Home » Vegetables » Cauliflower » Cauliflower Steaks with Walnut-Caper Salsa
5 from 15 reviews
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
In Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons,potato chips are used as a metaphor for how a dish should taste — Joshua’s goal when creating dishes is to make them so tasty you can’t help but take one more bite. And then another.
This is how I feel about this dish, which is not a Joshua McFadden creation, but which very much reminds me of his bright, vegetable-centric style of cooking. This one comes from another whiz in that genre, Yotam Ottolenghi, and I find it irresistible: slabs of cauliflower sear stovetop before finishing in the oven while capers sizzle in a pan with olive oil, before mixing with walnuts, currants, and parsley to form a salsa. If you wish, you can stir together Greek yogurt with fresh lemon and any remaining parsley to form an herby schmear to spread across the serving dish, a bed for the burnished steaks to nestle into, a creamy base to balance the sharpness of the salsa.
I first made this recipe about this time last year, when I found myself really feeling the heaviness of winter, as the soup, stew, and braise fatigue neared its peak. It was such a welcomed change to the nightly sheet pan of roasted vegetables and whatever bubbled away in the crock stovetop. I’m finding it equally uplifting and tasty right now, as addictive as a tin of Pringles — once you pop, you can’t stop … or something like that?
PS: All the Cauliflower recipes right here:Cauliflower
Here’s the play by play: Gather your ingredients.
Heat capers in olive oil till they begin to sizzle, about 5 minutes.
Off the heat, stir in crushed red pepper flakes, toasted walnuts, parsley, vinegar, currants, and lemon zest.
Caper-walnut salsa! This stuff is soooo good.
Cut cauliflower into steaks — you can get about threes slabs per head (depending on the size).
Sear the cauliflower steaks in a little bit of oil — if the cauliflower isn’t laying flat, use two pans. (I normally do; I should have here.)
Flip the steaks.
Transfer pan to the oven — I add all the little bits of cauliflower and greens that fall off during the cutting.
Meanwhile, make a lemony-yogurt sauce.
If you don’t think you’ll use the rest of that bunch of parsley you bought for the salsa any time soon, you can chop it all up and stir it into the yogurt sauce.
Sauce, done.
Smear sauce across the plate.
Top with the seared cauliflower.
Spoon the caper-walnut salsa over top.
From last time… see how the steaks are more evenly brown? That’s thanks to using two pans.
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star
5 from 15 reviews
- Author: Alexandra Stafford
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2
Save Recipe
Description
Adapted from this Yotam Ottolenghi recipe featured in Bon Appetit.I made a number of changes, so reference the original if you are curious.
If you like video guidance, I made this on Instagram stories.
Ingredients
For the salsa:
1/2 cup walnuts
¼ cup olive oil, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons drained capers, patted dry
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1/3 cup coarsely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon dried currants
1 tablespoon vinegar, such as white balsamic, sherry or red wine, plus more to taste
zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt to taste
For the cauliflower:
1 small head of cauliflower
- 2 to 3 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
Kosher salt
For the yogurt sauce:
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, I like fa*ge 5%
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon, from about 1/2 a lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- parsley, optional
Instructions
- Make the salsa. Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast walnuts on a small pan or rimmed baking sheet, until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool, then use your hands to break the walnuts into small-ish pieces. Set aside. Increase oven temperature to 425° for roasting cauliflower.
- Heat oil and capers in a small saucepan over medium, swirling often, until capers burst and are golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Carefully pour oil and capers into a small heatproof bowl. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and currants. Let cool. Then, stir in the walnuts (leaving as much papery skin behind), parsley, vinegar, and lemon zest; season with salt. Taste. If it tastes too sharp, add more olive oil by the tablespoon. (I almost always add 2 more tablespoons of oil.) If it needs more salt, add to taste.
