Craving a satisfying meatless meal? Try our roasted Cauliflower Steaks on a bed of whipped lemon feta, and topped with zesty harissa tahini sauce, crispy breadcrumbs, and fresh herbs. The combination is fiery, flavorful, and filling.
We love these cauliflower steaks when we are craving something vegetarian, nourishing, and hearty. They are even delicious as a weeknight Mediterranean main course or vegetarian side. Some of our favorite dishes to pair with cauliflower steaks are flank steak, baked chicken wings, or baked fish al cartoccio.
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Why You'll Love Cauliflower Steaks
- Taste - The combination of cauliflower steak, harissa dressing, crispy breadcrumbs is rich yet balanced.
- Texture - The cauliflower is tender, the tahini sauce and whipped feta sauce is creamy, and the pangratatto adds the perfect crispiness.
- Effort - These cauliflower steaks have a few simple steps. Bake the cauliflower then make the crispy breadcrumbs, harissa tahini, and lemon feta while the cauliflower bake.
- Time - It takes about 45 minutes to prep and cook everything.
Key Ingredients
Cauliflower Steaks
- Cauliflower - Cauliflower has a naturally mild and nutty flavor. It's mild flavor makes it perfect for adding seasoning and sauces for extra flavor.
- Olive oil - Olive oil is a delicious fat to cook the cauliflower in.
- Paprika - Paprika adds a little spice.
- Garlic powder - Garlic powder adds a light aroma.
- Harissa tahini sauce - Harissa sauce adds a vibrant spicy flavor to the steaks.
- Whipped lemon feta - Whipped lemon feta is bright, zesty, and lightly sweet.
- Herbed pangratatto - Pangratatto adds a subtle crunch.
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
- Spicy - Sprinkle some chili powder or add some hot honey to make the steaks spicy.
- Dairy-free - Omit the whipped lemon feta to make this recipe dairy free. Try toum as a garlicky substitute.
Instructions
Cauliflower Steaks
- Heat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare cauliflower - Slice the cauliflower into ¾-1-inch steaks, about 2-3 steaks per cauliflower. Brush the steaks on both sides and the leftover florets with a mixture of olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. (Photo 1 and 2)
- Roast cauliflower - Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, remove from the oven, and flip the steaks over. Brush with the remaining olive oil and season with the rest of the kosher salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Place the cauliflower back in the oven and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes. The cauliflower will be tender and the edges will be slightly charred. While the cauliflower cooks, make the harissa tahini sauce, whipped feta, and pangrattato. (Photo 3 and 4)
Harissa Tahini Sauce
- Make harissa tahini sauce - Add harissa, tahini, lemon zest and juice, minced garlic, hot water, honey, and kosher salt to a mixing bowl. Then stir until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add hot water one teaspoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. (Photo 5 and 6)
Whipped Lemon Feta
- Make whipped lemon feta - Add feta cheese, Greek yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, fresh chopped herbs, garlic clove, and kosher salt to a food processor and pulse until creamy. Then drizzle in olive oil and pulse again until smooth and incorporated. (Photo 7 and 8)
Pangrattato
- Make pangrattato - In a skillet, heat olive oil and breadcrumbs over medium heat. Stir to evenly coat and toast the breadcrumbs. Once the breadcrumbs begin to turn golden, after 2-4 minutes, stir in the herbs and season with kosher salt. Once all of the breadcrumbs turn golden brown, transfer the breadcrumbs to a bowl to stop cooking, or immediately use as a topping on pasta, salads, soups, and more. (Photo 9 and 10)
Assemble
- Assemble cauliflower steaks - Add a dollop of the whipped lemon feta to each place and smooth with the back of a spoon. Arrange the cauliflower steaks on top of the beds of whipped feta, then top with a drizzle of harissa tahini sauce, pangrattato, and fresh parsley. (Photo 11 and 12)
Pro tip - Be sure to line the baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup.
Cooking Tips
- Cut the cauliflower steaks so they are equally thick. This ensures they will all cook evenly.
