By Susan Voisin 60 Comments
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Let me say right off the bat that this is more of an idea than a recipe. Lately, cauliflower steaks are everywhere. I can’t seem to pick up a food magazine or check out a blog without running into them. They’re the new “other white meat.” So I figured I needed to try them. And why not, while I’m at it, do something weird like coat them in hummus?
Before I get to that, I’m going to impose another video on you. After years of refusing to learn how to post a video, I’ve discovered that I actually like making videos–as long as I don’t have to be in them. (This same stipulation applies to photos in general.) Today’s video has nothing to do with food but is about a subject even dearer to my heart: Animals.
My daughter volunteers a few Saturdays a month at CARA, one of the local no-kill animal shelters. She’s been doing it for a couple of years now, and when I pick her up, I sometimes take a look around the front rooms where a few of the cats and the small dogs are kept. This past Saturday, I came early in order to take photos for a presentation that E was making at our church the next day. After taking photos and a little video in the front rooms, I asked permission to visit the dogs in the back. And I was stunned. Nothing about the front of the shelter prepared me for the vastness of the warehouse in the back, where the large dogs are kept row upon row in immaculately clean cages. E says that CARA is currently over their capacity of 300 dogs, and I believe it. Until someone adopts these dogs, others will have to be turned away. The situation is the same in shelters across the country.
So I’m asking you to watch the video and think about adopting your next companion. No matter where you adopt, you are making room for another animal in that shelter. And if you can’t adopt, consider volunteering your time or contributing money or supplies. Here’s a link where you can find out how to help the animals in this video, but I’m sure that your local shelter also needs your contribution. (Quick thank you to Jenny Mayhem for the beautiful music.)
Now, about these “steaks.” They were actually a bit of an afterthought. I decided I wanted to bake tofu in a hummus crust, and since I had the oven going, I decided to try the hummus idea on cauliflower, too. And, as these spur of the moment things go, I actually preferred the hummus on the cauliflower to the tofu because it had more flavor. It probably would have made a huge difference if I’d marinated the tofu, so if you want to try, I suggest soaking slabs of frozen-then-thawed tofu in a marinade for at least an hour before coating them with hummus. Also, no matter what you’re baking with hummus, try increasing or even doubling the seasonings (garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, etc.) in the hummus because baking seems to suck some of the flavor out of it.
I served both the cauliflower and the tofu with Spiced Lentils and Rice, which you can see in the top photo. For more delicious-looking ways to season cauliflower steaks, check out the links at the bottom of this post.
5 from 1 vote
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Hummus-Crusted Cauliflower Steaks
You can use any hummus you like in this simple recipe.
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes minutes
Total Time 40 minutes minutes
Servings 3
Author Susan Voisin
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower (you will use only half)
- salt and pepper
- 1/3 cup hummus (approximately)
- fresh rosemary (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F.
Wash the cauliflower and trim off all the leaves and the bottom of the stem. Place it stem-down on your cutting board. Cut it in half straight down through the middle. Take each half and make another parallel cut so that you have two “steaks,” about 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick. Make one more parallel cut on each half, to try to get a total of 4 steaks. Don’t worry if your final cut results in your cauliflower falling to pieces! How many steaks you get depends on the size and shape of your cauliflower. Reserve the individual florets for another use, or toss them with some hummus and roast them, too. (Individual florets will take less time, so be careful not to burn them.)
Sprinkle one side of each cauliflower steak with salt and pepper and place it pepper-side down on a non-stick or silicone-coated baking sheet. Spread hummus lightly on the top of each cauliflower piece and sprinkle with fresh rosemary, if you want. Bake until cauliflower is just tender and hummus is beginning to lightly brown, about 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition info uses my low-fat Hummus in the Blender.
Nutrition Facts
Hummus-Crusted Cauliflower Steaks
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 103Calories from Fat 13
% Daily Value*
Fat 1.4g2%
Sodium 76.5mg3%
Carbohydrates 19.2g6%
Fiber 7.8g33%
Sugar 6.9g8%
Protein 6.9g14%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutritional info is approximate.
Have you made this recipe?Mention @SusanFFVK and tag #fatfreevegankitchen in your photos on Instagram.
Cauliflower Steaks Take Over the World:
- Piri Piri Cauliflower Steak from JL Goes Vegan
- Cauliflower Sous Vide at What the hell does a vegan eat anyway?
