I’ve been wanting to share a cauliflower steak for the longest time, and my beloved version is finally here!
If you’ve never had cauliflower “steak,” it’s exactly what it sounds like: cauliflower sliced lengthwise into “steaks,” seasoned, and either grilled or roasted (I went for roasted) until tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. Swoon!
My take is simple, requiring just 30 minutes and 10 ingredients to prepare, which includes my go-to green chutney sauce!
For seasoning the cauliflower, I went with my DIY Shawarma Spice Blend, which creates a smoky, subtly spicy coating that pairs perfectly with the chutney. Learn more about the origin of the dish known as “shawarma,” as well as its accompanying spice blend here!
The end result is PERFECT! It’s:
Smoky
Tender on the inside
Crispy on the outside
Served with an Indian-inspired green chutney
Hearty
Satisfying
& Incredibly healthy!
I love this either as a hearty side or served atop a bed of quinoa for more protein (see recipe + notes for more options!)! It could also pair especially well with my Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes, Garlicky Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas, Curried Butternut Squash Soup, or Chickpea Shawarma Dip!
If you try this recipe, let us know how it goes! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Shawarma Roasted Cauliflower “Steak”
Ingredients
CAULIFLOWER STEAKS
- 1 large head cauliflower (rinsed, green leaves peeled)
- 1 Tbsp coconut or olive oil (if oil-free, sub water or maple syrup)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp maple syrup (if avoiding sugar, omit)
- 2 1/2 tsp shawarma spice blend (or similar spices you have on hand!)
5-MINUTE GREEN CHUTNEY
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro (~3 ounces as original recipe is written // stems mostly removed)
- 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
- ~1/4 tsp each Salt + pepper (to taste)
- 1 large lime, juiced (~3 Tbsp or 45 ml as original recipe is written // or sub lemon)
- 1 Tbsp sweetener (such as maple syrup // plus more to taste)
- 1-2 Tbsp water (to thin)
- 1/2 medium avocado (optional // for extra creaminess)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and slice your cauliflower into 1-inch “steaks,” leaving the large stem at the bottom so it helps the “steaks” hold together.
- Place on a bare or parchment-lined baking sheet and rub the “steaks” with oil (or water), sea salt, maple syrup, and shawarma spice blend to evenly coat. Be gentle, as the cauliflower steaks can break apart, which is no big deal (but it’s ideal if they remain in one solid piece).
- Bake for 20-25 minutes total, flipping carefully once at the halfway point to ensure even browning on both sides, or until tender and browned.
- In the meantime, prepare the chutney by adding all ingredients (besides water // avocado is optional) to a food processor or high-speed blender and blend on high to combine, scraping down sides as needed. Then add water until a creamy sauce is formed.
- Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more maple syrup for sweetness, salt for overall flavor, garlic for kick, or lime for acidity. Add to a serving dish (store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days).
- Serve by plating cauliflower and drizzling with chutney sauce. This makes a generous side dish, or to make this a more complete meal, serve over a bed of quinoa, alongside beans or hummus, or with roasted vegetables and tahini (like this salad).
- Store leftover cauliflower steaks in the refrigerator up to 2 days, though best when fresh. Reheat in a hot skillet on the stovetop or in a 350-degree F (176 C) oven.
Video
Notes
*Use your leftover chutney on my Samosa Potato Cakes and Vegetable Pakoras!
Meg says
Awesome recipe, made it twice now. So simple and such bright vibrant flavors. I love.
I always wind up with food scraps (i.e. broccoli and cauliflower stems, herb stems, carrot peels, ginger peel, mango skins). I make veggie broth with them sometimes, but more often I waste them. Would love ideas for cooking with unloved bits of produce if you ever get a chance!
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Meg. Thank you for sharing! And we’ll add that to our recipe requests list =)
DonnaC says
A wow recipe! Delicious and beautiful on the plate. I sever with bulgar, sprinkled with caramelised red onions with black onion (Kalonji) seeds, hummus and chick peas (which I mixed around in the food processor with a spoon to collect the last bits in the food processor that I couldn’t scrape out) . Thank you for this recipe, another winner!
