Vegan cauliflower steaks with lentils & 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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.