Roasted Cauliflower Steaks

Roasted Cauliflower Steaks
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
15 Minutes Active Time
Rating
4(602)
Notes
Read community notes

The recipe comes to us courtesy of Erin Wysocarski, of Redondo Beach, Calif., a 10-year vegan who has grown accustomed to bringing portable food to holiday gatherings.

"Most folks who have never heard the term 'cauliflower steak' give a little chuckle," said Ms. Wysocarski, who writes the Olives for Dinner vegan food blog. "This cauliflower steak tastes good because of the way it’s sliced — it gets a little crispy around the edges (especially if you use a cast iron pan) and stays succulent toward the middle."

The dish has the added benefit of being portable and easy to reheat. —Tara Parker-Pope

Featured in: Vegetarian Thanksgiving: Cauliflower Steaks

Learn: How to Cook Cauliflower

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
  • Print Options


Advertisement


Ingredients

  • 1head cauliflower
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 2leaves sage, finely chopped
  • 1tablespoon olive oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

132 calories; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 645 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Slice the cauliflower through the center, keeping as much intact as possible. Season the “steaks” with salt, freshly ground pepper and sage.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and place cauliflower carefully in the pan. Sear the cauliflower for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deeply golden. Serve with vegan gravy, if desired.

Ratings

4 out of 5
602 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

Wow, why is the cooking section for The Times, more often than not, so poorly proofread and edited? Olive oil isn't listed as an ingredient in this recipe, on top of which there's no "roasting" instructions, so calling it roasted cauliflower is fairly misleading. Not a big deal but come on, this is just poor proofreading/editing. I find that a lot of their recipes and instructions usually miss steps as well...sheesh.

Hi all -- the full recipe can be found on my blog ... enjoy!

http://www.olivesfordinner.com/2013/11/roasted-cauliflower-steaks-with-o...

To get a clean cut of the cauliflower, use a bread knife. They are designed to cut straight and work well for this. For those who have medical problems with hands/wrists, this a very easy way to cut with no strain.

This recipe seems incomplete. If they are called "roasted" shouldn't they be roasted? When I make cauliflower steaks I pan fry them and then place in a hot oven for about 15 minutes. The photo appears to show cauliflower that has been in the oven.
Cauliflower for steaks need a full slice of the stem to keep them solid. The outer slices fall apart but can be used for a different dish or thrown on the roasting pan to cook along with the steaks. 2 steaks per cauliflower, usually.

For those who asked for more instructions, the cauliflower is pan roasted--no need to put it in the oven. Very simple and quick to do it this way.

For those concerned about only getting 2 or 3 steaks from a head of cauliflower, just pan roast the remaining florets, or slice them . They're just as delicious. You get bite-sized pieces instead of a steak. Not as dramatic, but no less flavorful.

The whole concept is very forgiving. Try it and enjoy!

What, no gravy recipe? This gives me a sad.

These go really well with a simple sauce made of garlic, rosemary, tomatoes (canned are fine) and cured black olives

usually about an inch thick. Take a look at the original recipe listed in the comments though, it's totally different than what is written here.

The full recipe can be found here: bit.ly/cauliflowersteaks

Happy Thanksgiving!

You can usually only get 2 steaks per head of cauliflower unless it's really large, then you may get 3.

i like cauliflower in any configuration. have to give this a try. mark twain said that cauliflower is cabbage with a college education.

Super simple and family loves it. I live for the day I can get 3 whole 'steaks' out of the cauliflower head, but we love the pan roasted florets that have fallen apart; they are a crispy extra treat.

Appreciated seeing the link to the recipe here from Olivesfordinner. Used cajun seasoning instead of the sage and loved the technique. This will be a platform for different seasonings for years to come.

It's better to just pan roast smaller sections of cauliflower. More flavor and such.

How annoying. I just started this recipe not realizing that half of it is missing. And now it’s too late to finish it for dinner. This recipe should be fixed or removed from the site.

Add head of cauliflower to sheet pan with onions. Serve with cukes, onion and tomatoes. Mix with yogurt dressing. Review notes

Definitely not my favorite. This should be called charred cauliflower, not roasted. I'll keep looking for a different recipe!

I think I've found a solution to the issue of skillets not being big enough to cook two "steaks" at once: I have a rarely-used, heavy-bottomed oval fish-roasting skillet that fits in my oven, and am pretty sure two cauliflower steaks will fit on it! Planning to make this tonight...

For those who asked for more instructions, the cauliflower is pan roasted--no need to put it in the oven. Very simple and quick to do it this way.

For those concerned about only getting 2 or 3 steaks from a head of cauliflower, just pan roast the remaining florets, or slice them . They're just as delicious. You get bite-sized pieces instead of a steak. Not as dramatic, but no less flavorful.

The whole concept is very forgiving. Try it and enjoy!

I slice and "pre-cook" in my convection microwave on the fresh vegetable setting to soften, then oil, season and grill them on a grill mat. Plate and finish with wild ramp pesto lightly dolloped on top. My non-cauliflower eating husband is a convert! I usually get 2 "steaks" per head, and cook the rest along with the steaks-same method.

So easy and so delicious. It works great in the oven as well.

To get a clean cut of the cauliflower, use a bread knife. They are designed to cut straight and work well for this. For those who have medical problems with hands/wrists, this a very easy way to cut with no strain.

These go really well with a simple sauce made of garlic, rosemary, tomatoes (canned are fine) and cured black olives

i like cauliflower in any configuration. have to give this a try. mark twain said that cauliflower is cabbage with a college education.

The full recipe can be found here: bit.ly/cauliflowersteaks

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi all -- the full recipe can be found on my blog ... enjoy!

http://www.olivesfordinner.com/2013/11/roasted-cauliflower-steaks-with-o...

Thanks (gravy and everything)! Looks great.

Earth Balance is garbage. Why not go with more olive oil, or coconut oil?

Thank you -- this looks delicious, and a far more complete recipe than the one published in NYT.

Private notes are only visible to you.

Credits

Erin Wysocarski

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.