These Golden Cauliflower Steaks are deeply seared and roasted until tender, then served over silky whipped sweet potatoes and finished with a rustic caper-almond gremolata and charred lemon. Savoury, bright, crunchy and creamy, with so many layers of flavour and texture in every bite. And it all happens to be vegan.
Creating delicious, full-flavoured plant-based recipes is an important focus for our family, especially with our mix of dietary needs and food restrictions, and this dish proves you never have to compromise on taste to gather everyone at the same table.
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Sensory Contrast: Silky, naturally sweet potatoes pair with deeply browned, savory cauliflower steaks and a crunchy, bright gremolata.
- Hearty Plant-Forward Main: Substantial enough to anchor a meal without relying on heavy dairy or meat substitutes.
- Zero-Waste Prep: Trimmings and extra florets easily transform into roasted sides or blended soups.
- Balanced Briny Finish: Warm caper-infused olive oil and charred lemon add vibrant acidity that lifts every bite.
Ingredients
Cauliflower Steaks
- Cauliflower
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic clove
- Thyme
Whipped Sweet Potato
- Sweet potatoes
- Olive oil
- Oat milk
- Garlic
- Lemon juice
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
Warm Caper Almond Gremolata
- Sliced almonds
- Capers
- Olive oil
- Flat-leaf parsley leaves
- Lemon zest
- Garlic clove
- Black pepper
- Kosher salt
Charred Lemon & Finish
- Lemon
- Olive oil
- Flaky salt, optional
- Black pepper
See the recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
Preheat Your Oven
Heat oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack set in the center.
Slice & Season the Cauliflower
Remove tough outer leaves, keeping small, tender inner leaves attached. Trim the stem base slightly, leaving the main core intact. Stand the cauliflower upright on a cutting board and cut straight down through the center. Measure 1¼ inches outward from each cut edge and slice down again to yield two thick, core-attached steaks. Reserve remaining florets for another dish. Pat steaks dry with paper towels. Brush both sides with 1 tablespoon olive oil total, season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, then let sit 10 minutes.
Boil the Sweet Potatoes
Place sweet potato chunks in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water by 1 inch, and add a generous pinch of kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 12 to 16 minutes until fork-tender. Once tender, drain sweet potatoes thoroughly, then return them to the warm saucepan over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes to cook off residual steam.
Toast Almonds and Warm Capers
While the potatoes are boiling, toast the sliced almonds in a small skillet over medium-low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and golden. Transfer to a plate. Dry capers thoroughly on paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the same skillet (or small saucepan) over medium heat; add capers and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until slightly open. Remove capers with a slotted spoon to the plate with almonds, leaving caper-infused oil in the pan.
Assemble the Gremolata
Let capers and almonds cool slightly. You can leave the toasted almond slices and crispy capers whole for a rustic, extra-bunchy texture, or give them a quick coarse chop on the board. Combine with half of the chopped parsley, lemon zest, grated garlic, and black pepper. Drizzle in 2 teaspoons of the reserved warm caper oil to create a loose, textured garnish. Adjust salt only if necessary.
Sear the Cauliflower Steaks
Set a 12.5-inch skillet over medium to medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place one cauliflower steak in the skillet and press down gently with a wide spatula or a heavy pan to ensure maximum contact with the hot surface. Sear undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes until a deep golden crust forms. Flip carefully with the spatula, then add crushed garlic and thyme to the pan. Cook 3 minutes more, pressing lightly once more and spooning the warm aromatic oil over the top. Transfer steak to a sheet pan and repeat with the second steak.
Roast to Finish
Transfer sheet pan to the 425°F (220°C) oven. Roast 10 to 15 minutes. Check doneness by sliding a thin paring knife into the center core; it should yield with light resistance. Do not rely on floret tenderness alone.
Finish the Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Transfer the sweet potatoes to a food processor with 1½ tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons warm oat milk, grated garlic, lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Process until completely smooth, adding warm oat milk 1 teaspoon at a time as needed for a silky purée that holds its shape. Season to taste and keep warm.
Char Lemon and Plate
Brush cut halves of the lemon with ½ teaspoon olive oil. Place cut-side down in the hot skillet over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until deeply browned.
To serve, spread a generous swipe of whipped sweet potato across each plate. Set a seared cauliflower steak over the purée, spoon gremolata across the top, and drizzle remaining caper oil around the plate. Serve immediately with extra chopped basil and charred lemon halves for squeezing.
Tips, Substitutions & Techniques
What is Gremolata?
Gremolata is a traditional Italian green seasoning historically made of finely chopped parsley, garlic, and fresh lemon zest. In this recipe, toasted almonds, shallow-fried capers, and warm caper-infused olive oil add crunch and savory depth to balance the sweetness of roasted roots.
Chopped vs. Whole Gremolata: While a classic gremolata calls for finely or coarsely chopping the nuts and capers together, leaving them whole works beautifully too. Keeping the sliced almonds and capers whole saves a bit of prep time and delivers a bigger, distinct crunch in every bite. Choose whichever texture you prefer!
