If I had to describe these Cauliflower Steaks with Caramelized Shallots in just three words, I’d say it’s a “classic Nisha dish.” As much as I love veganizing classic dishes like Scalloped Potatoes or Chili, I get SO excited about coming up with unique and gourmet dishes you never would have dreamed of.
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!
- Cauliflower gets sliced into hefty steaks and roasted until browned, alongside chickpeas which get addictively crunchy when roasted
- Topped with chewy-yet-crisp caramelized shallots and garlic (cooked with whole spices and chili flakes)
- Finished with a tangy, herby creamy tahini sauce and pistachios for a nutty bite
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.
While the cauliflower is roasting, make the caramelized shallots.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a frying pan. Add the shallots and season with salt. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are nicely golden brown.
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.
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.
*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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you will have many loose florets leftover, especially if your cauliflower heads are large. No worries. You can store leftover raw cauliflower florets in a resealable bag or airtight container in the fridge for 5 days.
Use the florets to make my Creamy Cauliflower Soup or Crispy Cauliflower Tacos. Or keep them raw and snack on them with my addictively good Hummus.
You can also pickle the florets, as in this recipe from Bryant Terry. Or blanch the cauliflower for 2 minutes, transfer it to an ice bath, and then freeze the florets; use them in smoothies!
You’ll get the best textures if you make this dish the day of serving, but the herby tahini sauce can be made 3 (or even 4 days) in advance! The pistachios can also be toasted well in advance. If you do both of those things in advance, it’ll be a quick 45 minutes.
So many things! Drizzle it over a grain bowl or salad and immediately elevate the flavors. Use it as a dip for crackers or crudités. Pour it over other roasted vegetables, like broccoli, cabbage, or butternut squash. Pair it with falafel and pita, or drizzle it over rice or quinoa.
We had the best flavor and texture results with the listed amount of olive oil. The dish doesn’t taste/feel oily, and any excess oil from the caramelized shallots gets transferred to the paper towels.
However, if you need to reduce the amount of oil, you can (1) line the baking sheets with parchment paper for the cauliflower steaks; just keep in mind that this typically results in less browned cauliflower though. You can also halve the amount of oil in the caramelized shallots and garlic, but to prevent burning, you will need to deglaze the pan with a splash of water every 1 to 2 minutes once the shallots start to brown. Also, the shallots will be tasty but won’t get as crisp as they normally do.
If you know you won’t eat all of the food on the day of serving, add the tahini sauce & pistachios only to the amount you plan to eat to prevent leftovers from getting soggy. Store the cauliflower/chickpeas/ shallots separately in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
Reheat in the oven at 300ºF until warmed through (low oven temp to prevent shallots/garlic from burning).
Just omit the pistachios, it’ll still be delicious!
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 :)
Cauliflower Steaks with Caramelized Shallots
Ingredients
- 2 large heads of cauliflower*
- 3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 (15-ounce/425g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup (30g) shelled roasted pistachios**
- 1 handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Caramelized Shallots and Garlic
- 4 large shallots, very thinly sliced (about 1/8" thick)***
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (try to slice as evenly as possible for even cooking)
- 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes)
- Flaky or coarse sea salt
Herby Tahini Sauce
- 1 medium lemon, zested and juiced (about 3 tablespoons)
- Heaping 1/3 cup (85g) tahini, well stirred****
- ½ cup (10g) flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 fat garlic clove, roughly chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons ice water, more as needed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425ºF/218ºC and slice the cauliflower. Trim the tough outer leaves from each cauliflower. Trim the bottom stem off but keep the core intact (this is essential for getting steak-style cuts). Slice from the top down into ¾-inch thick steaks.NOTE: You will get quite a few loose florets.*****
- Prep the cauliflower: Arrange the cauliflower steaks on two rimmed sheet pans in a single layer (no parchment paper). Drizzle the steaks with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, rubbing it into the crevices, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Flip the steaks and rub in another tablespoon of oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Prep the chickpeas: Transfer rinsed chickpeas to a clean towel and gently rub to dry; or transfer to a salad spinner to dry even better. In a bowl, toss the chickpeas with 2 to 3 teaspoons of olive oil, and season with ¾ teaspoon kosher salt and several cracks of black pepper. Scatter the chickpeas across the two sheet pans amongst the steaks.
- Roast the cauliflower in the oven for 25 minutes, undisturbed. Remove from the oven and use a wide spatula to carefully flip the steaks. Toss the chickpeas. Continue roasting for another 10 minutes, until the steaks are nicely browned on both sides and the chickpeas are crunchy and browned.
- Meanwhile, make the caramelized shallots and garlic: Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat and line a surface with a couple paper towels. Once hot, add the shallots and season with some salt. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the shallots are nicely browned, add the garlic and cook for another 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the shallots are completely soft and have golden-brown fried edges and the garlic is golden but not browned. Add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and Aleppo pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring very frequently. Transfer shallot mixture to paper-towel lined surface (to absorb excess oil) and lightly sprinkle with salt.
- Make the herby tahini sauce. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, tahini, parsley, salt, several cracks of black pepper, cumin, and maple syrup to a food processor. Blend until the sauce starts to come together. With the motor running, add the ice water gradually. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add another spoon of water as needed until creamy but not stiff. Taste for seasonings, adding a pinch more salt as needed. The tahini sauce will thicken after resting. You can also make the sauce 3-4 days in advance.
