Vegan Tahini Cauliflower Steaks
These Vegan Tahini Cauliflower Steaks are oven-roasted until golden and crispy in a fabulous tahini sauce! These make for the perfect plant-based main or side dish. Gluten-free, paleo-friendly & Keto.
Have you ever had a Cauliflower Steak?
Are you a big cauliflower fan? I am, but usually, when I’m enjoying cauliflower, it’s in a Cauliflower Leek Soup, or simply oven-roasted using the same method as my favorite roasted broccoli. However, I’ve recently fallen in love with a new way of enjoying cauliflower: the cauliflower steak.
In the past few years, I’ve seen people have taken to calling a big slice of cauliflower, a cauliflower “steak” –and I love it. As a vegan person, it’s fun to have a veggie that I can treat the way I’d treat a steak when I was an omnivore, but it’s just pure veggie goodness.
Cutting the cauliflower into thick slices makes for such a satisfying plant-based meal! The thick slice of cauliflower takes on so much flavor from its swim in a delicious tahini sauce. The tahini cauliflower steak gets so rich, tender, and golden brown after you roast it in the oven.
It makes for an amazing main-dish served alongside rice and salad, or you can serve it as a flavorful veggie side dish.
Let’s make Vegan Tahini Cauliflower Steaks!
To cut a cauliflower steak, you’ll want to get a tight cauliflower head. Mine wasn’t super tight, which can make it harder for the steaks to hold together, but it still works. Then take a sharp knife, and cut through the core into 1″ slices, for about 4 to 6 slices, depending on the size of the cauliflower.
You’ll have some edges on the side that won’t hold together — that’s okay! Just keep those and roast them alongside the steaks. They’re still delicious :)
Once you’ve cut your cauliflower steaks, you’ll dredge them in the tahini sauce, allowing any extra drip off, and then roasting them on a sheet pan. The tahini will firm up into a crispy, golden crust on the cauliflower that makes it taste breaded! But of course, it is NOT breaded – this goodness is still gluten-free, paleo, AND keto – and it is SO good.
Let’s talk about the easy Tahini Sauce!
I could drink this stuff. It is SO delicious, and easy to make to boot. I absolutely love tahini because it makes such fabulous sauces, and it also is a nutritional powerhouse! Made of ground sesame seeds, tahini packed with fiber, protein, and antioxidants. It’s also a great source of B vitamins, phosphorus, manganese.
We get even more nutritional benefits from the other ingredients in this sauce! All of the ingredients ingredients you’ll need are:
- Tahini
- Lemon Juice
- Garlic
- Sea Salt
- Dried Dill
- Smoked Paprika
You’ll also add water to get to the right texture for dredging our cauliflower steaks in. This combo is super flavorful and also works well as an easy salad dressing.
I love making this tahini sauce in my KitchenAid Cordless Food Chopper – it does quick and easy work of it! However, you can also just whisk it up by hand. I recommend grating the garlic with a microplane if you choose to whisk it up.
What should I serve with?
I love serving these Tahini Cauliflower Steaks with basmati rice and lightly dressed arugula and then adding an extra drizzle of the tahini sauce we made right on top of everything. It makes for a super hearty and filling meal. If you wanted to add extra protein, mixing cooked lentils into the rice would be a great way to do that for a super hearty and filling meal.
But really, be creative! Any kind of grains and greens would make for a good pairing here. These can also serve as a side to your main dish!
I also used the leftovers in some fabulous ways, my favorite being tucked into a vegan grilled cheese sandwich. If you’re skeptical of cauliflower in a grilled cheese: don’t be. It’s a game changer.
I hope you fall as in love with these Vegan Tahini Cauliflower Steaks as much as my family and I did!
Enjoy, and if you do, please leave a review below letting me know how you liked it. I love to hear from you!
PrintVegan Tahini Cauliflower Steaks
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 cauliflower steaks 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Vegan Tahini Cauliflower Steaks are oven-roasted until golden and crispy in a fabulous tahini sauce! These make for the perfect plant-based main or side dish. Gluten-free, paleo-friendly & Keto.
Ingredients
- 1 whole large cauliflower
- ⅔ cup (150g) tahini
- ⅓ cup water
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat over to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, a silicone liner, or just grease lightly with oil.
- Use a large, sharp knife to slice the cauliflower into about 4 “steaks,” each about 1-inch thick. You’ll have some side pieces of the cauliflower that will likely crumble into florets – that’s okay. Save those, we’ll bake them too!
- To make the sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a blender or small food processor. Blend until smooth. It should be relatively thin and liquidy. If it’s not, you may find you need to add more water – this usually happens if your tahini is thick. Alternatively, finely dice or grate the garlic and then whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Reserve ¼ cup of the sauce for drizzling at the end. Pour the rest into a wide, shallow bowl that fits your cauliflower steaks.
- Dredge cauliflower slices into the sauce, covering both sides and shaking off the excess. Lay them on your prepared baking sheet.
- Once all the cauliflower steaks are coated, stir the leftover florets into the sauce and place alongside the cauliflower steaks.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Serve as a side dish or a main dish. I love serving with rice and greens. I mix fresh dill and lemon juice into my rice for maximum flavor. Drizzle with reserved tahini sauce.
Love this recipe! The tahini dressing makes the cauli steaks so delicious. A very quick and easy meal.
Yay, thank you so much Kelsea!! So glad you loved it :D
I’m allergic to sesame. Any recommendations for alternatives to the tahini dressing?
Thanks,
Betsy
beliz@comcast.net
Hi Betsy! You could use a different nut or seed butter that you like – something like cashew or almond butter would likely work well here, but of course will affect the flavor so pick whichever you like best!
Great recipe! Made it tonight and it was so delicious and ridiculously easy. Served it with arugula and mushroom risotto, wicked good! I can’t wait to put a twist with the tahini sauce next time too just to switch it up. Also what a beautiful thing to serve! Thank you :)
Amazing to hear!! Thanks so much for the feedback, Abigail, and YUM to the mushroom risotto! Great serving idea :)
Cauliflower steaks was easy to make with 6 simply ingredients! It was delicious and nutritious for gluten free & dairy free options. Looking forward to trying the pesto cauliflower gnocchi recipe. Thank you for creating these delicious easy to follow recipes❤️
So glad you loved the recipe, Maria!! Thanks so much for your feedback :D
I made these cauliflower steaks tonight and oh my goodness… so good!
One of my favorite go to recipes when needing a vegan fix!! So delicious every time.
Love the ingredients so simple and nutritious.
Maria S.
This was yummy. Mine took over 35 minutes to cook, but honestly, worth the extra time. Maybe my slabs were too thick. Everyone enjoyed. Definitely will make it again.
Glad you enjoyed them, Karen! Thanks for the feedback.