole Cauliflower recipe is sponsored by Instant Pot. If you follow Sweet Potato Soul, you know how much I love this brand. Instant Pot sent me their Duo Evo Plus multi-cooker, and it has saved so much time and effort in my kitchen. The Instant Pot family now includes the Instant Ace Plus Blender and the Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer Oven. Below is a flavorful cauliflower piccata recipe and information about how you could win an Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus.
I’m grateful to live in the age of the Instant Pot. It has been a lifesaver during my first year of motherhood and makes weeknight cooking much easier. I keep discovering new dishes to make in it, and this week I’m excited about a whole cauliflower piccata with a bright lemon-caper gravy. It’s quick enough for a weeknight yet elegant enough for holiday dinners. A medium whole cauliflower cooks under pressure in the Instant Pot in about 4 minutes; let it naturally release for 10 minutes and it becomes perfectly tender.
The idea for this dish comes from my time as a personal chef in New York City, where clients often requested tempeh piccata — a vegan take on chicken piccata. That dish featured breaded tempeh in a lemon-caper sauce served over mashed potatoes or pasta. This whole cauliflower version carries the same bright, tangy spirit, though without breading.
Before cooking, I rub the cauliflower with spices: smoked paprika, garlic powder, thyme, turmeric, salt, and pepper. These seasonings flavor the surface and seep into the florets as they cook. To build the gravy, I caramelize yellow onions or leeks in the Instant Pot, then add lemon juice and vegetable broth before steaming the cauliflower.
After pressure cooking, I broil the cauliflower for about 8–10 minutes to char and crisp the outside. While it broils, I thicken the cooking liquid with a little flour and add capers for a salty, tangy pop. It’s simple, flavorful, and wonderful over roasted or mashed potatoes.
Now that whole cauliflower is so easy to prepare in the Instant Pot, I plan to experiment with other sauces — curry, puttanesca, jerk — the possibilities are endless.
You can make this dish in any Instant Pot. I used the Duo Evo Plus, but a whole cauliflower will even fit in the 3-quart model. The Duo Evo Plus is a nice upgrade: it pressurizes quickly, has a clear LED display, a steam release guard, and easy-grip handles. Having two Instant Pots is a real convenience for busy cooks and meal prep.
I’m also hosting an Instagram giveaway for the Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus — I’ll be giving one away to two followers. Check my Instagram to enter.
Instant Pot Whole Cauliflower Piccata
Ingredients
- 1 medium whole cauliflower
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion or 1/2 leek, sliced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup vegetable broth (or 1 cup water + 2 tsp bouillon paste)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (from about 1 lemon) + more to taste
- 2 tbsp flour (all-purpose or gluten-free)
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup capers
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
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Remove the outer leaves and trim the base so the cauliflower sits flat.
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Mix salt, thyme, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and turmeric in a small bowl. Sprinkle the spice blend over the cauliflower and rub to coat evenly. Set aside.
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Set the Instant Pot to the medium sauté setting.
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Add the olive oil and the sliced onion or leek. Sauté until soft and beginning to caramelize, about 5 minutes.
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Pour in the white wine, vegetable broth, and lemon juice.
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Carefully place the steam insert into the pot over the liquid.
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Set the cauliflower on the steam insert.
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Cancel sauté, close the lid, and set the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high for 4 minutes.
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After pressure cooking, allow a natural steam release for 10 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure.
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Remove the lid and carefully lift out the steam insert with the cauliflower.
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Preheat your oven to broil. Transfer the cauliflower to a baking dish.
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Broil for 8–10 minutes (about 450°F) until the top chars and crisps.
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While the cauliflower broils, make the gravy: return the Instant Pot to medium sauté.
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Spoon out 1/4–1/2 cup of the cooking liquid into a small bowl. Whisk in the flour until smooth and lump-free.
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Pour the flour mixture back into the pot and simmer, stirring, until the sauce thickens.
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Stir in black pepper and capers, then adjust seasoning with more lemon juice and salt to taste.
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To serve, place the whole cauliflower on a serving platter and spoon the gravy around and over it. Reserve extra gravy to drizzle after slicing.
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Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
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