Vegan Grilled Cauliflower Steaks with Creamy Cilantro Sauce
If there is one veggie that does it all, it’s cauliflower!
You can roast it, turn into a sauce, rice, a pizza crust and more. One of my favorite ways to enjoy it, is grilling! Grilling instantly softens it versus the time consuming roasting and you can derive much more flavor with grilling. I find that while many have the prep method down, creating an effortless sauce can be a struggle.
Roasted and grilled veggies are great solo. However, if you can create a fab universal sauce that will complement all veggies and truly elevate the flavor, you have a win win.
When thinking of my favorite go to sauce, my cilantro sauce came to mind. It’s quick, easy, oil free and even packs protein. Why protein in a sauce? It adds a richness, a cheese like flavor, and the protein makes the dish more filling. Combine that protein with the fiber packed cauliflower, and you have a dish that delivers.
What’s great about this sauce? Everything. It’s quick, easy, dairy free, oil free, free of sugar, creamy, has hints of heat, citrus and lots of cilantro. If you’re in a bind for a perfect sauce that pairs with countless dishes, this is it!
Why you need to try this dish? Too many reasons! It’s quick, easy, affordable, perfect for any season, it packs more flavor versus roasted cauliflower, has aesthetic appeal, can be served as a side dish or main dish, can be grilled and cut into florets, packs a lil heat, has notes of citrus and cilantro, you could skip the cashews and still have a great sauce, the nuts add a savory and texture component, the cauliflower and sauce could even be thrown into tacos!
If you’re searching for more ways to love cauliflower, you have to try my Grilled Cauliflower with creamy cilantro sauce!
Why this recipe is great:
Quick
Easy
Affordable
Flavor packed
Perfect for any season!
Can be a great side dish or main dish!
Has notes of citrus, cilantro, and a hint of heat!
Vegan Grilled Cauliflower Steaks with Creamy Cilantro Sauce
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: Serves 2 - 4 1x
Ingredients
Steaks:
- 1 large head of cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt + pepper as needed
- 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
- Limes – garnish
Cilantro sauce:
- 1/2 cup cilantro with stems
- 1/2 cup cashews, soaked
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp red onion, chopped
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp vegan sour cream
- 1 jalapeno, seeds removed
Instructions
- Remove the outer leaves from cauliflower head. Cut off the bottom stem end so that you create a flat base and can stand the cauliflower up on a cutting board. Slice 2-3 very thick “steaks.”
- Heat a grill to medium (about 350 degrees F). Brush one side of each cauliflower steaks with a lil olive oil and sprinkle with salt/pepper. Grilled each side for about 4-5 minutes and for better grill marks use a weight on top. Flip and cook the other side.
- Sauce: Soak cashews in boiling water for 10 minutes. Throw in a high power blender with the remaining ingredients. Adjust the seasonings/texture as desired.
- To serve spread the sauce out and top with the grilled steaks. Garnish with toasted pine nuts, olive oil, chopped cilantro and limes.
- Cover the grill and let cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the bottom is beginning to char. Flip the cauliflower, then re-cover the grill and cook 5 additional minutes, until the cauliflower is tender. Remove from the grill. Sprinkle with the red pepper flakes, parsley, and walnuts. Serve hot with lime wedges.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