- If you have a spice grinder, blitz half of the roasted pistachios for the "pistachio dust" (it's cheesy and nutty, so good!).
- Assemble the dish: Transfer the cauliflower steaks to a serving platter. Spoon a generous amount of the tahini sauce on top, and top with the caramelized shallots and garlic. Scatter the pistachios on top, and if using, the roasted chickpeas. Top with the chopped parsley.
Notes
Thank you! Another great recipe! Even my teens love this! Every component works great together!
Gerry, So glad to hear everyone loved this recipe!
Oh my goodness this was so delicious. I want to eat this every night!
Awesome, Amber. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
OMG. This was phenomenal!! Thank you for this delicious dinner!! We just topped with whole pistachios. The flavor combination is unparalleled!
Meagan, So glad to hear everyone loved this recipe!
quick and delicious, thank you !! :)
Awesome, Louise. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Best thing I have ever made. I was even missing some spices and hot damn this was tasty! Thank you for the recipe
Zoe, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
OMG so many flavors. There is always Cauliflower in my refrigerator and this recipe is a keeper. I served it on a bed of wild rice to make a complete meal. THANK YOU!
Tasty! Thanks for sharing, Mary Jo!
This dish is hands-down one of the most unique, flavourful and filling dishes I cooked in the last year! The mix of soft roasted cauliflower with the crispy chickpeas and the lemony-tahini sauce is incredible. The pistachios give a delicious cheesy flavour too. I can’t wait to make this again! Thank you Nisha <3
Thanks for sharing, Grainne! Great to hear you loved the recipe!
This recipe was good but I wouldn’t give it 5 stars. Roasted cauliflower is usually amazing, wonderfully crispy and charred but slicing them into steaks limits the surface area where they can get crispy and delicious. The onions are a tasty addition but it’s a lot of different steps and ingredients for 1 dish involving the humble cauliflower.
Sorry it wasn’t your favorite recipe, Ash. We appreciate your feedback nonetheless.
I tried this last night and it was as always so tasty. the flavors are so on the spot. my boyfriend and I enjoyed every single bite we ate. Thanks for the amazing recipes and making our life more beautiful everyday.
Aw, thanks for the wonderful words, Raha! We’re so glad you’ve been loving the recipes :)
Made this concoction and it was delish!! I love cauliflower because it is so versatile and this is one recipe that’ll be on my list! Yum….
Babs, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
I made this over the holidays and both my boyfriend and I loved it! The combination of flavours and textures is just perfect. I’m sure I’ll be making it again soon. Thanks for sharing, Nisha. Your recipes are always so delicious. Your orzo pasta salad is actually my favourite meal right now – I make it about once a week and just can’t get enough of it!
Awesome, Alex. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
I made this last night because I was curious about a cauliflower “steak”. It was so amazing.!!!! Great mix of flavors. I forgot the pistachios, bit will use them next time. I found rainbow plant life while browsing YouTube food channels and now am hooked.
Pam, So glad to hear you loved this recipe! Hopefully you get the chance to try many more :)
Delicious! My family loved the crispy shallots and garlic chips.
Awesome, Jamie. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
I made this for my boyfriend’s family for Christmas dinner. Everyone is either plant based or vegan, and this was a hit! I made double the amount of sauce anticipating needing more, but the recommended amount was perfect and we had leftovers, which I made into the most delicious salad dressing the next day by adding a touch of water. Thanks for a great recipe! I’m already craving it again!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Lea!
That Herby Tahini Sauce is the bomb! This dish is so elegant. Definitely restsurant quality!
Thanks for the lovely feedback!
Oh my gosh! I love this so much. The crunch of the chickpeas is a really nice texture and your flavors are spot on. As I said to my (not so much vegan) husband, “this is a Nisha recipe, you’re going to love it.” Thank you and Happy New Year!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Linda! Happy New Year!
All of your recipes are truly amazing, but this one I will make over and over again and will definitely whip up to impress dinner guests. I think the cauliflower steak idea is great for presentation purposes, but most of my cauliflower turned into florets that I roasted at the same time. I didn’t find a difference in the taste of the recipe with the florets v the steaks. The combination of flavors and textures is absolutely delicious and makes for a filling meal. Thank you so much for producing such amazing content on a consistent basis. You keep me inspired/excited to cook. <3
Thank you for the wonderful review, Carly! We’re glad to hear you were impressed with the recipe!
This was so delicious! Everything works so well together, the textures, the aromas – a real treat! Even someone who usually dislikes chickpeas was enjoying them very much :) And the tipp with the salad spinner clearly changed my life :D Thank you so much!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Juliette!
Wow! This may be Christmas dinner! I just found your site (not sure how I’ve missed it?!) and so many recipes have caught my eye. Excited to explore!
Great, Jolene! Welcome and enjoy the recipes :)
This was absolutely amazing!!! Such a wonderful mixture of flavors. This one is going in the “favorites” section for sure!!! You are the bomb-diggety, Nisha.
Bob, So glad to hear you loved this recipe! Thanks for the wonderful compliment!
Looking forward to see this recipe on YouTube!
Let’s hope Nisha posts a video for it!