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    Home » Main dishes

    Vegan cauliflower steaks with lentils & romesco sauce

    Published: Dec 2, 2019 · Modified: Feb 22, 2023 by Cadry Nelson
    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Text overlay: Cauliflower steaks with lentils and romesco sauce. Overhead bowl with cauliflower, lentils, and romesco sauce.

    Vegan cauliflower steaks are an eye-catching, vegetable-forward centerpiece dish.

    Serve them with lentils and a romesco sauce that’s made with roasted bell peppers, tomatoes, breadcrumbs, and almonds.

    With protein from the lentils and a punch of flavor from the romesco, this is a satisfying, dinner party-worthy meal. Vegan & gluten-free.

    Close-up roasted cauliflower steak with lentils and romesco sauce in black bowl.

    Cauliflower is truly having a moment.

    What used to be a simple side dish has now moved into center stage.

    It’s used for everything from pizza crusts, to rice, and even as a main course, as it is today with this cauliflower steak recipe.

    This vegan cauliflower steak recipe is served with lentils, which makes the dish filling & satiating.

    And it’s finished with a generous spoonful of romesco sauce.

    Romesco is a roasted bell pepper & tomato sauce with breadcrumbs and almonds.

    Think of it as the bell pepper’s answer to pesto.

    It comes together really quickly in the food processor.

    Vibrant romesco sauce gives the dish a flair of fanciness.

    But in reality, this cauliflower dish is weeknight and family-friendly.

    You could even pull it out on a Monday!

    (Looking for more ideas for this cruciferous vegetable? Roasted cauliflower steaks are also great with cilantro chimichurri!)

    The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook

    Meatless Monday cookbook by a bowl with vegan cauliflower steaks, lentils, and romesco sauce.

    This vegan cauliflower steak recipe is from the new cookbook by Jenn Sebestyen, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook.

    Jenn is the blogger behind the popular website veggieinspired.com.

    She and I have been blogging buddies for years now.

    And I’m so excited to see her first cookbook out in the world.

    The Meatless Monday Family cookbook includes over 100 plant-based recipes – including vegan mushroom stew, Thai sweet potato curry, vegan chilaquiles, and BBQ chickpea & veggie bowls.

    Jenn is a mom. And that’s reflected in her recipes.

    She shares how to get kids involved in the prepping and cooking.

    Plus, she offers ways to serve vegetables in a manner that will appeal to little ones.

    Now, let’s get cooking!

    How to cut cauliflower steaks

    Place a head of cauliflower stem-side up on a cutting board.

    Cut it in half, right through the middle of the stem.

    Then place one cauliflower half stem-side down.

    Cut a 1-inch slice off the middle.

    That’s your first “steak.”

    Repeat with the other half.

    Then do the whole process over again with the second head of cauliflower.

    (You will have cauliflower left over. Save it for another time.)

    How to make this recipe

    Vegan cauliflower steaks on a baking sheet with parchment paper.

    For this recipe, the cauliflower steaks are roasted in the oven.

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

    Brush each steak with oil.

    Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

    Lay the steaks on a parchment paper covered baking sheet, and roast for 15 minutes.

    Gently flip, and then roast for 10 minutes more until both sides are golden brown.

    French lentils du Puy in a pot on the stove.

    Now it’s time to make the lentils.

    Put lentils, vegetable broth, and thyme into a pot.

    Bring to a boil.

    Then reduce the heat and cover with a lid.

    Simmer for 20 minutes until tender.

    Drain the lentils.

    Then return them to the pot with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and parsley.

    Romesco sauce ingredients in food processor.

    Finally, make the romesco sauce.

    Put drained roasted red peppers from a jar, drained diced fire roasted tomatoes, raw almonds, panko bread crumbs, garlic, smoked paprika, salt, and vinegar into a food processor.

    Process until it’s mostly smooth, and has a texture resembling pesto.

    Ladle romesco sauce onto four plates.

    Then top each one with lentils, and a cauliflower steak.

    Garnish with finely chopped almonds.

    Ways to use leftover cauliflower

    You will have cauliflower left over from this cauliflower steaks recipe.

    Here are some ways to use it.

    • Brown rice bowl with cauliflower & hummus
    • Cauliflower bisque with fried capers
    • Easy roasted cauliflower in the air fryer or oven
    • Creamy cauliflower queso

    Overhead vegan cauliflower steaks in black bowl with romesco sauce and French lentils du Puy.

    📖 Recipe

    Cauliflower steak in black bowl with French lentils and romesco sauce.

