Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Chickpeas and Green Tahini Sauce
13
Published May 03, 2018, Updated Aug 24, 2023
This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
Turn cauliflower into an entree by pairing thick-cut cauliflower steaks and roasted chickpeas with a creamy green tahini sauce. This dish is both vegan and gluten-free, and it’s bound to be a crowd-pleaser thanks to the mix of flavors and textures.
Oh man, you guys are in for a treat with this recipe! I first had cauliflower steaks at a restaurant a few years ago and have been working on perfecting them since. This is such a versatile dish — it could be an entree for a vegetarian/vegan dinner, or it could be an appetizer or side dish.
Let’s break this dish down starting with the cauliflower. When I had cauliflower steaks in the restaurant, I couldn’t believe that they were simply roasted with olive oil. How could it be that easy?
Well folks, it is. It’s all about how you slice it and how long you roast it. In terms of chopping a head of cauliflower into steaks, here’s how to do it:
- It starts by picking the largest cauliflower head you can find at the store. The bigger it is, the easier it will be to cut into steaks.
- Rinse the cauliflower head and pat dry.
- Remove the outer leaves and trim the stem end.
- Hold the cauliflower with the base on a cutting board.
- Using a large chef’s knife, cut through the center of the cauliflower to divide it in half.
- Cut each half into two 3/4-inch-thick slices.
- Save the ends and any small florets that fall off to use for salads, snacks or roasting.
Cauliflower steaks are awesome on their own, but in order to turn them into a full meal we’re adding chickpeas and a creamy tahini sauce to the mix.
Does anyone not like roasted chickpeas? The crunch they bring to this dish is amazing. While you could definitely skip the chickpeas, I wouldn’t recommend it. I’m all about the boost of protein and texture that these little guys add.
And then you get to the green tahini sauce. Droooooling just thinking about it! I think I need to have this sauce on hand at all times because it’s good on just about everything. I already used the leftovers as a salad dressing and as a dipping sauce for sweet potato fries and carrot sticks.
Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Chickpeas and Green Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1½ Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 15 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- pinch of cayenne
Green Tahini Sauce
- ½ cup tahini
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup parsley leaves, divided
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ cup water
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Slice cauliflower into four 3/4-inch steaks. Read instructions for slicing the cauliflower above.
- Add cauliflower steaks to a baking sheet and brush each side with a little olive oil. You shouldn’t need more than 1 Tablespoon of oil for this.
- Meanwhile, combine chickpeas, remaining 1/2 Tablespoon of olive oil, cumin, paprika, sea salt and cayenne in a small bowl.
- Spread chickpeas on the baking sheet with the cauliflower steaks and pop in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, flip steaks, toss chickpeas and return to oven to bake for another 15-25 minutes or until cauliflower steaks are cooked through and golden brown.
- While the cauliflower and chickpeas are roasting, you can make the green tahini sauce by adding tahini, olive oil, 3/4 cup parsley, lemon juice, garlic, water and sea salt in a blender. Process until smooth and creamy. Feel free to add more water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, if the sauce seems too thick.
- Add 1/4 cup remaining parsley and blend again — just until combined so you can still see small bits (not big leaves) of green throughout the sauce. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you try this recipe for roasted cauliflower steaks please leave me a comment and star rating letting me know how it turned out for you!
AHH so excited about this green tahini sauce! I see it becoming a new staple. Can’t wait to try!
It’s SO good!! Can’t wait for you to make it. 🙂
Wow So Yummy And Delicious Recipes!
Hi I Am Michel From New Zealand I Like Your Healthy Recipe Because I Love All Food So I Always Try New Recipes At Home Today I Want To Try Your Recipe At Home I Hope It Will Make Good And Tasty With Your Instructions Thanks For Sharing This With Me And Keep Sharing More Delicious Healthy Food Recipes With Me. Thanks Again.
Made this tonight. It was easy and pretty good. The chickpeas and cauli roasted up really nice. The sauce left a little something to be desired…couldn’t put my finger on it. The sauce was REALLY nice texture and consistency…just a little something missing from the overall sauce. I was expecting a “wow” factor from the sauce and it did not come. Wonder how we can play around with it.
This is so good !! I am obsessed 🙂 I switched the tahini for some more chickpeas and turned it into some sort of green hummus (allergy to sesame seeds –) and it was amazing ! Highly recommend
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, Marine. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and star rating. It means the world to me. <3
can you use dried parsley in the sauce , or would it not be enough? looks delicious!
I’m sure that’d be just fine! 🙂
This was my first time trying cauliflower steaks. I did not disapoint. It was easy to prepare. The cauliflower was tender and sweet. The green sauce was a flavorful and the parsley made it refreshing.
Yay! I’m so happy to hear these cauliflower steaks were a hit, Nancy. Thanks for trying them out and coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!
My family would give this 10 stars if they could! I think the success of this recipe is the combo of spices, combined with the uniform thickness of the cauliflower steaks. Much more even than roasting florets!
Ah yay! I am excited to hear that this recipe is a hit, Carla. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!