Easy Vegan Orange Cauliflower

This easy vegan orange cauliflower is a family favorite. Cauliflower florets are breaded with flaxseed and einkorn, fried until golden, then coated in a naturally sweetened sauce made with fresh oranges.

Since we stopped eating meat nearly a decade ago, the man of the place and I haven’t been able to find a good vegan orange “chicken.” Since it was one of his favorite dishes, I was determined to learn how to make a plant-based version at home. This made from scratch meal is delicious — and my husband says it’s even better than what he used to order from restaurants.

It’s better than takeout and healthier, too. Einkorn flour is used for the breading, which makes it easier to digest. Then it’s fried in coconut oil; there are so many reasons to love this ingredient. Afterwards, it’s sweetened with maple syrup and coconut aminos. That’s right, this is a sugar-free and soy-free vegan orange “chicken.”

This is an easy plant-based recipe, but it takes a little time to fry the cauliflower in small batches. It’s totally worth it, though; especially, since the whole family enjoys this meal. Yup, even Little Bear likes it.

Of course, you don’t have to fry it. I’m curious how it would be baked. (Let me know if you try it that way.) I’m sure the sauce would still be yummy on roasted or even steamed cauliflower.

Tips for Making Orange Cauliflower

• You can use frozen cauliflower florets. Just boil them for a few minutes first.
• Adding a little more water to the flax “egg” mixture makes coating the cauliflower easier.
• Rinse your rice before cooking it. Better yet, soak it overnight. I like to boil it like pasta, since this method has been shown to reduce arsenic levels. Sometimes, I’ll also simmer it with kombu.
• Use both hands to bread the cauliflower. One to dip each floret into the wet mixture and drop it into the einkorn flour and salt. Use the other hand to roll and coat it in the flour mixture.

Ingredient Notes

• Only have smaller oranges on hand? No worries! I’ve made this with five mandarin oranges.
• If you don’t have einkorn flour, you could use all-purpose.
• If you don’t have maple syrup and don’t mind using honey, you could use it instead.
• Use organic distilled white vinegar and organic corn starch, if possible, since most corn is genetically modified.
• Green onions make an excellent topping. I’ve also used chives and sesame seeds for garnish.

How To Make Orange Cauliflower

Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat with coconut oil.

Combine einkorn flour and salt in one bowl. In another bowl, make three flax “eggs” by combining three tablespoons of ground flaxseed and nine tablespoons of water. Then add an additional tablespoon of water.

Dip cauliflower florets in the bowl with flax “eggs” and coat well. Then toss them in the bowl with the flour and salt mixture.

Place the cauliflower into the pan with the hot coconut oil and fry until both sides are golden brown.

To make the sauce, combine orange juice and zest, coconut aminos, maple syrup, and vinegar in a saucepan and bring it to a light simmer.

Separately, mix together cornstarch and water. Then whisk in this cornstarch slurry for a few minutes until the sauce thickens.

Add minced garlic and optional grated ginger.

Gently toss the cauliflower and the sauce until fully coated.

Serve it on a bed of rice and garnish as desired.  

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Hope you and your family love this recipe as much as we do!

More Ways We Enjoy Citrus Fruits on the Mountain

Whole Lemon Lemonade

Lemon Poppy Seed Einkorn Sourdough Pancakes

Einkorn Pumpkin Bread

Homemade Coconut Citrus Sugar Scrub

Dried Orange Ornaments