A New Way To Eat Chinese Food (2024)

April 3, 2013 by Cara

Just when you thought Chinese food was off-limits, I give you Crispy Orange Cauliflower. Yes, you heard me correctly. What looks like chicken is actually cauliflower…

Proof as to why I am a better cook than baker. Cooking comes a lot more naturally for me–I am more at ease in finding my way around my spice rack than I ever am at baking a cake. There’s something so relaxing to meabout chopping up vegetables, mincing garlic and figuring out which flavors I am missing in my dish. You could say cooking is a way for me to put my thoughtsin a more clearer state of mind.

I do a lot of baking on Fork & Beans because I have always been afraid of it. Some of you might be asking yourselves why someone would spend so much time with their fears. Don’t ask me why, it’s just what I do. Though my baking fears have subsided througout the past year and a half when I first started, it still exhausts me at times. Emotionally and physically.

Print
Crispy Orange Cauliflower

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients
- 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small florets (or a package of pre-cut cauliflower)
- 1 Tbsp. flaxseed meal + 2 Tb water, allow to sit until thickens
- 1/3 c. water
- 1/3 c. corn starch
- 1/4 c. gluten-free flour
- 1 tsp. oil
- 2 Tbsp. oil
- 3-4 garlic cloves, peeled and zested
- 6 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp. oil
- zest of 1 orange + juice of orange
- 2 Tbsp. gluten-free soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- .1/4 c. orange juice
- 1 tsp. corn starch
- 1 tsp. brown sugar
Directions
1. Whisk together the flour mixture until a nice batter is formed (shouldn't be too thick: think waffle batter consistency).
2. Heat up a skillet with 1/2 c. oil on medium/high heat. Make sure it has been properly heated.
3. Dip each small floret into the batter until covered. Fry in oil until completely browned and allow to drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
4. In a clean skillet, heat the oil and garlic for 1 minute. Add green onions, zest and juice. Cook another 1 minute. Add soy sauce and vinegar and bring to a boil. Toss in crispy cauliflower into the skillet and coat thoroughly.
5. Plate on a bed of rice
6. In that same skillet, throw in the remainder ingredients for the Orange Sauce and bring to a boil for just 1 minute, stirring constantly. Drizzle over orange cauliflower and rice.
https://www.forkandbeans.com/2013/04/03/crispy-orange-cauliflower/
This recipe has been created by Cara Reed of Fork & Beans.

YOU ALSO MIGHT LIKE:

Vegan Sweet Potatoes with Candied Pecans
Italian Quinoa Bites
Gluten-free and Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Western BBQ Veggie Burgers

