I'm so excited to share these Vegan Za'atar Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with you today! They take less than 30 minutes to make and are super delicious. Made with za'atar, garlic, onion, and sesame oil. Serve with toasted bread and hummus or guacamole. Or, my favorite, with mashed potatoes, which is how I served these steaks in the photos!
How many cauliflower recipes are too many? If it were up to me there would never be enough. These Za'atar Roasted Cauliflower Steaks are definitely one of my favorite recipes. They're so easy to make! I usually cut the cauliflower into florets but cutting them into steaks just makes the dish more special. It's just more fun that way, ya know? That being said, you can cut them into florets to keep it quick and simple.
Check out my Cajun Roasted Cauliflower Salad, it's actually one of the most popular recipes on the blog!
Whenever I cook with cauliflower, I wonder if there's a vegetable that's messier than cauliflower but I honestly doubt it. Cauliflower goes EVERYWHERE when you're cutting it. No matter how hard you try, it crumbles and little pieces roll away from the cutting board. But hey, I can make my peace with the messy kitchen if the result is something this tasty!
I've been wanting to share this recipe since last year when I posted the recipe for Homemade Za'atar Spice Blend. I took the photos but didn't like them (hello perfectionist problems) and never got to reshooting them until now and I'm excited to finally share the recipe with you! It's super simple and easy to make. All you need is cauliflower, sesame oil, maple syrup (optional, but I add it to make the cauliflower steaks nice and caramelized), za'atar spice blend, onion & garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper. That's it!
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How to cut cauliflower into steaks?
Start by removing the outer leaves from the cauliflower and trim the stem a little but do not remove it completely. Cut the cauliflower in half lengthwise. Slice a 1-1 ½" (3cm) thick steak from each side using only the middle part of the cauliflower making sure the steam is attached. That's what keeping the steaks from falling apart.
You only get two steaks out of one head of cauliflower. This recipe calls for two heads of cauliflower so you'll get four steaks. If your cauliflower is extra-large, you might get one or two more but they'll be harder to cut and keep together because the stem won't hold them together. You can reserve the rest of the florets that don't connect to the stem for another recipe or roast them along with the cauliflower steaks.
Serving suggestion:
I like serving these with these simple vegan mashed potatoes, or toasted bread with homemade hummus or guacamole!
📖 Recipe
Za'atar Roasted Cauliflower Steaks
Delicious savory vegan cauliflower steaks. Easy and fun to make! Serve with mashed potatoes, or toasted bread and hummus or guacamole.
- Total Time40 minutes
- Yield4 steaks + florrets 1x
- DietVegan
Ingredients
- 2 heads of cauliflower
- ¼ sesame oil (not toasted, light in color)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 3 tbsp za'atar spice blend
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- sea salt and pepper
- mashed potatoes, charred green beans, roasted vegetables, quinoa, or your favorite side for serving
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425F (220C).
- Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower and trim the stem a little but do not remove it completely. Cut the cauliflower in half lengthwise Slice a 1-1 ½" (3cm) thick steak from each side using only the middle part of the cauliflower making sure the steam is attached. That's what is keeping the steaks from falling apart. Reserve the rest of the florets that don't connect to the stem for another recipe or roast them along with the cauliflower steaks.
- Combine the sesame oil, maple syrup, za'atar spice blend, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Place the cauliflower steaks on a baking sheet (lined with baking paper - optional) and brush each steak with the mixture on both sides. Be careful not to break the steaks apart. Use leftovers of the mixture for the cauliflower florets that fell off the stem.
- Roast for 25-30 minutes or until soft. Do not flip.
- Best served immediately. Sprinkle with more Za'atar if desired.
Notes
I'm using sesame oil to enhance the sesame flavor but you can use any high heat cooking oil you like (avocado is my favorite). If you want to make the recipe simpler, you can just cut the cauliflower into florets. Perfect on salads!
Nutrition details below are for the whole 2 heads of cauliflower divided by 4, not just the two steaks.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
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Emily Terrell says
Growing up, I really didn't like cauliflower. I thought of them as bland versions of broccoli. As an adult, I am seeing how wrong I was! It has so many different ways to be served. And this latest one looks AMAZING!
Ramil Hinolan says
I have not seen Za'atar in my whole life. But, the dish looks super delicions.
Christie says
I was talking to my family last night about needing to create a meal plan of recipes and this is definitely going on ours for next week!! Looks awesome!
Nina says
Oh I love the touch with the maple syrup, this sounds like a super yummy recipe!
Krizzia Scollon says
This looks really delicious! Great way to cook cauliflower!