Yumm, sounds like an amazing dish you put together, Donna! Thank you for the lovely review. xo
Jasmine says
Really really good. Will be making this again soon! Served with roasted potatoes and steamed mange-tout 😋. Was in a bit of a rush so just eyeballed those shawarma spices with some oil and fresh garlic, chillies and ginger then rubbed on the steaks and left to marinade all day.
Sounds like an incredible meal! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Jasmine! xo
Holly says
The cauliflower was great and the chutney, oh my!!! It will be good on so many things (including just a spoon, lol), that I’m making more today and it will definitely be a larger quantity!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Holly!
Geoff. says
Wonderful food like this is helping me on my path to becoming a full-time Vegan. The cauliflower was easy to prepare and cook.. I added a little extra hot spice to my liking and the green chutney was brilliant. This dish will become a weekly regular in my household.
So great! Thanks for sharing, Geoff!
Ginnie says
This recipe is fantastic. So simple but packed full of wonderful flavour. Could not recommend it highly enough.
I’m sure it will become part of my repertoire.
Really a WOW dish. Thank you for sharing.
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Ginnie. Thanks so much for sharing!
Carissa says
This sounds delicious and going on my meal planning menu for this week! Is there another herb I could use instead of cilantro for the sauce? I’m in the cilantro is no bueno camp :)
Ooh, that’s a toughie, but I’d say a mix of parsley and mint, and even a little basil might be nice!
Steve Backman says
Love this recipe. On second time through, added more pepper, a bit more lime, and cut back the salt.
Thanks for sharing, Steve!
Christine Maier says
I have to admit that this is my second time leaving a review, but I had to share that the other day someone asked my 5 year old what her favorite food is and without hesitation she said cauliflower! I am pretty sure I have you and this recipe to thank! “Thank you!”
Whoop! That’s AMAZING! Thanks so much for sharing, Christine! xo
Kate S says
This was delicious! Absolute favourite! The spice and cauliflower combination will be a regular dish for me now – much better than the usual garlic, lemon one I make. Thank you.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kate! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Malka says
Fairly quick, very easy, all the components go well together.
A delicious dish with the “chutney” and seasoning.
Also, the cauliflower was perfectly roasted. A definite keeper.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Malka! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Christine Maier says
Yum! This turned out even more delicious than I thought it would. I will make it again! My entire family loved it, including my 1 year old and 4 year old (who had previously claimed she didn’t like cauliflower anymore!). We served it with your 3 ingredient tahini sauce and a Fattoush salad. Thank you for your recipes and videos. Your website is awesome!
Aw, thanks so much, Christine! We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it! xo
Madeline says
Will be sharing this recipe with all my flexitarian friends… ALSO love having this Shawarma seasoning on deck… it’s soooo tasty!! Cannot wait to make this again.
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Madeline! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for passing the recipe along!
Bob E says
Served with new pots and French green beans, was definitely 10/10 from someone who hardly ever makes comments.
xoxo!
Beth says
This recipe is a slam dunk for my foodie vegan friends. My ribeye loving husband even gave it thumbs up!
Wonderful! Thanks, Beth!
Ed says
I followed the recipe as written. Was excellent. My wife wasn’t too sure about it, but she gives it a thumbs up as well. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing!
Marion Beram says
This was OUT OF THIS WORLD! We served it with mac and cheese and green sauce. Next time, I might add some raw cashews on top for some extra crunch. The green sauce made it extra special. Will definitely be making this again
Whoop! So glad to hear it, Marion. Thanks for the lovely review! xo
Amanda Wilson says
I made this recipe a couple of days ago for my daughter. I made my own shawarma spice blend as I wouldn’t begin to know where to look for it here in Germany. The cauliflower I bought was huge so I halved it and also did the Red Curry Cauliflower Wings recipe. It was all delicious and easy and quick to make. I served them alongside a baked sweet potato with guacamole. I’ve saved the recipes so I can make them again. Definitely two thumbs up :)
Lovely, thanks for sharing Amanda!