- Make the steaks.Trim cauliflower stem on the bottom to create a flat base. When I first made this, I trimmed away the greens (see video here), but now I like to keep the outer greens attached — they taste good roasted. Remove them if you wish. Cut straight down through the center, then make another cut 1.5 inches away from the center on each side — you’ll likely get 2-3 steaks total. I used to save the cauliflower pieces that broke away for another day, and you definitely can do this, too, or you can sear and roast them right along with the steaks in the pan.
- Heat oil in one or two large skillets over medium-high. Add cauliflower steaks and any florets/greens that broke away, if you wish. (If the steaks don’t fit in a single layer, you should use two pans or you won’t get a nice sear.) Cook, gently lifting up cauliflower occasionally to let hot fat run underneath, until steaks are deep golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Turn steaks and season with salt. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until cauliflower stems are fork-tender, 15-20 minutes.
- Make the yogurt sauce:Stir together the yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. If you have leftover parsley from the bunch you purchased, and you think you might not use it anytime soon, chop it up finely and stir it in. Taste. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- To finish:smear the yogurt sauce over a large platter. Top with the cauliflower steaks. Spoon the caper-yogurt sauce over top. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop/Oven
- Cuisine: Vegetarian
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Fall Winter Dinner Cauliflower Gluten-free Vegetarian
Next Post »Bake Sale Winning-est Gooey Oat Bars
Want to Chop Like a Pro?
Get your free 8-video tutorial
Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe
Mimi —Reply
Hi, Can’t find the recipe for the pot cleaner. Can you enlighten me?
ThanksMarsh —Reply
It’s embedded in the text, right below the picture of the cut cauliflower and above the empty (and clean!) brasier.
Another option: I’ve had great luck on my Le Creuset with Barkeeper’s Friend. It also works wonders on my All-Clad Copper Core pans– shines that copper up in no time. Nothing else has come close for keeping my pots/pans looking like new, although I’m very intrigued by this homemade mixture.
As for this cauliflower steak recipe, it looks fabulous! I’ve shied away from making cauliflower steak recipes as they just seemed too bland, but you’ve convinced me to give this a try! Ottolenghi sure knows how to make veggies sing. Thanks for sharing both of these “recipes”, Alexandra.
alexandra —Reply
Thank you Marsh for chiming in! Great tip re Barkeeper’s friend. I will give that a go.
And yay for finding this cauli-steak recipe enticing. I hope you like it. I find it addictive!
alexandra —Reply
Hi Mimi! I just edited the post to make it more clear — added it to a PS in the main body of the post, but here it is, too: 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon bleach. Scale up as needed. Simmer. Scrub. Admire.
Sunie Worrells —Reply
Looks yummy and I’ll definitely try it.
Would you mind sharing your solution for cleaning your Le Creuset pans? My dutch oven has been stained over the years and I haven’t found anything that will help.alexandra —Reply
Hi Sunie! Here it is: 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon bleach. Scale up as needed. Simmer. Scrub. Admire.
I edited the post to make it more clear — added it to a PS in the main body.
Alexis —Reply
Can’t wait to try your version of this recipe and, like Mimi, am anxious to learn your cleaning trick. I love your blog and enjoy your recipes!
alexandra —Reply
Thank you Alexis! Here it is: 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon bleach. Scale up as needed. Simmer. Scrub. Admire.
I edited the post to make it more clear — added it to a PS in the main body.
Denise —Reply
Is the enamel braiser important here? I have a 12″ cast iron skillet that would hold these better, not sure if I would get same beautiful results as you have with le creuset.
alexandra —Reply
Not important! I’ve made this with my all-clad everyday pan (stainless steel) and it works beautifully. Your cast iron skilled will be great. The only key is trying to make sure the steaks lay flat in the pan.
Claire —Reply
That pan is looking fab!
alexandra —Reply
Claire! So fun to see you here 🙂 I am forever in your debt 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thank you.
