Sweet and Sour Cauliflower

Sweet and Sour Cauliflower is a lightened-up version of the classic dish. Cauliflower florets are tossed in a sweet and sour like the popular Chinese dish but it’s easier to make, lighter, and is ready in less than 30 minutes. It tastes better than take-out!

Sweet and sour chicken is usually made with battered and fried pieces of chicken thighs which are then coated in a sweet and sour sauce. This sweet and sour cauliflower is a healthier take on that classic dish.

The chicken is substituted with cauliflower. Instead of deep-frying the cauliflower, the cauliflower is simply stir-fried and then coated with the sweet and sour glaze. This is such an easy and flavorful dish. Dinner can be ready in about 30 minutes.

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Minced garlic cloves
• Cauliflower florets
• Chopped green bell pepper
• Sliced scallions/green onions
• Ketchup
• Granulated sugar
• Apple cider vinegar
• Light soy sauce
• Garlic powder
• Sriracha
• Cornstarch and water mixed in a small bowl

When I was little, I liked my sweet and sour sauce to be super sweet and vinegary. As an adult, I prefer a more toned-down version so I add some soy sauce to balance out the sweet and sour.

I also add some sriracha to give it a little heat. It’s definitely a more grown-up version of sweet and sour sauce but you can also always adjust to your personal taste.

How to Make It

Add oil and garlic to a wok or large skillet and warm them over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower and bell pepper. Cook the vegetables until they are tender and then turn off the heat.

Combine the ketchup, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic powder, and hot sauce in a saucepan. Add the cornstarch mixture and whisk until the sauce is smooth. Bring it to a simmer and cook it for a few minutes or until it’s thickened.

Pour the sweet and sour sauce over the cauliflower and toss to combine. Garnish with the scallions.

I like sweet and sour cauliflower with cooked brown rice, cauliflower rice, or other vegetables on the side like broccoli. I think it would also be good with quinoa.

Dishes to Serve with It

If you want to make a whole take-out inspired meal, here are some other dishes that will pair well with sweet and sour cauliflower.

• Cauliflower Fried Rice
• Chinese Cucumber Salad
• Hot and Sour Soup
• Crispy Sesame Tofu
• Honey Walnut Shrimp

Cooking Tips

• You can adjust the amount of sauce ingredients to suit your personal taste preferences. However, keep in mind that if you are adjusting the ingredients, you may also need to adjust the amount of cornstarch used to thicken the sauce.
• Make sure to fully dissolve cornstarch in water and stir the sauce once it comes to a simmer so that the cornstarch does not clump up.
• You can toss the cauliflower in the sauce without reheating your skillet, but if you wish to reheat the cauliflower, then keep your skillet at low heat when you add in the sauce to toss with the cauliflower. The sauce will thin out a little when it comes in contact with the heat.

More Cauliflower Recipes

• Lemon Honey Cauliflower
• Kung Pao Cauliflower
• ​Korean Fried Cauliflower
• Cauliflower Stir Fry
• Cashew Cauliflower
• Thai Sweet Chili Cauliflower

Sweet and Sour Cauliflower

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: Chinese

Cauliflower florets are tossed in a sweet and sour glaze for a healthier take on the Chinese classic.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 small head of cauliflower cut into bite-sized florets
• 1 green bell pepper cut into bite-sized squares
• 2 green scallions thinly sliced

sweet and sour sauce

• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tbsp sriracha
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp water

Instructions

• Add oil and garlic to a wok or large skillet and bring to medium-high heat. Allow oil to heat up and cook garlic until the aroma of the garlic is released. Add in cauliflower and bell pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender. Turn off heat.
• In a small saucepan, add all sauce ingredients except cornstarch and water. Whisk sauce ingredients together until smooth. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed to suit your personal preference. Add cornstarch and water to a small bowl and mix until cornstarch is fully dissolved into water. Pour into sauce and whisk until smooth and uniform in color. Bring sauce to a gentle simmer and cook and stir a few minutes until sauce is thick.
• Pour sauce over cauliflower. Toss cauliflower and peppers in the sauce until they are coated in sauce. Garnish with scallions. Serve cauliflower dish with rice.

Notes

Cooking Tips

• You can adjust the amount of sauce ingredients to suit your personal taste preferences. However, keep in mind that if you are adjusting the ingredients, you may also need to adjust the amount of cornstarch used to thicken the sauce.
• Make sure to fully dissolve cornstarch in water and stir the sauce once it comes to a simmer so that the cornstarch does not clump up.
• You can toss the cauliflower in the sauce without reheating your skillet, but if you wish to reheat the cauliflower, then keep your skillet at low heat when you add in the sauce to toss with the cauliflower. The sauce will thin out a little when it comes in contact with the heat.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25of recipe, Calories: 139kcal, Carbohydrates: 25.5g, Protein: 2.4g, Fat: 3.8g, Saturated Fat: 0.6g, Sodium: 435.9mg, Fiber: 2.1g, Sugar: 19.4g, NET CARBS: 23

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!