- Make tahini sauce and whipped feta 1 to 2 days before for easy prep.
- Be sure to line the baking sheet for easy cleanup.
Recipe FAQs
Do cauliflower steaks have any meat?
No, cauliflower steaks are just thick slices of cauliflower cut to resemble a steak.Â
How do I pick a cauliflower for steaks?
Pick a cauliflower head that's large, firm, and dense.
Are cauliflower steaks vegetarian and vegan?
Yes, our recipe is vegetarian. If you want to make it vegan, omit the whipped feta and substitute the honey in the tahini sauce with another sweetener.
How do I prevent my cauliflower steaks from falling apart?
First, pick a firm and dense cauliflower head because they are less likely to fall apart. Second, keep the cauliflower core intact while slicing because the core holds the steaks together.
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📖 Recipe
Cauliflower Steaks with Harissa Tahini Sauce
Craving a satisfying meatless meal? Try our Cauliflower Steaks on a bed of whipped lemon feta, and topped with zesty harissa tahini sauce, crunchy breadcrumbs, and fresh herbs. The combination is fiery, flavorful, and filling.
Servings: 6
Calories: 228kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Cauliflower Steaks
- 1 cauliflower sliced into 1-inch slabs
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Harissa Tahini Sauce
- 2 tablespoon harissa
- 2 tablespoon tahini
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon hot water
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
Whipped Lemon Feta
- 8 oz feta cheese at room temperature
- ½ cup whole fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon fresh herbs of choice chopped, dill, flat leaf parsley, mint, shiso
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Herbed Pangrattato
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped herbs of choice, such as thyme, parsley, rosemary, and more
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Cauliflower Steaks
- Heat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare cauliflower - Slice the cauliflower into ¾-1-inch steaks, about 2-3 steaks per cauliflower. Brush the steaks on both sides and the leftover florets with a mixture of olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.1 cauliflower, 2 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Roast cauliflower - Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, remove from the oven, and flip the steaks over. Brush with the remaining olive oil and season with the rest of the kosher salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Place the cauliflower back in the oven and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes. The cauliflower will be tender and the edges will be slightly charred. While the cauliflower cooks, make the harissa tahini sauce, whipped feta, and pangrattato.
Harissa Tahini Sauce
- Add harissa, tahini, lemon zest and juice, minced garlic, hot water, honey, and kosher salt to a mixing bowl. Stir until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add hot water one teaspoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.2 tablespoon harissa, 2 tablespoon tahini, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 tablespoon hot water, 1 garlic clove, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Whipped Lemon Feta
- Add feta cheese, Greek yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, fresh chopped herbs, garlic clove, and kosher salt to a food processor and pulse until creamy. Drizzle in olive oil and pulse 2-3 times until smooth and incorporated. Don't over-whip or the consistency will be too thin.8 oz feta cheese at room temperature, ½ cup whole fat plain Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 teaspoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoon fresh herbs of choice, 1 garlic clove, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil
Pangrattato
- In a skillet, heat olive oil and breadcrumbs over medium heat. Stir to evenly coat and toast the breadcrumbs. Once the breadcrumbs begin to turn golden, after 2-4 minutes, stir in the herbs and season with kosher salt. Once all of the breadcrumbs turn golden brown, transfer the breadcrumbs to a bowl to stop cooking, or immediately use as a topping on pasta, salads, soups, and more.¼ cup breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon finely chopped herbs of choice, such as thyme, parsley, rosemary, and more, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon olive oil
Assemble
- Add a dollop of the whipped lemon feta to each place and smooth with the back of a spoon. Arrange the cauliflower steaks on top of the beds of whipped feta, then top with a drizzle of harissa tahini sauce, pangrattato, and fresh parsley.
Video
Notes
Storage
- Refrigerate leftover cauliflower steaks in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Heat leftover cauliflower steaks in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes. We do not recommend microwaving the cauliflower steaks or they will get soggy.Â
Nutrition
Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 1069mg | Potassium: 532mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 77IU | Vitamin C: 77mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg
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