Vlacha —Reply
Fabulous recipe! And I love the changes you made from Ottolenghi’s version. His is much more time-consuming and a little leaden in the ingredients. This is so fresh with the yogurt, which adds a brightness to the dish. This is definitely a main course entree. I think you could prepare everything ahead of time, except for the last roasting in the oven. I used convection roast at 425, which gives it a nice browning on both sides. The salsa is exquisite. I was tempted to leave out the currants, but I’m so happy I followed the recipe exactly. The currants add a beautiful flavor, much more subtle than raisins, and a pleasing texture. The capers sizzled in the oil are delicious, but you need to pay attention. I turned away and burned the lot, and started over. They continue to cook after being removed from the burner, so better to err on the seemingly slightly underdone, than charring them and getting an off taste. Also, for some unknown reason I used both grapeseed and olive oil. This dish is so pretty, healthy, interesting, and satisfying. My dinner partners loved it as well. I doubled it for 4 people.
alexandra —Reply
So happy to hear all of this!
Kate —Reply
wow- made this tonight and it was exceptional. definitely had that addictive potato chip quality. Truly restaurant quality and so tasty. An absolute winner
alexandra —Reply
Yay! So happy to hear this, Kate 🙂
Bree —Reply
I usually don’t feel compelled to comment on blog posts, but this dish changed something inside me. Everything about it – the texture from walnuts, sweetness from the currants, fat from the olive oil, umami from charred cauliflower, zing from the yogurt – was amazing. I love 99.99% of your recipes (cabbage soup shout out!), but maybe this one the most. Thank you!
alexandra —Reply
Bree, so happy to hear this! Not sure how I missed your comment till now … this means the world. Thank you for your kind words 🙂 🙂 🙂
Jennifer —Reply
Prior to making this dish, I had never gotten on board with the cauliflower steak craze, but the caper, currant, walnut, parsley salsa convinced me to give it a try. I am so glad I did! The sweet, briny, and bright flavors, together with the cauliflower, made for a very satisfying dish that did not weigh me down. The yogurt sauce is a wonderful compliment to the other flavors and textures and should not be omitted.
alexandra —Reply
So happy to hear this, Jennifer! The salsa, I think, makes all the difference and would be so good on so many various vegetables. Thanks for writing 🙂
Tamara —Reply
Absolutely delicious!!! I didn’t have any currants and I added one small piece of garlic to the salsa. Otherwise followed the rest. Completely amazing. Thank you!!
alexandra —Reply
YAY! So happy to hear this, Tamara!!
Tamara —Reply
HI- I wanted to share this great recipe with a potluck group but needed something room temp and more portable, so I turned it into a salad! Roasted the cauliflower in bite size pieces and tossed it together with the salsa, some more lemon juice over the top. SO good! Thanks, again.
alexandra —Reply
Awesome! Love this idea, Tamara … so smart.
Janelle —Reply
This dish was excellent and I love your adaptations from the original. You made it much simpler for a weeknight meal and the yogurt is a great addition. The salsa is very similar to the one used in a hangar steak recipe on Bon Appetite (a recipe that I also love and highly recommend) and it’s nice to have a vegetarian version. I also didn’t have currants so I chopped up some raisins I had on hand and it worked just fine. Overall, another great recipe from you!
alexandra —Reply
Ohhhh thanks for the tip on the hangar steak recipe. Hangar is one of my favorites. Can’t wait to try it. So happy you liked this one!!
Corrie —Reply
This was one of the most enjoyable things I have eaten in a while! So much flavour and texture! My daughter is dairy free so we used coconut yoghurt instead of greek, but stuck to this otherwise and it was divine. Thank you so much!
alexandra —Reply
So happy to hear this, Corrie! Love the idea of coconut yogurt here. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Adriana Nelson —Reply
Hi Alexandra!
Just a heads up……never mix bleach and vinegar as it creates a highly toxic gas!