About Cara

Based in Chicago with her husband and son, Cara is the creator behind the site Fork and Beans: A place where kids can have fun with their food.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Kristen
August 8, 2017 at 8:20 pm
Made these for my bf & his wide eyes & smile of disbelief when I told him it was cauliflower was priceless. He had agreed to go vegetarian (working on vegan) and said if I could make a meal good enough it would win him over. Yours did the trick, he went back for 3rds!! Awesome recipe & truly crispy goodness. Thank you!!
- Cara
  August 9, 2017 at 5:48 am
  VICTORY!!! Thank you for taking the time to tell me this. Love it!
Brenda
December 2, 2016 at 2:47 pm
Hi. This Crispy Orange Cauliflower sounds amazing and I can not wait to try it! I have so many allergies! Soy is on the list! What would you use instead of soy sauce. Having NEVER tasted it before, I am unsure how to replace it? Balsamic Vinegar? Thanks so much! 🙂
- ciro
  January 30, 2017 at 8:49 pm
  They actually make soy-free “soy sauce” i forgot what they used but maybe someone else knows the title?
  - Cara
    February 2, 2017 at 8:23 am
    I believe it’s called Liquid Aminos 🙂
- Aaron
  March 31, 2017 at 12:40 pm
  Look for Coconut Aminos. Bragg’s Liquid Aminos is still soy.
Deats
October 3, 2016 at 2:21 pm
I am looking for vegetarian and vegan recipes as appetizers for a large fundraiser (animal welfare organization). A few things:
– do you think this would work as an app (dished out into paper boats)
– can I skip the flaxseed? That gets expensive for 300 or so servings
– do you think this could work in a caterer’s chafing dish or would it be a gummy mess?
Thanks so much for any advice
kelley
January 6, 2016 at 7:26 am
I am newly diagnosed with food sensitivities, and corn is also on the naughty list. I have not yet experimented with arrow root, but was wondering if that might be a suitable substitute for the corn starch?
- Cara
  January 7, 2016 at 6:47 am
  Yes Kelley, that would work perfectly!
Kalise
October 6, 2015 at 12:05 pm
Any chance I could bake this? Looking to make it a little healthier. Thanks!
Nancy
July 13, 2015 at 1:25 pm
I made this last night and couldn’t get over how much the meal tasted and felt like orange chicken! By mistake I added orange juice with the soy sauce. Turned out great anyway! I can’t wait to check out more recipes!
See Also
Roasted Cauliflower Enchiladas with Poblano Cream Sauce | Foodal Fajita Chicken Burrito Bowl Italian Stir Fry (Easy Vegetarian Dinner Idea!)rn Roasted Mushroom and Green Bean Farro Salad
- Cara
  July 13, 2015 at 5:08 pm
  I love hearing that! I thought it was just me that thought that it didn’t taste like cauliflower at all so I glad to know I’m not alone. So good, right?! 😉 xo
Anon
June 22, 2015 at 2:20 pm
“more clearer state of mind”…
Might want to edit that part.
- Suzie
  December 3, 2015 at 2:12 pm
  There’s always one! Thank you Cara for being mature enough to fly high. Let’s keep the comments related to food and not grammar people. Thank you!
- Grammar Nazi
  June 2, 2016 at 6:09 am
  Glad I’m not the only one to see that. Nothing wrong with having correct grammar.
Samantha Cohen
May 15, 2015 at 5:37 pm
We love orange chicken in this house, but I became a vegetarian six years ago, so that was that for me. However, this recipe of yours was a huge success and I shall mourn the absence of orange chicken no more. Thank you! It was very delicious!
As a side note, I was out of flax seed so I used chia seeds instead. They worked well as a thickener/binder for sure, but a little too well. So I increased the liquid in the batter and it worked great.
Thanks for the bellyache! (As my grandfather always used to say.)
Samantha
- Ti'Lon
  January 11, 2016 at 8:55 am
  Hey Samantha,
  I hope to make this recipe tonight. I am new to the whole vegetarian/vegan scene and wanted to know what your chia seed ratio was? I hope to make this tonight, but if you dont see it i will try some things and let everyone know how it goes.
Cassy
March 29, 2015 at 5:23 pm
This meal is absolutely amazing! Even my fiancé loved it! I ended up sautéing some red pepper and onion to add to the top of the rice and make a bigger meal. I highly recommend it!
- Cara
  March 31, 2015 at 9:27 am
  YEESSSSSSSSS!! That is so fabulous to hear–thank you for letting me know you loved it!
Jennifer
