Grilled just long enough for the cauliflower to soften up a bit and take on perfectly charred edges, these “steaks” are laid atop a creamy spread of tangy yogurt swirled with a herbaceous garlic infused olive oil. The cauliflower steaks are then topped with crispy red radishes, crunchy toasted almonds and more fresh herbs before being dotted with drops of spicy Sriracha chili sauce.
Now that beautiful weather has finally arrived all I want to do is be outside, especially in the evenings. Having lived in the South for almost 10 years now I know to take full advantage of this short lived season where the days are sunny and warm and it cools off enough at night to sit out and enjoy the evening. In another month or so it will be so hot during the day it’s hard to enjoy being outside unless you’re half immersed in a swimming pool. During the heat of summer, the cool evening breezes of spring are replaced with an almost oppressive warmth, and bugs; lots and lots of bugs.
To capitalize on this enchanting time of year, we’ve been firing up the grill and enjoying dinners al fresco, on the patio. Yesterday we kicked off the weekend enjoying the weather with a beautiful Rosé wine alongside a cheese and charcuterie board made with leftovers from a girl’s night I’d hosted earlier in the week. The meats, cheeses and their accoutrements were pretty much a meal in and of itself but since it isn’t a full meal to me unless it has at least one vegetable I followed up the appetizer with these grilled cauliflower steaks.
Although it has a few steps, this is actually a pretty simple dish to make. Grilling the cauliflower, toasting the nuts and making the herbed olive oil are the main components, after that it’s just a matter of spreading yogurt on a plate and sprinkling on some toppings. Though both the oil and toasted nuts can be made a head of time if you’d like. Using a store bought sauce like Sriracha, or your favorite spicy chili sauce, adds an extra element of flavor with zero effort.
Whenever I make a sauce like this garlic and herb infused olive oil I tend to make extra for future use as it keeps in the fridge for a week or two. This recipe makes more than you’ll need for this dish.
Don’t get too hung up on trying to get perfect cauliflower “steaks”, I rarely get more than two or three perfectly intact steaks before the florets stars falling apart. A big hunk of floret will grill just as well as a full sized steak; just keep any eye on the smaller pieces so they don’t burn and take them off the grill a minute or so before the steaks. On a similar note I have also made this dish with thick slices of green cabbage. The cabbage steaks are easier to keep intact and cook even faster on the grill. If you try both I’d love to hear which you prefer.
If you do try this recipe, let me know what you think by rating it or leaving a comment. Also I’d love to see you tag your photo with #lettuceflourish on Instagram!
Grilled just long enough for the cauliflower to soften up a bit and take on perfectly charred edges, these "steaks" are laid atop a creamy spread of tangy yogurt swirled with a herbacious garlic infused olive oil. The cauliflower steaks are then topped with crispy red radishes, crunchy toasted almonds and more fresh herbs before being dotted with drops of spicy Sriracha chili sauce.
- 1 head cauliflower, leaves removed
- 4 tablespoons herbed olive oil, divided, *recipe below
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 4 radishes, washed and thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- Sriracha or your favorite chili sauce
- Several sprigs each of fresh herbs, I used thyme, tarragon and oregano
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
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Start by preparing the herbed olive oil.
Wash and dry the herbs then strip the leaves from the woody stems and roughly chop any large leaves. Set aside a few leaves for finishing the dish. Put the herbs, minced garlic and olive oil in a small pan and heat over a medium flame. Once the oil is hot and just beginning to bubble turn off the heat and let it sit.
To toast the almonds, spread them in a single layer in a skillet, cast iron if you have it, and heat over a medium high flame for about 3 minutes, stir and continue to cook another minute or so until they are golden brown. Watch carefully as they burn quickly.
Preheat the grill to medium high.
Slice the cauliflower into roughly 1" steaks trying to get the stem in as many steaks as possible, as this will help hold the steaks together. Rub steaks and remaining florets with about 2 tablespoons herbed oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place the cauliflower on the grill and cook about 8-10 minutes per side, remember to check the smaller florets to ensure they don't burn. Remove the cauliflower from the grill once it is tender and slightly charred.
While the cauliflower is cooking, spread the yogurt on two plates and drizzle with a little of the herbed olive oil. Once the cauliflower is ready, place it on top of the herbed yogurt. Scatter the sliced radishes and almonds over the cauliflower and sprinkle with the remaining herbs. Dot Sriracha over the top.
