This recipe is plant-forward but feels almost indulgent (it’s gluten-free, soy-free, and easy to make nut-free). And the presentation is A+, making it a great addition to your holiday menu. And the flavors are outrageously good!
Step-by-step instructions
Roast the cauliflower steaks
Slicing from the top downwards, cut the cauliflower heads into 3/4-inch (2 cm) steak-style cuts. Transfer them a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle some of the olive oil over the cauliflower steaks, rubbing it into the crevices. Season with salt and pepper. Flip and repeat with the oil, salt, and pepper. Note: You’ll also toss the chickpeas with oil, salt, and pepper. Scatter them across the two sheet pans. Roast the cauliflower at 425ºF/218ºC for 25 minutes. Carefully flip the steaks and toss the chickpeas. Roast another 10 minutes until both sides are nicely browned.
Make the Herby-Tahini Sauce*
Add the tahini, lemon zest and juice, parsley, salt, cumin, garlic, and maple syrup to a food processor. Blend until the sauce starts to come together. Stream in the ice water and blend until smooth and creamy. Add the sliced garlic and stir frequently for 6-8 minutes, until garlic is golden and shallots are deeply golden brown. Add the cumin and coriander seeds and Aleppo pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring very frequently, then transfer to a paper towel-lined surface. *Note: You can make this sauce up to 3 days in advance.
Assemble the dish
Transfer roasted cauliflower steaks to a serving platter. Drizzle a generous amount of herby tahini sauce on top (you may not need to use it all). Scatter the roasted chickpeas and caramelized shallot-garlic mixture on top. Scatter the chopped or ground pistachios and chopped parsley.
Tips for making this recipe
How to Slice Cauliflower Steaks
Trim off the leaves and bottom stem, but keep the core intact – this is essential for getting slices that hold together. I slice them into 3/4-inch slices, but if you prefer heartier steak slices, you can cut them into 1-inch slices; they’ll take about 45 minutes to roast, instead of 35 minutes.
Tips for Roasting Cauliflower
I find that cauliflower gets more browned when roasted on a bare sheet pan than when it’s lined with parchment paper. The reason I don’t roast the florets with the steaks is that it overcrowds the pan. The steaks need a good amount of space to get beautifully browned; otherwise, they’ll just steam. Looking for more delicious cauliflower recipes? Try my Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower bites or my Indian restaurant-style Aloo Gobi.
Tips for Shallots and Garlic
I recommend using a a mandoline for the most even slices (it’s also quicker). We use this inexpensive handheld mandoline and it’s fabulous (affiliate link). If you don’t have a mandoline, try to slice the shallots 1/8″ thick (3mm). When caramelizing the shallots and garlic, don’t stir the shallots too often, so they can get nicely browned and sticky, but stir the garlic pretty often to avoid burning. When adding the spices, stir very frequently.
How to make “Pistachio Dust”
If you have a spice grinder, I highly recommend grinding half of the roasted pistachios. It turns into what we call “pistachio dust” and it has an almost cheesy flavor, similar to nutritional yeast. It also makes for a beautiful presentation. No spice grinder? No worries, just chop pistachios.
More Vegan Holiday Dinners
Vegan Moussaka: The ultimate Greek comfort food and a delicious alternative to lasagna Creamy Lentil Stuffed Squash: A wholesome yet flavor-forward item that can work as a main or side dish Vegan Wellington: A savory vegan loaf wrapped in flaky golden pastry. YUM!
If you love this unique and fun recipe for Cauliflower Steaks with Caramelized Shallots, be sure to rate and review it below :)
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