March 23, 2015 at 3:28 pm
Looks fabulous! Trying to print out recipe. The link to print seems to be broken. Would love to know if this gets fixed. Thanks!
- Cara
  March 24, 2015 at 6:55 pm
  Is this still a problem Jennifer? I’m not seeing an issue on my end… eeek! So sorry about the technical difficulties.
  - Heidi
    April 6, 2015 at 4:14 pm
    I couldn’t print either.
Niki
February 26, 2015 at 12:33 pm
Hi Cara, I love the sound of this. There is an amazing Indo Chinese cauliflower dish similar to this at one of my favourite Indian restaurants and I’ve been wanting to try and re creative it for a while. This has inspired me!
Niki
Robyn Stone | Add a Pinch
February 18, 2015 at 5:11 pm
How deliciously appealing! Sounds and looks amazing!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom
February 18, 2015 at 11:54 am
I love this!!!
Rachel
February 12, 2015 at 9:37 pm
I’m never frying anything ever again! House full of smoke, stained my pan, messy! Haha no but, this recipe was delicious. I made the orange sauce kinda backwards but it still tasted good. I loved the blackened parts of the cauliflower, they were so crispy! Great recipe but I won’t make it again cuz of the frying process.
Maureen
January 12, 2015 at 9:16 pm
Brilliant idea! And so good. After a few splatter burns, I got the hang of it and it turned out better than expected.
Def planning to use this for my vegetarian friends at dinner parties from now on!
- Cara
  January 15, 2015 at 10:47 am
  haha, The splatters are the worst aren’t they? I think I have gotten so used to the pain that I don’t feel them anymore 😛 Glad you loved this!
Bec
January 2, 2015 at 1:04 am
Hi, is there an alternative to soy sauce I can use? My little girl is dairy & soy intolerant but now wants to try everything we eat.
Oh and cooked your cauliflower risotto tonight, it was delIcious! Thank u 😀
- Alissa
  January 2, 2015 at 7:21 pm
  Bec, both my daughter and I have gluten issues and cannot use soy sauce. We use Bragg’s amino acids. It is a good replacement for us.
  - Will
    January 4, 2015 at 11:23 am
    Braggs is gluten-free but made with soy. You could try to find coconut aminos by a brand called Coconut Secret (https://www.coconutsecret.com/aminos2.html); the flavor is slightly different but it’s a good replacement and probably would go really well with this sauce.
    - Cara
      See Also
      Greek Bean Burgers - Chelsey Amer
      January 8, 2015 at 6:58 am
      Thank you for that, Will!
      - Dawn
        February 18, 2015 at 7:23 am
        +1 to the coconut aminos. I use them all the time in place of soy sauce. Works like a charm.
Kelly
December 28, 2014 at 3:22 pm
I just made this and it is amazing! thanks for the recipe. I will be making it again
Brittany
November 23, 2014 at 11:11 am
I am in weight watchers and would love to try this recipe but I can’t really afford the points it would take to fry it. Would baking them work and if so, how long and what temp would you recommend? Thank you!
crystal
November 2, 2014 at 4:53 pm
What can I use instead of Cara’s gluten-free flour blend? Regular bread crumbs? Thanks
- Cara
  November 3, 2014 at 6:49 am
  Bread crumbs, regular flour, panko crumbs, etc. All work!
Karen
October 8, 2014 at 1:38 pm
This was THE BOMB!! I doubled the recipe..twice!..to make sure our family had enough..this will definitely be made again and again in our house..thanks for the recipe!..HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
- Cara
  October 9, 2014 at 7:04 am
  It’s one of my favorite recipes, Karen. I am so happy that you loved it! xo
Megan
August 3, 2014 at 4:02 pm
Just made this tonight. It was wonderful. I can’t believe how quickly it all came together. Served over short-grain brown rice, absolutely delicious. Thanks!
- Cara
  August 12, 2014 at 2:31 pm
  YAY! It’s one of my favorites. Glad you liked it too 🙂
Lad
April 11, 2014 at 1:12 pm
can i use a real egg in the batter besides flax egg mixtre?
Assuming that is to help things stick and bind together.
Thanks/
Danielle
February 27, 2014 at 7:26 pm
Sounded so wonderful…and it was actually quite tasty, but for some reason my cauliflower didn’t turn out. All of the breading stuck to the bottom of my pan and came off of the florets. I ended up with big chunks of breading (after scraping it off the pan) and naked florets. Any idea why this happened? I kept the heat at medium and used raw, unpasturized coconut oil.