Amanda says
Does the nutritional information include the half a avacado?
Hi Amanda, no, it does not. We calculate our nutritional info without optional ingredients (unless otherwise specified). Hope that helps!
Caro says
This was just fantastic – we made it exactly as per the recipe, including the coriander sauce (as we’d call it in the UK), and it was great. We used it as a side dish to chicken strips, which we dusted with the shawarma rub, and griddled. We also had blackened red peppers and tomatoes, and home-made pitta bread. Wish I could upload a picture!
Hi Caro, that sounds lovely! Thanks for the review. For future reference, feel free to take a picture and post to instagram with the hashtag #minimalistbaker!
Tam says
I made this tonight and was delighted – it is so delicious! The cauliflower is full of subtle flavours from the shawarma spice and the oven roasting, and the sauce is an absolute joy that zings brightly across it. I used a bit more avocado and left the sauce quite thick – which I really enjoyed.
Jbeez says
The taste was good but make no mistake – this is a single persons meal. I chased myself out of a room more than once and it lasted all night long – what’s worse is that I’m not single so it was double the phew.
Shane says
SOOOOO good!! I served this on a bed of your Roasted Jalapeno Hummus then besides the chutney (made with parsley vs. cilantro), I also drizzled with some of your Romesco sauce. Gorgeous presentation and SO amazing! The only change when I make it next time is much less maple syrup on the cauliflower; we felt it did not need the sweet. Thank you SO very much for making healthy eating a delight!
Whoop! We’re so glad you hear that, Shane!
Kerry says
This was amazing…….the green chutney was so flavoursome……will be putting on all my roasted veg in future!!! I made butterbean mash on the side and the chutney was lovely on that too x
Kate says
I have to say that this was one of the most delicious cauliflower recipes I have ever made! It was super easy, the perfect blend of sweet and salt+spice….the only part I was confused with was once I turn the steaks over, do I add more maple syrup and spices or leave alone. I decided to season both sides and it was the right answer. Also, instead of avocado for the sauce, I used a wee bit of vegan coconut yoghurt. I used a Vitamix for the cilantro sauce and think it would have been better in the cuisinart as it was too liquidy. A chunkier sauce would have been preferable, but the taste was divine regardless. Finally, I served this with Persian sour cherry rice. YUM YUM!!!!
Thanks for sharing, Kate! xo
Cindy says
Hi! Is this a really spicy dish? We have 2 in our family of 5 that can’t do Spicey. Any suggestions on how to make it mild but flavorful. Thanks!
Hi Cindy! It is very subtly spicy but feel free to adjust the spice blend to your liking (I’d cut down the cayenne and paprika if you’d prefer low spice). Hope this helps!
bethany says
This recipe sounds great! Is it possible to air fry the cauliflower instead of bake? And I’m not a big schawarma fan, so can I put any sort of seasons on here?
Thanks!
Hmm we haven’t tried, Bethany! The seasoning is flexible and you can add any of your favorites. Good luck!
Sara says
I made this tonight and loved it. I used basil instead of cilantro and half an avocado. I think next time I will triple the sauce–it was that good! Thank you.
Heidi says
I just made this for lunch today. I followed the sugar free option, and added the suggested 1/2 avocado to the chutney. It was SO GOOD. I’m looking forward to having it again tomorrow, and I will definitely be making it again! Thanks!
KoshKook says
How long will the chutney last? Can I make it the day before?
Yes you can!
Lesley says
Delicious! My husband is not a big cauliflower eater and he loved this recipe. It will be my go-to recipe for cauliflower and whenever I need to make a side dish for us or for a party.
Glad to hear it, Lesley!
Q says
The “chutney” sounds good, but is more like a chimichurri.
Any recommendations on how to get the cauliflower sliced into steaks without crumbling?
Hi! The larger the cauliflower, the easier it will be to cut into steaks. Hold the cauliflower with its base on a cutting board, and using a sharp knife, make one cut through the center of the cauliflower to cut in half. With each half, cut 1-inch thick slices, leaving the stem on to hold it together. Hope this helps!