    Cauliflower steaks with lentils and romesco sauce

    Author: Jenn Sebestyen
    5 from 5 votes
    We eat a lot of cauliflower in this house. It’s such a versatile vegetable that can take on nearly any role. It can even be the star of the plate! Perfectly roasted, thick cauliflower slices on a bed of protein-packed, herby lentils and smoky romesco sauce. It’s a restaurant-worthy dinner!
    Romesco sauce is like a pesto in texture but made with peppers. Many versions are thickened with leftover bread, but here I’m using panko bread crumbs because they’re a pantry staple and they help create that wonderful pesto-like texture. My version is smoky and a little sweet, and it pairs well with a variety of dishes. Try it on pasta or rice. Use it as a dip for garlic bread or quesadillas, or simply drizzle it over roasted vegetables. Makes about 3 cups of romesco sauce.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Spanish, Vegan
    Keyword: cauliflower steak recipe, sauce recipe, vegan bowl
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    For the cauliflower steaks

    • 2 heads cauliflower
    • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
    • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

    For the lentils

    • 1 cup French green lentils or brown lentils
    • 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
    • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
    • 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

    For the romesco sauce

    • 1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers drained
    • 1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes drained
    • ½ cup raw almonds + additional finely chopped almonds for garnish
    • ¼ cup panko bread crumbs or regular bread crumbs
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
    • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
    • 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

    Instructions

    To make the cauliflower steaks

    • Preheat the oven to 400°F.
    • Place a head of cauliflower stem-side up on a cutting board. Cut it in half through the middle of the stem. Carefully trim away all the green leaves from both halves, taking care not to cut the florets from the core. If the stem is rather long, cut the bottom half off, again being very careful not to cut too far up so the florets stay attached. Now place one half stem-side down and cut a 1-inch slice off the middle. This is your “steak.” Repeat with the other half, and then repeat the whole process with the other head of cauliflower. Save the remaining florets that you aren’t using for steaks for another time.
    • Brush both sides of each “steak” generously with the olive oil. In a small bowl, stir together the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Sprinkle on the cauliflower steaks; you likely won’t use it all. Roast the cauliflower for 15 minutes, gently flip over, and roast for 10 more minutes until golden brown on both sides.

    For the lentils

    • Meanwhile, place the lentils, vegetable broth, and thyme in a pot on the stove. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and return the lentils to the pot. Add the salt, pepper, lemon juice, and parsley. Stir, taste, and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.

    For the romesco sauce

    • Place roasted red peppers, drained diced fire roasted tomatoes, ½ cup raw almonds, panko bread crumbs, garlic, smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, and balsamic vinegar in a food processor. Process until mostly smooth. It should resemble a pesto in texture, so it won’t be totally smooth.

    To serve

    • Ladle ¼ to ½ cup of romesco sauce on each plate, topped with one-quarter of the lentils, and one cauliflower steak. Garnish with finely chopped almonds.

    Notes

    Reprinted with permission from Jenn Sebestyen and Fair Winds Press, an imprint of Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. © 2019.
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 466kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 2735mg | Potassium: 1161mg | Fiber: 21g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 2273IU | Vitamin C: 187mg | Calcium: 228mg | Iron: 8mg

    Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook, so that I could produce this review. As always, the thoughts & opinions are totally my own.

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    About Cadry Nelson

    Cadry Nelson is the writer, photographer, and recipe creator behind Cadry’s Kitchen, a vegan food & lifestyle blog started in 2009. Through approachable recipes, vegan travel guides, and down-to-earth discussions on the social aspects of being vegan, Cadry shows that living a vegan lifestyle is deliciously uncomplicated. Cadry has been featured on NBC News, Mashable, Today, Reader's Digest, Yahoo, Delish, Shape, and Huffington Post.

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    1. Bridget

      January 17, 2022 at 6:59 am

      5 stars
      I’ve been plant based for about two years, and still afraid to invite people over for dinner because I don’t know what to serve them. This recipe is perfect and delicious! It’s visually appealing/impressive, tastes great, and isn’t too hard to make. I plan to serve it with a hearty salad and thick bread. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Cadry Nelson

        January 21, 2022 at 9:48 am

        That’s great to hear, Bridget. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Best of luck with your dinner party!

        Reply
    2. Jane Martorana

      August 05, 2021 at 1:34 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious and a definite hit with my husband too!!

      Reply
      • Cadry Nelson

        August 05, 2021 at 2:23 pm

        I’m so glad that you and your husband enjoyed it! Thank you for letting me know!

        Reply
    3. Sue

      December 13, 2019 at 11:04 am

      5 stars
      Delicious! My nonvegan husband and I both loved it. Thanks for a delicious recipe.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        December 13, 2019 at 12:46 pm

        I’m so glad to hear it was a hit, Sue. Thank you for letting me know!

        Reply
    4. Bianca Phillips

      December 02, 2019 at 4:50 pm

      I love me a good cauliflower steak! But I do typically need some sort of protein side to make sure I’m not hungry an hour later. This looks perfect with the lentils!!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        December 02, 2019 at 8:35 pm

        I agree completely! Roasted cauliflower is always so good, but there’s not a lot of fat, calories, or protein there. So having something protein-dense along with it really helps the meal to be satiating.

        Reply
    5. David

      December 02, 2019 at 9:07 am

      5 stars
      This was extremely delicious! Looking forward to trying more recipes from Jenn’s book. 🙂

      Reply
      • Cadry

        December 02, 2019 at 8:34 pm

        I agree! You’ve got to love a recipe that’s weeknight-friendly & tasty to boot!

        Reply
    6. Jenn

      December 02, 2019 at 8:46 am

      Cadry, thank you so much for your wonderful review! I’m so happy you loved this recipe and are enjoying the book!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        December 02, 2019 at 8:33 pm

        My pleasure! Thank you for making such a delicious recipe & beautiful book. I know it’s going to be a big success!

        Reply

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