034 / 75 · A Vegetable-Led Table
Cauliflower and Chickpea Tray Crumble
1 shallow 9 x 13-inch/23 x 33 cm bake, divided into 3 generous portions · Active 30 min · Total 1 hr 5 min
Print recipe · PDFA savory crumble can turn cauliflower, canned chickpeas and tomatoes into a substantial tray of dinner. Roast the cauliflower before adding the sauce, then finish it beneath coarse bread crumbs rubbed with butter. The separate first roast keeps the filling concentrated and gives the topping a better chance to stay crisp.
Roast before you cover
Cauliflower contains enough water to loosen a sauce if it goes into the dish raw. The first spell in the oven drives off some of that moisture and browns a few edges. Cut florets into similar small pieces and include tender peeled stem in small dice. They need not look like identical shop-prepared florets. Spread them in the shallow baking dish rather than piling them deeply. Once the tomato mixture is added, the vegetables will finish cooking in its moisture.
Crumbs are an ingredient, not an afterthought
Coarse bread crumbs make a more interesting topping than a layer of fine powder. Use plain bread that has become dry but is sound and free of mold. Tear it into small pieces or pulse it briefly, then rub in the measured butter. Do not add a heavy cheese layer to make up for pale crumbs: the buttered bread will brown on its own. Keep some larger pieces for crunch, but avoid chunks so big they stay hard rather than becoming crisp.
Concentrate an ordinary can of tomatoes
Soften the onion before adding tomatoes, then simmer uncovered while the cauliflower roasts. The sauce should look thick enough to coat a spoon before the chickpeas go in. Draining the beans keeps their packing liquid from making the filling watery. Put the topping on just before the final bake and serve from the dish, catching both crumb and filling in each portion. This is especially useful when a loaf is nearing the end and a cauliflower needs using.
Ingredients
- 1 medium cauliflower, cut into 1-inch/2.5 cm florets with tender peeled stem diced (600 g prepared)
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (15 ml), divided: 2 teaspoons for cauliflower and 1 for onion
- 1 medium onion, finely diced (150 g)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (6 g)
- 1 can crushed tomatoes (14 oz/400 g)
- 1 can chickpeas (15 oz/425 g), drained and rinsed to give 240 g
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika (1 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (3 g), divided
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (0.5 g)
- 1 cup coarse plain bread crumbs (80 g)
- 2 tablespoons butter (28 g), softened
Set out
Shallow 9 x 13-inch/23 x 33 cm baking dish, Saucepan, Mixing bowl, Wooden spoon, Food thermometer
Allergens
Wheat, Milk. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Heat oven to 425°F/220°C. Toss cauliflower in the baking dish with 2 teaspoons oil and half the salt. Roast uncovered for 20–25 minutes, turning once, until partly tender with browned edges.
- Meanwhile heat the remaining teaspoon oil in the saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook onion for 7–8 minutes. Add garlic and paprika for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, remaining salt and pepper and simmer uncovered for 10–12 minutes, stirring, until thickened. Stir in drained chickpeas and heat for 2 minutes.
- Rub softened butter through the coarse bread crumbs in a bowl. Stir the hot tomato-chickpea mixture through the roasted cauliflower, spreading everything evenly in the dish.
- Scatter the buttered crumbs over the surface without pressing them down. Bake for 20–25 minutes more, until the filling bubbles, the cauliflower is tender and the center reaches 165°F/74°C. If crumbs brown early, cover loosely with foil. Rest for 5 minutes, then divide into three portions.
Use the tender stem
Peel only the fibrous outside of a sound cauliflower stem. Dice its tender center small so it roasts alongside the florets.
A useful detail
Start with a thick tomato mixture. A thin filling steams the crumb lid from below and can leave it soft even when the top is browned.
Another way
- Use drained canned white beans instead of chickpeas, keeping the drained weight at 240 g.
- Use plain whole-wheat bread for the crumbs if that is the loaf you have; it may brown a little sooner.
Keep it well
Cool in shallow portions and refrigerate within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Keep covered at 40°F/4°C or below for up to 3 days. Reheat to 165°F/74°C in the center; an uncovered oven finish helps restore the crumb texture. Freeze portions for up to 2 months if useful, expecting a softer topping after thawing.