Bright and colorful, sweet and sour cauliflower that’s super-fast to make!
This sweet and sour cauliflower recipe is ideal for meatless Monday, super-fast to prepare and make for a flavorful meal when served over a bed of white rice.
Health Benefits of Cauliflower
We absolutely love cauliflower in our home, and it is considered one of the healthiest foods. Cauliflower is filled with vitamin K which is essential for blood clot, and it is great for your bones.
In addition to being filled with vitamin K, Cauliflower also helps to reduce the risk of cancer, as well as heart and brain disorders.
Cauliflower also helps get rid of toxins as well as helps to strengthen your immune system.
Deriving from the Latin word caulis, cauliflower means flower and belongs to the Brassicaceae family.
Cauliflower is also rich in niacin, fiber, Vitamin B6, folate, potassium, and thiamin, to name a few.
The Ingredients
Cauliflower stir-fry pieces of tender florets, sauteed leeks and red bell pepper strips, then toss in a delicious mildly tangy sauce.
Prepared with store-bought sweet and sour sauce but is elevated to make you feel like you’ve just ordered from a five-star restaurant.
This cauliflower dish is not overly sweet and is not sour to make you squint your eyes.
Coated generously in an egg and corn starch mixture, then is added in a sticky, mildly tangy sauce, providing you with a perfect sweet-sour balance!
This budget friendly meal is made with just a few simple ingredients.
Cauliflower: Cut the cauliflower florets into bite size pieces. It is best to use fresh cauliflower instead of frozen cauliflower. The frozen cause flower will not fry well as it is too wet.
Oil For Frying: Use vegetable oil, peanut oil, or Canola oil to fry the cauliflower.
Egg white and Corn Starch: Help the cauliflower to brown while frying, and keep it from falling apart, while keeping the outer layer crispy.
Salt and Pepper: To season the dish. You may also use soy sauce if desired.
Lemon Juice: Provide a mild acidic flavor to the dish.
Bell Pepper and Leeks: Leeks have an oniony flavor which works well in this dish. They are also related to chives, garlic, and shallots. They provide some depth to many dishes, particularly in this Swedish Potato Salad. Any bell pepper (color) will work.
Sweet And Sour Sauce: For this recipe, we used a store-bought sweet and sour sauce. However, a homemade version will also work.
How To Make It
This meal is made in one pan! Small pieces of cauliflower that’s briefly fried in a saucepan or wok to provide a browned surface crust to the vegetable.
With this recipe there’s no need to double fry the cauliflower, here’s how to make it:
Start by cutting out the florets into bite size pieces. In a medium size bowl, add the corn starch then add in the florets. Mix well until they are all coated.
Heat 1 cup of oil in a large saucepan or wok. Coat the cauliflower florets in the egg whites (a few batches at a time).
Then fry until the cauliflower is light brown at 375 degrees. Not all the cauliflower will brown while frying. This will not change the recipe or texture of the dish.
Once the all the cauliflower has browned, reduce the heat to medium and add in the leeks, bell pepper, and garlic. Stir well and cook for 30 seconds.
Next, add in the sweet and sour sauce and add in the cauliflower florets. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to stir to combine and serve over a bed or white rice and enjoy.
Recipe Variations
You may opt in for onions if you are not a fan of leeks. Scallions, shallots, and or green onions will also work.
Experiment with the dish by adding in the following vegetables or ingredients listed below.
Sliced carrots
Snap peas
Broccoli
Pineapples
Zucchini
Sweet peas.
Bake Instead Of Deep Fry
For a healthier option, instead of deep frying the cauliflower, bake the cauliflower until golden brown at 375 degrees for 20 minutes; flipping halfway through to crisp on both sides.
To bake the cauliflower, mix the egg whites and cornstarch together. Then add in the cauliflower to the mixture.
Mix well to combine then place the cauliflower in a cookie sheet. Spray with oil and bake until golden brown.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Use freshly squeezed lemon juice to liven up the sauce.
It is best to cut the cauliflower to similar size so that they can cook evenly. If you are cutting back or cutting down on calories, we recommend you skip the frying.
Simply sauté the cauliflower in olive oil for about 10 minutes. If you want to cut back on calories, you can skip the frying. After sauteing,
Add some heat to the dish by adding either cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. 1
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container. When ready to eat, simply reheat the dish in the microwave.
More Fuss Free Cauliflower Recipes To Try
Once you are done trying this delicious sweet and sour cauliflower recipe, take meal prepping to the next level and expand your dinner options.
Below are some of our favorite dishes that are fuss free and requires little to no real work.
Pair This Dish With Your Favorite Haitian Recipes
Ideally white rice is best. Feel free to mix it up a bit and pair it with any of the Haitian recipes listed below:
Or Enjoy it with this Grapefruit Juice
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Tag us on Instagram or Facebook so we can see your beautiful dish.
Also, we would appreciate if could give it a star rating below!
Sweet And Sour Cauliflower
Equipment
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 Lb. Cauliflower Florets
- ½ Cup Sweet and Sour Sauce
- ¼ Cup Cornstarch
- 1 Cup Oil for frying
- 2 Large Egg Whites
- Juice From ½ Lemon; Optional
- 14.08 Oz. Sweet And Sour Sauce
- ⅓ Cup Sliced Leeks
- 1 Bell Pepper; Sliced. Any color will work.
- 2 Garlic Cloves; Minced
- ⅓ Cup Water
- Cooked White Rice Optional
Instructions
- Mix the egg whites and cornstarch together. Set aside. Add in the cauliflower florets. Mix well. Heat the oil in a wok, skillet, or saucepan. When the oil has heated through, add in the coated cauliflower.
- Remove the cauliflower once they are lightly golden brown on both sides. Set aside. In the same skillet, add in the garlic, leeks, and bell pepper. Sauté for about 1 minute over medium low heat, stirring occasionally. Next, add in the sweet and sour sauce and water. Then add in the caulflower. Mix well to combine. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes on low heat. Remove the dish from the stove and serve warm with white rice.
Tara
The sauce is perfection! Very delicious recipe.
Mirlene
YAYY! Thank you
Devan
What’s not to like in this recipe because there’s a lot going on. It’s healthy, cheap to prepare and looks SUPER tasty! Nice photos guys and thanks for sharing this!
Mirlene
Thank you, Devan!
Rachel
This is so flavorful and love that it’s made healthier with cauliflower!
Mirlene
Thank you!
Anita
This is the perfect sweet and sour dish to prepare when I am hosting my vegan friends.
Jess
This is such a winning flavor combo!
veenaazmanov
Love your recipe and love that it is vegan too. This looks like a total comfort meal.
Healthy Seasonal Recipes
The sweet and sour sauce perfectly compliments the rest of the ingredients in this recipe! Perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Tara
Such a bright and beautiful color! I don’t use cauliflower nearly enough. This looks perfect with so much flavor.
Amanda
This sweet and sour cauliflower made a great weeknight meal! It was so easy and quick to prepare, and that sauce was absolutely delicious.