With chickpeas, autumn vegetables, and an optional sauce, this pumpkin cauliflower tray bake is such a great easy meal. While you can use any number of vegetables, this makes for a nice combination and it’s especially good with the tahini garlic sauce. Everything is added to one baking tray, tossed together, and baked until golden. That’s it!
This is a recipe I’ve been meaning to share for years. It’s a staple for us, something we make at least once a week when these vegetables are in season. You can use either canned or cooked chickpeas, or skip them and serve with something like this lentil salad instead (something we also often do). You don’t need to add the sauce but I recommend serving with some kind of sauce or dip – that could be simple mayo, or even something like an avocado aioli.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Pumpkin: choose a pumpkin or winter squash variety with thin, edible skin, if possible, to save time. I like Hokkaido or kabocha.
- Cauliflower: any type will do. Look for a head with tightly packed florets, that doesn’t have dark spots, and with fresh looking leaves.
- Chickpeas: cooked or canned. Either way, drain and rinse well before use.
- Add-ins: potatoes are a given, but you could sub another root vegetable like parsnip if preferred. Try adding small onions cut into wedges or whole cloves of garlic with the skin on (peel before serving). Other vegetables like beetroot, kohlrabi, and turnips are all excellent.
- Cumin: this is optional and you can stick with salt and pepper if you’d like. Other spices or blends can be added, or use dried herbs. Cumin adds a touch of warmth that isn’t overwhelming.
Step by Step
Step 1: prepare all of the vegetables and add to a baking tray with the chickpeas, oil, and spices. Toss well.
Step 2: bake until lightly golden and serve hot.
Recipe Notes
The whole point of a vegetable tray bake is that it’s a low effort, hands-off meal. There’s a bit of chopping involved but that’s about it. To keep to this, choose potatoes and pumpkin that don’t need peeling to save time (it reduces food waste, too).
If you want to have a bit more crispness and browning on the vegetables, open the oven door periodically to let steam out. Cauliflower in particular contains a lot of water and will produce steam while cooking.
There’s a big range in the cooking time so that you can choose how browned and crisp you want the vegetables and chickpeas. At the lower range you’ll have cooked veg with just a bit of browning on the edges, and if cooked the full time you’ll have a much darker result. I prefer just light browning. If you cook longer, be sure to stir it so that the cauliflower doesn’t burn.
I haven’t tried using frozen vegetables for this and I’m not sure how well it would work. I think that frozen would make it too watery.
How to Store
Storage: keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. It’s very good cold, or can be reheated before serving if not topped with any sauce.
Freezing: I’ve never tried freezing this but I’m sure it can be frozen. I think it would be a bit dry when thawed.
Expert Tips
- Think about size: cauliflower cooks more quickly than pumpkin and potatoes, so it can be cut into larger pieces. The others should be about the same size or you risk under- or over-cooked veg.
- Don’t over-crowd: try to keep the vegetables in a single layer so that they cook evenly and you can get a bit of browning.
- Use the stem: there’s more to cauliflower than florets! The stem is delicious, with a nice texture and mild flavour. Don’t toss it. If your cauliflower is very fresh you can use the leaves, too. See Ottolenghi’s cauliflower salad.
More Weeknight Dinners
Lentil Chili
Tomato Pasta Soup
Butternut Squash Chickpea Curry
Savoury Baked Pancake
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Pumpkin Cauliflower Tray Bake
Description
Ingredients
- ½ medium head cauliflower
- ½ medium pumpkin seeds removed
- 2-3 medium potatoes
- 250 grams (14 oz.) cooked or canned* chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon cumin optional – I prefer whole rather than ground
- Tahini garlic sauce to serve, optional
- Parsley to serve, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and take out a baking sheet with high sides. You can line the tray if preferred.
- Prepare the vegetables. Cut the cauliflower into florets, then cut the cauliflower stem, pumpkin, and potatoes into pieces about 2cm (¾ in.) in size. Add to the baking tray.½ medium head cauliflower, ½ medium pumpkin, 2-3 medium potatoes
- Add the chickpeas. Top with the oil, salt, pepper, and cumin, and use your hands to mix well to coat the vegetables.250 grams (14 oz.) cooked or canned* chickpeas, 2 teaspoons oil, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon cumin
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, opening the oven once or twice to vent the steam. If you cook for the full 40 minutes, stir the tray bake after the first 30 minutes so that it doesn't burn. The extra ten minutes will make the vegetables more crisp and brown, but you have to watch that the cauliflower florets don't burn.
- Serve hot, optionally topped with tahini garlic sauce and parsley. Leftovers are good cold and can be kept for a couple of days in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.