Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Tahini Dressing (Printable)
Golden roasted cauliflower steaks drizzled with creamy lemon-tahini dressing. Vegan, gluten-free, and ready in 45 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cauliflower Steaks
01 - 2 large cauliflower heads
02 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
04 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - ½ teaspoon garlic powder
06 - ½ teaspoon sea salt
07 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
→ Tahini Dressing
08 - ⅓ cup tahini
09 - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
10 - 2 tablespoons water
11 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
12 - ½ teaspoon maple syrup or honey
13 - ¼ teaspoon sea salt
→ Garnish
14 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
15 - 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds
16 - Lemon wedges
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Remove leaves from cauliflower and trim stem while keeping core intact. Slice each head into 1-inch-thick steaks, yielding approximately 2-3 steaks per head.
03 - Arrange steaks on prepared baking sheet. Brush both sides generously with olive oil.
04 - In a small bowl, combine cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle evenly over both sides of steaks.
05 - Roast for 25-30 minutes, flipping steaks halfway through, until golden brown and tender when pierced with a fork.
06 - While cauliflower roasts, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, water, minced garlic, maple syrup, and salt in a bowl. Add water gradually until dressing reaches creamy, pourable consistency.
07 - Arrange roasted cauliflower steaks on serving platter. Drizzle generously with tahini dressing. Top with parsley, toasted nuts if desired, and lemon wedges.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The cauliflower develops this irresistible caramelized exterior while staying tender inside, something I wish someone had told me before I spent years only making cauliflower rice.
- Its fancy enough for guests but simple enough for weeknights, and Ive watched even dedicated meat-eaters reach for seconds.
02 -
- Never skip flipping the cauliflower halfway through cooking, as I once did when multitasking, resulting in one perfectly caramelized side and one pale, underdone face.
- If your tahini seizes up when you add lemon juice, dont panic and throw it out like I did the first time just keep whisking and adding tiny splashes of water until it smooths out.
03 -
- For an extra layer of flavor, throw a few unpeeled garlic cloves on the baking sheet alongside your cauliflower theyll roast into sweet, spreadable goodness you can mix into the tahini sauce.
- The tahini sauce will initially seize and thicken when you add lemon juice before thinning out again with water, so dont be tempted to add too much liquid at once.