Ok, first things first. These cauliflower steaks do not taste anything like steak. Not one bit, but I’m guessing you already knew that since you’re reading this blog and are therefore quite savvy and sophisticated. And, as any sophisticated plant eater knows, trying to replicate the taste of meat in a plant based diet is a fool’s errand. It’s not gonna happen. And that’s ok, because there are so many fabulous veggies out there to play with, our taste buds will never be bored.
Like for reals, do you think it’s possible to be bored eating meaty (wink) cauliflower steaks with herbed lentils, lemony arugula, and a heavenly roasted pistachio mint pesto. I think not! This is plant based eating at it’s finest, my friends. Reminiscent of one of my earlier and still favorite recipes on The Mostly Vegan, Roasted Vegetables with Raisin-Caper Chimichurri, this dish also utilizes a flavor bomb sauce to jazz up the otherwise humble cauliflower. The construction of the plate starts with a generous helping of delicately herbed lentils (make a double batch for tossing on salads all week!), which amp up the protein and lend their undeniable earthiness. Next comes the cauliflower steaks, seared on the stovetop to develop a gorgeous golden brown crust and then finished in the oven until they’re fork tender and just starting to fall apart. The steaks are topped with peppery arugula – simply dressed with a squeeze of lemon and hit of salt and pepper – providing a refreshing acidity.
And to top it all of, my newest, most favoritest pesto in the whole wide world – Pistachio Mint. How have I waited so long to get to the pesto?! It’s seriously the best part. Totally vegan and bursting with flavor from the simplest combo of roasted pistachios and fresh mint. I’ve been eating leftovers by the spoonful and I won’t be stopped. It’s fresh and springy, decadent from the rich pistachios, and just a bit (naturally) sweet from the mint.
So go ahead, veg out on this dish and make all the meat eaters jealous.
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 handfuls arugula
- juice of half a lemon
- sea salt & pepper
- ½ cup green lentils
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups loosely packed mint leaves
- ½ cup pistachios
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for lentils in a pot. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer and cook, covered for 35-40 minutes, until lentils are tender but not mushy. Discard bay leaf and thyme sprig.
- For the cauliflower, cut off sides to make as straight as possible, saving florets for another time. Cut remaining head into three, 1 - 1½ inch thick steaks. (This will depend on the size of your cauliflower.)
- Heat a cast iron skillet, or other oven safe sauté pan, on the stovetop over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once oil is hot, add the cauliflower steaks to skillet. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper. Cook until well browned, about 5 minutes then flip the steaks over. Season other side with salt and pepper then place skillet in oven. Cook until steaks can easily be pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes.
- To toast pistachios, spread out on a cookie sheet and bake in a 400 F oven for 6 - 8 minutes. Allow to cool.
- Combine all ingredients, except for olive oil in a food processor. With processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil and allow to run until oil is just incorporated, about 20 seconds. Leftover pesto can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Toss arugula with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Divide lentils between two plates and top with cauliflower steaks. Pile arugula on top of steaks and drizzle with pesto.
Pistachio mint pesto? Mind blown! This sounds so good. With the herbed lentils and the cauliflower “steaks” (haha) – this sounds like a fantastic meal bursting with flavour. Yum!
Thanks, Kimmy! Make the pesto, you’ll love it!
This looks so delicious! The dish is such a unique combination of flavors. I must try it.
Thanks, Jackie!
Wow, i love that you have added so many layers and textures to this dish. Can’t want to try it.
Thank you, Jo!
Such a beautiful combination of ingredients and what a lovely meal. Thank you for sharing with us at #FoodieFriDIY! I’ve stopped by to do some extra sharing and also to let you know that I’m featuring your meal this week! Thank you again!
Thanks so much, Debra! So glad I found the #FoodieFriDIY community.
This looks amazing! My hubby & I were just talking about trying a Cauliflower steak recipe, so perfect timing!! Thank you for all the info & that pesto sounds amazing. I am looking forward to trying this recipe, Pinned 🙂
“The Mostly Vegan”???
´Veganism denotes a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as possible and practical, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose; and by extension promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals, and the environment.´
– Donald Watson, founder of the Vegan Society and inventor of the word vegan
Hi Heather, yup mostly vegan. This is a food/cooking blog and even though I may let a little dairy sneak into my diet once in a while, my goal is to inspire others to get in the kitchen and eat a more plant based diet.
I love your positive reply to this comment. I too consider myself “mostly vegan”. Although not 100% of my life supports the definition provided by Heather, I make no apologies. I do my best with a clear conscience and a good heart. I see you do as well. I just discovered this page, LOVE IT!! Looking forward to the pistachio mint pesto with the very green pasta salad!
Hi Julie, thank you for your sweet comment! I think there are probably a lot of us “mostly vegans” out there. 🙂
This was amazing! Any idea of calorie count etc?
So glad you liked it, Lisa! I don’t include calorie counts with my recipes, just because I’m a former calorie counter and for me at least, it was a slippery slope of being too focused on the numbers instead of the quality of food I was eating. I know that it’s super helpful for others though, and I’ve had comments from people using some of the various online calorie counting tools to determine counts for their own info.
I just made this for dinner and it was delicious! My husband made a yummy noise after his first bite and then said he wished he could have twice as much. Thanks for sharing, I will definitely make it again. Any ideas for the left over pesto?
This dish looks so delicious! It’s always great to see other vegans encouraging a plant-based diet. I’m planning on making this dish tomorrow, but my husband can’t have pistachios, could I replace them with pine nuts or walnuts? Or could you suggest a different sauce if not? I thought of making it with pine nuts and basil but he can’t have basil either.
Does this work well as leftovers too?
Hi Salam, not sure what you ended up using as substitutions, but I think any other nut would work really well in the pesto. Toasted almonds actually come to mind first as the best substitute.