Galettes are one of those pastry dishes you’d order in a restaurant but probably never dream of making at home. They’re absolutely delicious (a semi-open pie with an intense filling – yes please!) but look ever so complicated to put together.

Looks, however, can be deceiving as this cauliflower number from legendary vegan restaurant chain Mildreds proves. 

It puts the cruciferous vegetable front and centre, drenching it in a zesty Middle Eastern marinade of herbs and spices.

Cauliflower has a whole host of benefits to offer. It’s rich in vitamin C, folate and vitamin K, as well as being quite high in fibre. It’s also full of antioxidants, which protect your cells from inflammation and harmful free radicals. And, perhaps most importantly, it’s got a lot of choline, an essential nutrient that many people don’t consume enough of. 

One cup of cauliflower contains 44mg of choline – around 10% of women’s recommended daily amount. Choline plays a bunch of important roles, from maintaining the integrity of cell membranes to supporting metabolism and preventing cholesterol from accumulating in the liver. A hard-working nutrient!

500g cauliflower florets

300g shop-bought vegan shortcrust pastry 

Plain flour, for dusting

7g vegan feta-style cheese, crumbled

Plant-based cream, for brushing

Chopped pistachios, to garnish

For the chermoula marinade

½ bunch coriander, chopped

1 tsp freshly chopped oregano leaves

20g preserved lemon, deseeded and roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves

5½ tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground turmeric

½ tbsp caster sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4.
2. To make the chermoula marinade, put all the ingredients except the sugar in a blender or food processor and blend in bursts, then stir in the sugar until it dissolves. 
3. If you prefer, you can use a stick blender or do it by hand. If you’re opting for the latter, simply chop the herbs, preserved lemon and garlic to a fine, even consistency and combine with the remaining chermoula ingredients to form a chunky paste.
4. Arrange the cauliflower florets on a roasting tray.
5. Pour over the marinade and toss to coat, then roast for 8–10 minutes until the florets start to go golden.
6. Meanwhile, roll out the pastry on a large piece of baking parchment to form an even circle, 3mm thick, dusting with flour as necessary. 
7. Prick the middle of the pastry with a fork a few times.
8. Arrange half of the roasted cauliflower in a circle on the pastry, leaving a border of about 5cm of pastry around the edges. Sprinkle over the vegan feta, then arrange the rest of the cauliflower on top.
9. Fold up the edges of the pastry around the cauliflower and brush with the plant-based cream.
10. Bake the galette for 25–30 minutes until golden and firm.
11. Garnish the galette with the pistachios and serve.

Recipe from Mildreds Easy Vegan.
Images: David Loftus