Ssamjang Roasted Cauliflower

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This Ssamjang Roasted Cauliflower is one of my new obsessions! It is as delicious as it is simple to make. I’ve been on a real cauliflower kick lately, which I never thought I would say because I hated it as a child. I blame my Mom for this unwarranted hatred, because she doesn’t like cooked cauliflower. We only ever had it raw, and my tiny child mouth couldn’t get on board with that texture. 

I’ve since come to try cauliflower in different cooked recipes and am constantly amazed at the versatility of this humble brassica (I often daydream about living in a climate where I can grow it myself…someday). I definitely jumped on the cauliflower pizza crust trend a few years back. I love cauliflower rice in my stir fries, and cauliflower mashed potatoes are deceptively delicious.

I think my appreciation turned into an obsession when I went to a Lebanese restaurant with my uncle who was in town visiting. We ordered a roasted cauliflower and I, not knowing what to expect, was so impressed to see a full head of cauliflower arrive at our table. Aesthetically, it was stunning. And the flavours were unreal. I’d never had a cauliflower be so tender and flavourful. After that meal, I started using cauliflower in my cooking a lot more, trying to make different dishes better by including this vegetable.

This Ssamjang Roasted Cauliflower has definitely stood out as one of the best. I had a holiday from work recently and used the break to just relax and cook a ton. I was in one of the international grocery stores and found this tub of ssamjang on the sale shelf. I have been wanting to try out gochujang with all the buzz lately but I can’t pass up a sale. I did a quick google, thought it sounded interesting. I wasn’t entirely sure how to use it, but figured that a vegetable as versatile as cauliflower was a good place to start. Spoiler alert: I was so right.

What is Ssamjang?

Ssamjang is a traditional Korean condiment commonly used in Korean cuisine. It is a thick, spicy paste that is typically served alongside grilled meats, vegetables, and wrapped in lettuce wraps known as ssam. “Ssam” means “wrapped” in Korean, and “jang” refers to various fermented soybean pastes.

Ssamjang is made by combining doenjang (fermented soybean paste) and gochujang (fermented chili pepper paste) with additional ingredients such as sesame oil, garlic, green onions, sugar, and vinegar. The flavour is a blend of umami, spiciness, and sweetness.

How I used Ssamjang

In this Ssamjang Roasted Cauliflower I tried to make a marinade/rub for my cauliflower “steaks”. I steamed the cauliflower first, so that it was mostly cooked before it went into the oven. My reasoning was that a softer cauliflower would absorb the sauce more easily, and I wouldn’t have to leave the cauliflower in the oven for as long, thus preventing the sauce from charring and masking the flavour.

While the cauliflower was steaming, I whisked together the sauce, soaked some raisins (to get them nice and juicy), chopped fresh parsley, and made a quick tahini sauce to top the cauliflower. 

The resulting meal was one of the best I’ve had in a long time. The flavours were so strong but blended perfectly together. The spice of the ssamjang with the herbs, the sweetness of the raisins and the coolness of the tahini was out of this world. The depth of flavour made this cauliflower so satisfying and filling- definitely one of the healthiest food comas I’ve had! This is one you’ve got to try!

Ssamjang Roasted Cauliflower

Print Recipe

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower, steamed

1 tsp ssamjang

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/3 cup olive oil

Salt

Fresh parsley, raisins and toasted sesame for topping

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Instructions

1. Remove the leaves from your cauliflower, place in a steamer and cook until tender. I just used a colander in a large pot for a steamer.

2. While the cauliflower is steaming, whisk together ssamjang, coriander, paprika, garlic powder, thyme, olive oil and salt.

3. Chop parsley, soak raisins in boiling water (for maximum juiciness) and set aside.

4. Remove cauliflower from the steamer, Slice into large “steaks” about 1” thick (I got 4 steaks out of my cauliflower).

5. In an oven-safe dish, brush some of the ssamjang mixture on the bottom. Place the cauliflower steaks on top and brush (or use the back of a spoon) the remaining ssamjang mixture into the cauliflower, getting all the surfaces and crevices.

6. Cover the dish and roast in the oven at 200C/400F until colour deepens but doesn’t char (in my oven this was about 15-20 minutes).

7. Serve hot, drizzle with tahini sauce and top with chopped parsley, raisins and toasted sesame seeds.

Keywords: Roasted Cauliflower

If you give this a try or have any questions please let me know in the comments! Bon Appétit!