with warm garlic harissa chickpea salad and mediterranean “steak sauce” (muhammara) … cauliflower steak recipe adapted from The Cozy Apron
Cauliflower becomes the star of the meal when cut into thick steaks and roasted until tender and crispy. Served with creamy garlicky harissa chickpeas, wilted greens and an addictive mediterranean “steak sauce”, this hearty plant based meal will win your heart!
I can’t believe I waited this long to try cauliflower steaks. I’ve been wanting to make them for AGES … and finally, prompted by stories from my yoga friends of cauliflower steak meals they’ve had at local restaurants (seriously? I really need to get out more often!), I decided I HAD to get my butt in gear and MAKE some.
I perused many many recipes, debating how I should spice them, what should I put on my cauliflower steaks, I settled on a Mediterranean inspired recipe that would help me use some of the delightful harissa paste I made last summer in the heat of the harvest.
I was kind of surprised at how easily cauliflower can step in and be the star of the meal, making its best attempt at imitating a STEAK (of all things). For you meat lovers, I’m not going to lie: a cauliflower steak is nothing like a real steak. But it IS hearty and satisfying and yes, it makes a great plant-based meal. Especially topped with a nice spread of sweet-tangy-spicy muhummara for “steak sauce” and a creamy warm chickpea “salad” also seasoned with that amazing spiced umami harissa paste. The harissa spreads its warmth and flavor all over this meal, and makes it so quick to prepare.
What is harissa?
In case you haven’t heard of harissa, I thought perhaps I ought to introduce you. Harissa is the basic flavoring for Tunisian cuisine and is frequently used in middle eastern dishes as well. You can use it on meats, chicken or fish, in soups and sauces, stir it into eggs to spice up your mornings, toss it with roasted vegetables, even add some to your cocktail. The possibilities are endless! I fell in love with harissa after reviewing Alice Phillips’ cookbook Ally’s Kitchen: a Passport for Adventurous Palates, but then I decided to try making harissa paste and I love that even more than the powdered version.
What is muhammara?
Muhammara is a middle eastern dip/spread made of roasted red peppers, garlic, walnuts and a bit of pomegranate molasses. It’s a totally addictive dip that also makes an excellent condiment, especially with cauliflower steaks. I have always thought that harissa and muhammara would be excellent together, but I’ve not tried them together before today.
Both harissa and muhammara can be purchased at ethnic/specialty stores or online, but I also have the recipes for them if you want to try making your own. They are both supremely easy to make and so much better when made at home.
Try the homemade harissa paste and/or the muhammara recipe here. Both of them freeze beautifully, so you can make up a big batch and have them on hand for seasoning your meals or an easy appetizer at a moment’s notice. Trust me, you won’t be sorry.
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Harissa Roasted Cauliflower Steaks
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the cauliflower steaks:
- 1 large fresh head of cauliflower
- 1 Tablespoon harissa paste (recipe here … or use store bought)
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- Red Robin Seasoning or your favorite seasoned salt
For the garlic harissa chickpeas:
- 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 – 3 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
- 2 banana peppers or 1 large Hatch green chile pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 – 3 mini sweet peppers, seeded and chopped
- 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 – 3 Tablespoons harissa paste (to taste)
- 3 cups fresh chopped kale or spinach leaves
To serve with the steaks: Muhummara (recipe here … or use store bought)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Brush a large baking sheet with avocado oil. Cut the cauliflower head into steaks by slicing vertically down the center, then slice each side again to make 1 inch thick “steaks”. You’ll get 4 – 6 steaks, depending on how big your cauliflower is. The rest of the cauliflower can be separated and enjoyed raw or roasted.
- In a small bowl, stir together the harissa paste and olive oil. Brush each steak on both sides with the harissa oil and sprinkle lightly with a bit of salt and pepper. Set on the prepared baking sheet.
- Roast at 400 for 10 minutes on one side, then flip the steaks and roast for 10 – 15 minutes on the other side, or until the steaks are tender and the edges are browned.
- Meanwhile, heat the 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and stir until fragrant, then add the peppers and saute a couple minutes more. Stir in the chickpeas and harissa, then the greens. Saute until the greens are wilted. Taste and adjust the amount of harissa to your liking.
- Serve the hot steaks with a spoonful or two of muhummara and a nice helping of the chickpea “salad”. Enjoy!
Notes
RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/
© Copyright 2019, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cauliflower steak with 1/4 of the "salad"
1 comment
Looks good.