Recipe Pairings:
- If you love vegetable-forward mains with bold textural toppings, try our Roasted Carrots with Whipped Feta & Pistachio Dukkah.
- Serve alongside our Crispy Sheet Pan Chickpeas for additional plant-based protein.
Key Cooking Tips:
- Determining Doneness: Always test the center core with a paring knife. Florets brown and soften quickly, but the core dictates when the steak is cooked through.
- Sweet Potato Consistency: Warm your oat milk before blending to prevent the purée from cooling down or becoming gummy.
- Make-Ahead Prep: The whipped sweet potatoes can be made up to 2 days ahead and reheated gently with a splash of warm oat milk over low heat.
Love these Golden Cauliflower Steaks? Try these Plant-Based Recipes Next:
- Curried Coconut Chickpea and Mango Salad
- Vegan Cauliflower Pasta Bake
- Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls
- Hasselback Honeynut Squash and Apples (with a Hummus Dressing)
📖 Recipe
Golden Cauliflower Steaks with Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
Note on Scaling the Recipe: When scaling to 2X or 3X, the light grey ingredient notes and the instructions remain unchanged. Please adjust as needed.
Cauliflower Steaks
- 1 large dense head cauliflower (2 to 2½ lb / 900 g to 1.1 kg)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided, plus more if needed
- ½ teaspoon Windsor kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large garlic clove lightly crushed
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
Whipped Sweet Potato
- 1 lb orange-fleshed sweet potatoes 450 g, peeled and cut into 1½-inch chunks
- 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 to 3 tablespoons plain unsweetened oat milk warmed (substitute with regular milk, if you’re not vegan)
- ½ small garlic clove finely grated
- ¾ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon Windsor kosher salt plus more for cooking water
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Warm Caper Almond Gremolata
- 3 tablespoons sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons capers drained and thoroughly dried
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves finely chopped, divided
- Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
- ½ small garlic clove very finely grated
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
- Windsor kosher salt only if needed
Charred Lemon & Finish
- 1 lemon halved crosswise
- ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- Flaky salt optional
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat Your Oven
- Heat oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack set in the center.
Slice & Season the Cauliflower
- Remove tough outer leaves, keeping small, tender inner leaves attached. Trim the stem base slightly, leaving the main core intact. Stand the cauliflower upright on a cutting board and cut straight down through the center. Measure 1¼ inches outward from each cut edge and slice down again to yield two thick, core-attached steaks. Reserve remaining florets for another dish. Pat steaks dry with paper towels. Brush both sides with 1 tablespoon olive oil total, season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, then let sit 10 minutes.
Boil the Sweet Potatoes
- Place sweet potato chunks in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water by 1 inch, and add a generous pinch of kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 12 to 16 minutes until fork-tender. Once tender, drain sweet potatoes thoroughly, then return them to the warm saucepan over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes to cook off residual steam.
Toast Almonds and Warm Capers
- While the potatoes are boiling, toast the sliced almonds in a small skillet over medium-low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and golden. Transfer to a plate. Dry capers thoroughly on paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the same skillet (or small saucepan) over medium heat; add capers and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until slightly open. Remove capers with a slotted spoon to the plate with almonds, leaving caper-infused oil in the pan.
Assemble the Gremolata
- Let capers and almonds cool slightly. You can leave the toasted almond slices and crispy capers whole for a rustic, extra-bunchy texture, or give them a quick coarse chop on the board. Combine with half of the chopped parsley, lemon zest, grated garlic, and black pepper. Drizzle in 2 teaspoons of the reserved warm caper oil to create a loose, textured garnish. Adjust salt only if necessary.
Sear the Cauliflower Steaks
- Set a 12.5-inch skillet over medium to medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place one cauliflower steak in the skillet and press down gently with a wide spatula or a heavy pan to ensure maximum contact with the hot surface. Sear undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes until a deep golden crust forms. Flip carefully with the spatula, then add crushed garlic and thyme to the pan. Cook 3 minutes more, pressing lightly once more and spooning the warm aromatic oil over the top. Transfer steak to a sheet pan and repeat with the second steak.
Roast to Finish
- Transfer sheet pan to the 425°F (220°C) oven. Roast 10 to 15 minutes. Check doneness by sliding a thin paring knife into the center core; it should yield with light resistance. Do not rely on floret tenderness alone.
Finish the Whipped Sweet Potatoes
- Transfer the sweet potatoes to a food processor with 1½ tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons warm oat milk, grated garlic, lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Process until completely smooth, adding warm oat milk 1 teaspoon at a time as needed for a silky purée that holds its shape. Season to taste and keep warm.
Char Lemon and Plate
- Brush cut halves of the lemon with ½ teaspoon olive oil. Place cut-side down in the hot skillet over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until deeply browned.
- To serve, spread a generous swipe of whipped sweet potato across each plate. Set a seared cauliflower steak over the purée, spoon gremolata across the top, and drizzle remaining caper oil around the plate. Serve immediately with extra chopped basil and charred lemon halves for squeezing.
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