- Cara
  February 27, 2014 at 7:34 pm
  Aw bummer, Danielle–so sorry to hear! 🙁 The only 2 things I can think of as to why the breading stuck to your pan is because 1). There wasn’t enough oil in the pan, and 2). It wasn’t hot enough. Hope that helps and better luck next time, for reals! xo
  - Danielle
    February 28, 2014 at 12:16 pm
    Thank you for taking the time to reply! I will definitely try again 🙂 xo right back at ya!
    - Cara
      February 28, 2014 at 1:32 pm
      You are so welcome, it’s my pleasure! I just wish I could be more of a help…
Lisa
January 8, 2014 at 6:20 am
Can you bake this instead of frying? What temp and for how long?
- emlyn
  February 26, 2015 at 6:37 pm
  hey lisa,
  I tried baking at 450, and LIGHTLY tossing cauliflower ( I also added broccoli) in the batter. I sprayed the baking sheet with some cooking spray. cooked for around 20 minutes while I cooked up the sauce and did the dishes. Didn’t come out super crunchy but there was a great crisp on the bottom where the pieces touched the pan. All in all I loved it! (never been a huge fan of super crispy fried things anyways)
The Vegan Version
November 17, 2013 at 8:35 am
I made a version of this, and it was OUTSTANDING. My cauliflower hating husband stated it looked so good that he would try it and also liked it! From a meat and potatoes vegetable hating guy that certainly is a pretty big compliment. Here is my version (not gluten free). http://www.theveganversion.com/2013/11/orange-cauliflower.html
- Cara
  November 18, 2013 at 4:04 pm
  Eeeeeee–best news ever! SO glad you liked it and thank you for the comment 🙂
Erin
October 7, 2013 at 4:11 pm
is there is sub for the brown sugar,….?? can you use maple? or honey? or…???
- Cara
  October 8, 2013 at 9:28 am
  I think honey would probably taste best but yes, any sub for sugar would work really…
Deanna
September 16, 2013 at 8:57 am
When I made this, the sauce made everything quite mushy. The taste was amazing and would like to try it again… any advice???
Michelle
June 6, 2013 at 10:25 am
This recipe looked phenomenal, so of course, I had to try and see if it tasted as good as it looked. IT DID! My meat-eating parents said it tasted better than crispy, orange chicken. Thanks for the share!
Becky
April 22, 2013 at 2:29 pm
Wowee this looks soo good, gonna make this next week, see if I can even get the husband to enjoy cauliflower 🙂 thanks for sharing!!
Joy @For the Love of Leaves
April 16, 2013 at 1:58 pm
Oh man, I used to love the flavor of orange chicken, but haven’t had it in over 4 years since I became a vegetarian. Thank you for making it possible for me to enjoy that flavor again!
mmmarzipan
April 15, 2013 at 12:09 pm
NOOOO! I am going through all the posts I have yet to read and one is more delicious than the next! You’re killin’ me, Cara! LOVE your work!
Cori
April 8, 2013 at 7:35 pm
Where is the recipe for this?? I can’t find it anywhere!! It looks so good..
- Cara
  April 9, 2013 at 7:05 am
  Hi Cori! The recipe is located towards the bottom in a link to a guest post I did for another blogger. Here it is: http://www.veganricha.com/2013/04/caras-crispy-orange-cauliflower-vegan.html
Jeanee
April 6, 2013 at 10:26 pm
I love this recipe! I included it on my blog:
http://blog.shopdirtylaundry.com/posts/2013/4/5/61-the-dirty.html
ENJOY!
- Cara
  April 9, 2013 at 7:06 am
  Thank you for the love, Jeanee. By the way, what a beautiful blog you have!! xo
Somer
April 5, 2013 at 11:57 am
I think you are the ultimate ratbag for besting my sesame orange seitan….
http://vedgedout.com/2013/03/14/meaty-cravings/
Yup, BESTED I say! xx
- Cara
  April 9, 2013 at 7:06 am
  You and your big words 😉
Cara
April 5, 2013 at 6:33 am
OK, made this last night for my birthday dinner!! It was freaking perfect!!! My non-vegan husband even loved it!! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
- Cara
  April 9, 2013 at 7:05 am
  Eeeeee! So happy that you immediately tried it and liked it. It’s rather amazing what cauliflower can do, isn’t it? Hope you had an awesome birthday, Cara! (great name, too) 😉
Beth @ Tasty Yummies
April 3, 2013 at 11:35 am
Um, this looks so amazing. Off to check out the recipe now.
- Cara
  April 9, 2013 at 7:07 am
  It tastes as amazing as it looks too, Beth…

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