Also accidentally boiling bleach will create a deadly gas. I don’t know that the water renders it harmless or less toxic but I can see all sorts of trouble should someone decide to make a big batch and mix the vinegar and bleach first!alexandra —Reply
Adriana, hello! Thank you … will edit this post immediately … forgot there was still a note about the cleaning solution, which I learned was dangerous after posting this post: https://alexandracooks.com/2019/03/21/how-to-clean-your-le-creuset-pots-and-pans/ Thanks for chiming in!
Christine Spano —Reply
This was delicious and easy. I will be making it often. Thank you.
alexandra —Reply
So nice to hear this, Christine!
Jamie —Reply
This cauliflower recipe is so beyond amazing! Not only does it look like something out of a restaurant. But the flavor profile and textures are so balanced. The cauliflower has a crispness from the searing balanced with the sweet, tender interior from roasting. The walnut-caper salsa is the perfect balance of the acidic capers and vinegar and lemon juice with the sweetness of the currants, the slight bitter of the parsley and the crunch of the walnuts. I had some cucumber yogurt sauce left over from making your smoky grilled chicken (which also was a big hit), and used that on the bottom. So, so good. I decided not to share with my family and keep the leftovers for myself. Thanks for another great recipe.
alexandra —Reply
Jamie, yay 🎉🎉🎉 I am so happy to hear this. I find the presentation of this one to be really fun, too, and I love all of the flavors. Brilliant work repurposing that cucumber-yogurt sauce in this recipe, and even more brilliant work keeping the leftovers for yourself 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Anne Murphy —Reply
I have made this several times now and it never fails to disappoint. Absolutely delicious The caper-walnut sauce is amazing and the yogurt-lemon sauce a perfect accompaniment. Thank you AGAIN for a great recipe.
alexandra —Reply
So nice to hear this, Anne! This is one of my faves as well 🙂 🙂 🙂
Launa —Reply
This dish is SO delicious. My husband and I thought we’d have leftovers–nope, we ate it all. It made us fantasize about the dinner party we want to have, serving this dish among others of yours, when that day finally comes when we can have people over again. Until that day arrives, though, we’ll light candles and pour a little wine and polish this off ourselves. Thank you so much for the recipe, Ali.
alexandra —Reply
Awww, Launa, I love this. I know, I’ve found myself dreaming a lot recently about having a few friends over for cozy dinner party … soon, I hope 🙂 So glad to hear you and your husband loved this one. It’s one of my favorites as well 🙂 Thanks for writing!
Kari —Reply
Whole family loved this. Key was really caramelizing the cauliflower and then roasting until quite soft. We subbed golden raisins.
alexandra —Reply
So great to hear this, Kari! And yes, the caramelization on the cauli is soooo good. Thanks for writing!
Peggy —Reply
I substituted a lemon-tahini sauce instead of the yogurt since I avoid dairy, and I didn’t have currants so I used dried cranberries. This was the most I’ve ever enjoyed eating cauliflower. Delicious!
Alexandra Stafford —Reply
Wonderful to hear this, Peggy! Thanks so much for writing! Love the sound of your substitutions 🙂 🙂 🙂
Jeannie —Reply
I had made cauliflower soup, yesterday. Thought it was a bit, umm, boring. So I made the salsa, along with some buttered sautéed bread crumbs, and garnished the soup with both.
Out of the park delicious! So happy right now 😄Alexandra Stafford —Reply
Woohoo! Love the idea of using this garnish (+ buttered bread crumbs) on soup. Smart. Thanks for writing!
MaxineR —Reply
This recipe is fantastic! It has complex flavors and textures and was incredibly satisfying. I made it as the main course for a dinner party and it was loved by everyone!
Alexandra Stafford —Reply
Great to hear, Maxine! Thanks for writing and sharing this 🙂
Stephanie S —Reply
Absolutely delicious!! 😋 I made this last night and wow. Directions were spot on. Red pepper flakes added just the right little zing to the dish. Have passed this recipe on to friends and family. So worth making!
Alexandra Stafford —Reply
Great to hear Stephanie! Thanks for writing 🙂
