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Two roasted garlic cauliflower steaks on a white plate drizzled with tahini sauce, parsley, and sesame seeds

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Steaks with Tahini

Oven-roasted cauliflower steaks with garlic and a simple tahini drizzle. Vegan, gluten-free, and on the table in 40 minutes.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 245
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cauliflower Steaks
  • 1 (about 1 kg) large cauliflower head trimmed, cut into 4 steaks about 3 cm thick
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 8 garlic cloves whole, unpeeled
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper freshly ground
Tahini Sauce
  • 60 ml (1/4 cup) tahini well-stirred, runny consistency
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • 3 to 4 tbsp cold water added gradually to reach drizzling consistency
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 small clove garlic grated or finely minced
To Serve (optional)
  • small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 4 lemon wedges

Method
 

Prep
  1. Heat the oven to 220 C / 430 F. Place a large rimmed sheet pan on the middle rack while the oven heats.
  2. Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower. Trim the base of the stem flat so the head sits steady. Cut straight down through the center to make 4 steaks, each about 3 cm thick. Reserve any loose florets for another use or roast alongside.
  3. In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper.
Roast
  1. Remove the hot sheet pan from the oven carefully. Lay the cauliflower steaks flat on the pan in a single layer. Brush or spoon the spiced oil generously over both sides of each steak.
  2. Scatter the whole garlic cloves around the steaks on the pan.
  3. Roast for 15 minutes until the cut face is deep golden and starting to char at the edges. Flip each steak carefully using a wide spatula. Roast for another 10 minutes until the second side is browned and a fork slides through the thickest part of the stem with slight resistance.
Make the Tahini Sauce
  1. While the cauliflower roasts, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, grated garlic, and salt in a small bowl. The mixture will seize and thicken first.
  2. Add cold water one tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition, until the sauce is smooth and drizzles easily from a spoon. It should be pourable but not watery.
Serve
  1. Remove the pan from the oven. Rest the steaks for 3 minutes. Squeeze the soft roasted garlic from its skin and scatter over the steaks, or serve the cloves whole alongside.
  2. Arrange steaks on plates. Drizzle generously with tahini sauce. Top with chopped parsley and sesame seeds if using. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Notes

A preheated sheet pan is the single most important step here. It gives the cauliflower an immediate sear on contact rather than letting it sit and soften before browning.