Looking for a vegetarian steak alternative? This roasted cauliflower steak is easy to make and is packed with flavor thanks to the carrot top pesto!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Mullan Road Cellars Red Blend. The opinions and text are all mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that make VV possible.
Let’s talk about date night! Who says you have to go out for date night? My partner is a total introvert (as am I) so the idea of staying in instead of going out feels way more special. For me, I want date night to feel special without having to actually spend hours and hours prepping for it. For him…well as long as there is food and booze involved then he is good to go.
My solution? A nice bottle of Mullan Road Cellars Red Blend and a vegetarian “steak.” My weeknight go-to dinner is usually a one-pan meal like a casserole, so having a main entree (like this cauliflower steak) and a side already feels extravagant.
The days are getting warmer but the spring evenings are still crisp so I’ve been enjoying a warming bottle of red wine lately. The Mullan Road Cellars’ 2016 Red Wine Blend pairs perfectly with this roasted cauliflower steak because it’s bold and dense without being overpowering. This blend comes from Washington and is made by Dennis Cakebread. His family built the well known Cakebread Cellars from scratch in the 1970s in Napa Valley and started exploring other regions in the 2000s, which is when Mullan Road Cellars was started in Washington.
I’m going to let you in on a secret. I used to be a huge cauliflower steak hater (in the same way that I’m still a “carrot dog” hater). It just felt a little bit like a slap in the face for vegetarians — how in the world is a head of cauliflower going to fill you up and leave you satisfied?
It wasn’t until I tried the cauliflower steak at Journeyman Distillery that I realized that cauliflower is such a blank canvas — it can be perfectly seasoned with spices and it can be served with almost anything depending on what you season it with. They seasoned theirs so well that it left me totally satisfied without feeling overly full or craving something more.
For this vegetarian “steak” recipe, I added both a filling and flavorful dressing as the base and also a bright and punchy pesto to finish it off. The end result is savory, bright, and totally addicting. Complete the deal by serving it with Mullan Road Cellar’s Red Blend and a bean salad or creamy mashed potatoes. Now go ahead and schedule that much needed date night in!
What’s Needed for Cauliflower Steaks?
The ingredients list for these baked cauliflower steaks is fairly short and sweet:
- Cauliflower
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- Garlic powder
- Orange carrots (+ tops!)
- White miso
- Rice vinegar
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Garlic
- Pecans
- Fresh basil
- Asiago cheese
How to Make Cauliflower Steaks
Never made roasted cauliflower steaks before? Don’t fret, it’s simple. Here are the basic steps for making cauliflower steak at home:
- Cut the cauliflower heads into “steaks,” then brush with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Place on baking sheet, cover with foil and roast the cauliflower steaks. (You’ll remove the foil about 5 minutes into baking, then flip the steaks).
- While the cauliflower steaks roast, make the carrot top pesto and the carrot miso dressing.
- Once cooked through, place the baked cauliflower steaks atop the dressing and top with pesto.
How to Cut Cauliflower Steaks
Cutting the heads of cauliflower into “steaks” is much easier than you’d think.
- Remove the green leaves from the head of cauliflower and remove the stem.
- Cut into 1 1/2-inch steaks (you should get 2 steaks per head of cauliflower).
- Save the extra cauliflower florets for another recipe.
Tips for Making Cauliflower Steaks
It’s important that you cut the vegetarian steaks thick enough. The steaks should be about 1 1/2 inches thick. If you cut the steaks too thin, they’ll turn to mush in the oven.
Be sure to thoroughly wash the carrot tops under warm water before blending into the pesto.
Cauliflower steaks are best eaten right away. Leftovers aren’t as good because the cauliflower loses its crispness in the fridge.
Want More Cauliflower Recipes?
- Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Bowl with Spicy Peanut Sauce
- Buffalo Cauliflower Bowl with Greek Yogurt Ranch
- Cauliflower Parmesan
- Loaded Baked Potato and Cauliflower Soup
- Roasted Cauliflower & Dates Couscous Salad
Looking for a vegetarian steak alternative? This roasted cauliflower steak is easy to make and is packed with flavor thanks to the carrot top pesto!
- 2 heads of cauliflower
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- dash of pepper
- 4 oz orange carrots , cut into even pieces
- 2 Tbsp white miso
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper , to taste
- 1 1/2 cups carrot tops
- 1 garlic clove , peeled
- 3 Tbsp pecans
- 3/4 cup basil leaves
- 1/4 cup asiago cheese
- 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil + more for drizzlings
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Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the green leaves from head of cauliflower and trim the stems. Cut 1 1/2 inch thick steaks (I got 4 from two heads plus a bunch of florets which I saved for another use).
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Transfer slices to a baking sheet and brush olive oil on each side of each piece. Sprinkle spices on all steaks and then cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil.
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Bake for 5 minutes, remove foil, and bake for an additional 10. Flip steaks and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the tops are browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
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Combine carrot tops, garlic, pecans, basil leaves, and asiago cheese in a high speed blender or food processor. Pulse until everything is chopped into small pieces. Turn the machine on and drizzle in 1/4 cup olive oil to incorporate. If the mixture is too dry, drizzle more olive oil until you reach your desired consistency.
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Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Salt and add in carrot pieces. Let blanch for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add ice to a large mixing bowl and add water to create an ice bath. Once the carrots are ready, use tongs to transfer from the boiling water to ice bath.
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Once carrots are cooled, transfer to a high speed blender along with miso, vinegar, yogurt, olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper. Blend until completely combined and a thick dressing forms. You want the dressing to be thin enough that you can spread it but quick enough that it won't run. If it's too thick, add 1 Tbsp of water at a time until you've received a desired consistency.
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Spread carrot miso dressing on a serving platters and place cauliflower steaks over it. Top with pesto, a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Serve right away.
10 Comments
Cauliflower Steak with Carrot Miso Puree & Carrot-top Pesto | Veggie Vegan Recipes.com
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nasıl gidilir
It looks really great. I want to try this right away. Thanks.
Rachael
This looks incredible! Love the idea of using the carrot tops for the pesto so they don’t go to waste. Any ideas on subbing for the greek yogurt so this could be vegan?
Heidi
Made this this past weekend and it was surprisingly good! My husband would choose meat over veggies any day but recently, he’s been trying to eat healthier so I suggested this recipe after seeing it on Instagram. The miso & the pesto go so well together! One mistake I made is that I didn’t read the carrot TOP part and put in carrots in the pesto so my “pesto” was orange and we were wondering why (haha!). My husband really liked it and said he would eat it again (which means it’s very good because he rarely says that about food).
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[…] Also, if you don’t feel like whipping up the goat cheese spread (but…reminder that it’s mostly just goat cheese and cream cheese…can you really resist?) then this is also delicious with a smear of butter, plain cream cheese, or drizzle of pesto. […]
Warner
Is this recipe for two servings?
Shellywest
Warnera hearty 2 servings!
Bozu
We really enjoyed this recipe !!! The vegetable steak is sublime and the combination with the sauces gives a breathtaking result !!! Even the children liked it, which is a very good compliment … I know then, that I can redo this dish!
Many thanks for this beautiful recipe, which delighted us all …
Yvonne
Try coconut yogurt
Kate Hanes
Absolutely delicious. I used coconut milk instead of yogurt and it worked wonderfully.