easy vegan main roast cauliflower
Photo credit Vicky Cohen and Ruth Fox

Cauliflower Steak with Tahini and Pine Nuts Recipe

Tender, punchy, tangy... the perfect vegan main.

Advertisement

We were so lucky to have our sister Rebecca and her family stay with us all summer this year. Having them here cooking for Shabbat every week was such a treat, especially since Rebecca and her husband are both such good cooks! Every Friday night, the table as filled with delicious salatim (Hebrew for salads) and appetizers filled with an array of Israeli flavors.

One of our favorite dishes they made was our sister’s interpretation of the traditional fried cauliflower with tahini you find throughout Israel. Instead of frying the cauliflower, Rebecca covered the whole head with tahini sauce, and roasted it in the oven. It was so incredibly delicious! The cauliflower becomes super tender, almost buttery, and the tahini sauce gives it a big punch of flavor and just a little tang.

Inspired by our sister’s dish this summer, we created this cauliflower steak recipe that can be served as a main vegetarian course or shared at the table when you’re entertaining. We added some pine nuts because we love how well they complement the cauliflower, and some parsley for a touch of freshness.

Note: The tahini sauce will thicken slightly when refrigerated. Allow it to come back to room temperature, or add additional water to thin until desired consistency

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
easy vegan main roast cauliflower
Photo credit Vicky Cohen and Ruth Fox

Cauliflower Steak with Tahini and Pine Nuts

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

This flavorful vegan dish comes together in 1 hour.

  • Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

Units
  • 1 large head of cauliflower
  • 3 Tbsp plus 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 head of garlic
  • 2 Tbsp raw pine nuts
  • 1 tsp avocado, grape seed or olive oil
  • ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley

For the tahini sauce:

  • ¼ cup tahini
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 34 Tbsp water

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Remove cauliflower leaves and trim the stem, leaving the head intact. Place the cauliflower on its side on a cutting board. Cut it in half from top to bottom, slice each half into 1-inch thick steaks (some florets might come loose. Don’t discard them: You can roast them with the steaks).
  3. Carefully brush each side of the cauliflower steak with 3 Tbsp olive oil and season with salt. Place the cauliflower steaks (and florets if any) on the lined baking sheet.
  4. Cut the bottom of the head of garlic (part of the garlic cloves will be exposed). Drizzle it with 1 tsp olive oil, wrap it with tin foil and place on the baking sheet with the cauliflower.
  5. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.
  6. While the cauliflower cooks, prepare the pine nuts. Heat 1 tsp oil in a non stick skillet. Add pine nuts and saute over medium low heat for 2-3 minutes until golden brown, tossing often (pay close attention, they can burn very easily!). Set aside.
  7. To prepare the tahini, whisk together tahini, salt and lemon juice in a small bowl, until it thickens. Add water, 1 Tbsp at a time and mix until well incorporated (for a thinner sauce you can add more water).
  8. Once the garlic head is roasted and cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves into the tahini sauce and whisk until creamy. Refrigerate until ready to use. Note: The sauce will thicken slightly when refrigerated. Allow it to come back to room temperature, or add additional water to thin until desired consistency.
  9. Before serving, spoon the tahini sauce on the bottom of a serving plate. Place the cauliflower steaks on top, sprinkle with parsley and toasted pine nuts.

Notes

The tahini sauce will thicken slightly when refrigerated. Allow it to come back to room temperature, or add additional water to thin until desired consistency.

  • Author: Vicky Cohen and Ruth Fox
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: Main
  • Cuisine: Vegan

Leave a Comment

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Advertisement
Advertisement

Keep on Noshing

Shabbat Recipe Roundup

We are well into summer which means two things to me: its hot and there are tons of fresh fruits ...

Shabbat Recipe Round-Up

Heat wave number two has arrived and it’s starting to make me worried. Will I ever want to turn on ...

Shabbat Recipe Round-Up

Cinco de Mayo is this Saturday. In the United States, it is commemorated as a celebration of Mexican heritage and ...