Stephan Eichert says
I saw one recipe that said to cut the cauliflower in half. Then it wouldn’t be a steak and you couldn’t flip it but it might all hold together.
Julia says
Delicious! :)
Kayla says
Delicious!
Patrick says
I’ve made this a few times now and love it! Tons of flavor and just really satisfying. The shawarma spice blend is awesome to have on hand in the kitchen too.
Sarah says
Delicious! I have been transitioning to a mostly plant based diet and was looking for a cauliflower steak recipe – I’m so glad google helped me stumble across this blog! I made the cauliflower steak tonight with a salad and sweet potato, turned out fantastic. Thank you! I’m looking forward to trying out more recipes from your blog. :)
Tink says
Love Love Love this recipe and your Shawarma Spice blend is now a new fave. Yum yum yum
Sophia Shanks says
This was amazing! My mum and I are trying to cut down our meat intake and this was our first vegan recipe to start off our “Meatless Mondays”. We absolutely loved it!! The Cauliflower we had was huge so ended up doubling the spice blend and chutney (the chutney was incredible in itself), and found that we had the perfect amount for the dish. My mum and I don’t eat a lot of spiced/hot food, so we were sniffling at the end of this, but it was a nice sort of warming spicy (probably wasn’t actually that spicy! We just aren’t used to it), not a make your eyes stream and throat burn like hell fire spicy. It’s safe to say that this recipe will definitely be used again in our household :)
Natasha says
Wow! the Chutney is fabulous.. Making the Shawarma Steaks tonight..if the are half as good as the Chutney they will be amazing!
Kiko says
I wanted to try making this but I dont have an oven. :(
Kirstin says
This recipe is a keeper! Followed exactly as is and served over brown basmati rice. My fiancé and I both loved the flavor of the shawarma spices and chutney together. Very delicious. Can’t wait to make it again!
Sasha says
Made this tonight minus the chutney as I didn’t have those ingredients and I thought it was good. I think if I make this again, I will omit the maple syrup, I thought it was too sweet.
Juliana says
I just ate this for lunch! I l LOVE this chutney. It reminds me of chimichurri. I’m gonna put some leftover on my sandwich for work tomorrow
Victoria the Justice Pirate says
This sounds and looks amazing!!!!
Matt says
I can’t believe I’m saying this as a life-long cilantro hater, but I made this and loved the chutney! My family of 5 went vegan two years ago and it wouldn’t have been possible without this website. I do all the cooking in the house and use your recipes for 4 dinners per week (on average). Thank you!
Thanks Matt!
Amanda Gen says
I hate cilantro too and was scrolling over the comments to see if someone suggested a substitution for the chutney, but after seeing this I’m going to give it a whirl! I rely on Dana’s recipes at least 3 nights a week if not more too after going vegan a year ago.
Michelle says
I made this for dinner last night with the mediterranean sweet potatoes and it was amazing! Highly recommend this for a quick and hearty dinner. Minimalist Baker is the absolute best!
Thank you!
Emma says
Hi Dana! Would subbing basil for cilantro work for the chutney?
Hi Emma! We haven’t tried it but it should work!
Isabel says
It works, I’ve just mixed both and it tastes nice!
Great Vegan says
The “Naked Lunch” makes a version of this that is delicious!! (restaurant at Moms Organic) I will try to slice this or ask the restaurant how they get the slices to work.
kungaa josep says
You have turned me onto so many things; this is going to be next meal to try.
I wish you could deliver this too.
Lucinda says
Well the huge cauliflower I just split with my mom is already broken into flowerettes, but I was looking for some sort of cauliflower curry or roasted cauliflower recipe to use it in . . . guessing this will work fine . . . even minus the “steak” angle. :)
Totally! You need a pretty big cauliflower to make this work. And florets work the same!
Kelli @ Hungry Hobby says
I’m obsessed with Shawarma right now bring it on!
The Planted Vegan says
Love the idea of a cauliflower steak.. love that you paired it with an incredible looking chutney! Can’t wait to try this out!