- Cauliflower Steaks with Charred Red Pepper Sauce and Lentils at Coffee & Quinoa
- Cauliflower Steaks with Ginger-Soy Sauce from Two Peas & Their Pod
- Cauliflower Steaks with Creamy Siracha Aoili (use vegan yogurt) from LaaLoosh
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Jarafel
April 28, 2013 at 1:08 amI don’t know about steak but I do like to bake cauliflower tofu cheese patties and they are really good 🙂 and I love simple baked cauliflower, so I guess steak would be good also 🙂
April 29, 2013 at 2:44 pm Tried this idea this weekend, however, I totally didn’t follow the slicing directions for the head of cauliflower! Fear not! I just broke it all up into similarly sized bits, tossed in a bowl with the hummus and some finishing salt w/Tuscan spices & herbs. Took more like 20 minutes on the convection roast setting. Absolutely delicious!
Reply
Jenn
May 3, 2013 at 4:40 amI love all your recipes, I actually haven’t tried one yet that my family and I don’t love. These were great. Next time I make them I’m going to put a thicker layer of Hummus on the cauliflower. The bites we took where the hummus was thicker we enjoyed more. will be making again soon.
Reply
Lame
May 28, 2013 at 8:43 pmIf you enjoy a cauliflower mess and roughly 1-2 “steaks” out of a whole large head of cauliflower, this recipe is for you. Otherwise, it’s a sh*t show. The cauliflower only remains intact when the part of the stem is holding them all together. The outside portion of the cauliflower will only retain this structure near the base which gives you a nice kitchen full of cauliflower debris.
Reply
May 28, 2013 at 9:47 pm As I pointed out in the recipe, how many “steaks” you will get will depend on the size and shape of the cauliflower.
Reply
Cathy
June 25, 2013 at 9:49 amSusan, you mention marinating the tofu slabs in marinate prior to coating them with hummus. Can you suggest tofu marinate recipes? I came across your website today & I am enjoying it tremendously. I am hooked! I have a 9 yr old daughter & am always looking for recipes that we can do together as well as including in her lunch box. Thank you very much.
Reply
June 25, 2013 at 10:03 am Welcome, Cathy! I think even a simple soy sauce marinade would help increase the flavor in the tofu. It can be as easy as brushing the slices with soy sauce and allowing them to rest for 15 or 20 minutes. Or you could go all out and combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons water, and a teaspoon of dark sesame oil, pour it over the tofu, and refrigerate it for a couple of hours.
Reply
Brenda
August 30, 2013 at 7:04 pmThank you for existing! I am just jumping on the fat-free vegan bandwagon and learning how to cook foods that will be tasty, vegan, and low fat. I was thrilled to find your Indian recipes because my husband will eat anything Indian. I made the oatmeal raisin banana cookies but had to do some swaps. I chopped up dates and used raw honey and organic apple sauce. These cookies are wonderful! Thank you and keep the recipes coming.
BrendaReply
Sheree
October 7, 2013 at 8:53 pmThanks for sharing that video of the faces of CARA. So many beautiful faces and all they want is for someone to love them! I too am an animal person (hence vegan) & its such a crime that anyone can get a pet and that pet will probably love and idolise that person and yet they themselves can be cast aside like a broken toy. I wish I could take them in all in! Sheree (Australia, we have the same shelters and problems here)
Reply
Beth LP
December 21, 2013 at 10:37 amThank you so much for your wonderful recipes! I had been contemplating a Vitamix, mostly for soups and smoothies. When I read your hummus recipe and your comments about the reconditioned machines, I went ahead and ordered one. I’ve used it everyday since!
I have made several of your recipes now, and love every one of them. Thank you for helping me get my food choices back on the right path.
Reply
Sharon Hill
September 19, 2014 at 12:12 pmI have a recipe for roasted cauliflower that calls for greek yogurt and I am looking for a substitute. Any ideas? Thank you S
Reply
September 19, 2014 at 12:15 pm You could probably thicken any vegan yogurt to make Greek yogurt, or you could try this vegan recipe for roasted cauliflower: http://fatfreevegan.com/slowmiracle/2014/02/07/vegan-versions-crown-roast-cauliflower/
Reply
Kim
July 31, 2015 at 2:58 pmYou should post a vegan cauliflower pizza crust recipe
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G. Wilson
March 25, 2016 at 6:35 pmTried this tonight and my husband really enjoyed it. Roasted them on a pizza stone.
Reply
October 30, 2017 at 4:22 am Thank you for all you great recipes.
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