These Cauliflower Steaks with Hummus Dressing are simply seasoned with a balsamic marinade and making them absolutely delicious. Tender and packed with flavor, the pomegranates add a but of crunch, the hummus adds a bit of tang. It makes the perfect vegetarian meal or side dish.
When I first saw cauliflower steaks on The Kitchen (one of my favorite shows on The Food Network) last year, I thought, “No way would I eat a huge piece of cauliflower like that.” Boy was I wrong. I’ve actually tried a few different cauliflower steaks at different restaurants. I wasn’t impressed but at least I didn’t give up.
Then I thought, why not just make my own version that I’m happy with?! Of course that seemed like the most obvious answer that took me the longest time to arrive to. Well, here I am. So before I impart my recipe, I’m going to give you a few tips and tricks that I learned as I experimented with my own steaks. Take a look:
- One cauliflower will give you at best 3, maybe 4 good steaks. The rest will be florets. Don’t discard them. Use them to roast on the side of for any of my other recipes that use cauliflower. I’ll list them below.
- Let the marinade sit in the steak and absorb the flavors for a bit. If you’re in a rush, you can absolutely skip this step, but I found you’ll get a better depth of flavor if you let the flavors marinate for just 15 extra minutes!
- If you want a more tender steak, cover the baking sheet for the first 5-7 minutes of the baking process to steam it. This will ensure that the core and florets will be more tender.
Here are a few great recipes you can use with your leftover cauliflower florets:
Tandoori Cauliflower Tacos
Tandoori Gobi (Cauliflower) Zucchini Boats
Rainbow Farro Salad
Farmer’s Market Crudites Platter with Hummus Two Ways
Middle Eastern Vegan Protein Bowl
Pineapple Fried Rice
Cauliflower Steak with Hummus Dressing
Ingredients
For the Balsamic Dressing:
- 1/3 c Olive Oil
- 1/4 c Balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 3 Tbsp honey*
- 1 1/2 tsp basil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
For the Hummus Dressing:
- 1/2 c hummus
- 1 lemon, juiced (about 1/4 c)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tso paprika
- 1/8 tsp sugar
- 2 heads cauliflower
- 1/4 c pomegranate arils
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Line baking sheet with silicone mat
- In a mason jar, combine all of the ingredients for the Balsamic Dressing and shake for 2 minutes until completely emulsified.
- Set aside.
- Wash the cauliflower heads, then remove the outer leaves and trim the very bottom of the core, but keep the core intact. Slice each head into ¾-inch-thick slices. The outer slices will fall apart - you can simply roast them as florets together with the steaks or store to use in a different recipe. Plan on getting three steaks out of each cauliflower head.
- Line on baking sheet and using a pastry brush or spoon, coat the balsamic dressing on the cauliflower steak. About 1/4 c on each side. Do not flip over to coat the other side.
- Let sit for 15 minutes before baking.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven, coat the other side and bake for another 10 minutes.
- While the steak is baking, combine all of the ingredients for the hummus dressing in another mason jar, give it a good shake to emulsify completely and set aside.
- When the steak is done, remove from the oven.
- To serve the steak, plate each one then drizzle the hummus dressing on top and finally garnish with pomegranate arils.
- Serve hot.
Notes
**Make this recipe vegan by substituting the honey with agave or maple syrup
Here are the tools I used for this recipe:
