Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Romesco Sauce

Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Romesco Sauce

Mia

Transform humble cauliflower into a show-stopping centerpiece with these golden-roasted cauliflower steaks draped in vibrant Spanish romesco sauce. This Mediterranean-inspired dish celebrates the beauty of plant-based eating, where thick-cut cauliflower slabs develop crispy, caramelized edges while maintaining a tender, almost meaty interior. The high-heat roasting brings out the vegetable's natural sweetness and creates a satisfying texture that rivals any protein.

The star of this dish is the romesco sauce, a classic Catalan condiment that originated in the fishing villages along Spain's northeastern coast. This luscious, brick-red sauce combines roasted red peppers, toasted almonds, garlic, and smoked paprika into a smoky, nutty, slightly sweet accompaniment that transforms the cauliflower into something truly extraordinary. The sauce's complex layers of flavor—from the char on the peppers to the richness of the nuts—perfectly complement the cauliflower's mild, earthy taste.

This recipe embodies the principles of the Mediterranean Diet with its focus on vegetables, healthy fats from olive oil and nuts, and bold, satisfying flavors that prove plant-based meals can be both nourishing and indulgent. Whether you're serving this as a vegetarian main course or an impressive side dish, these cauliflower steaks deliver restaurant-quality results with simple, wholesome ingredients. The romesco sauce can be made ahead, making this an elegant yet practical weeknight dinner option.

Nutrition

55 minutes
None servings
245 calories
Fat 18.00g
Carbs 18.00g
Protein 7.00g

Ingredients

1 wholelarge cauliflower head, leaves removed
1/4 cupextra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tspsalt
1/2 tspblack pepper, freshly ground
1 cuproasted red peppers, jarred, drained
1/3 cupwhole almonds, toasted
2 wholegarlic cloves, peeled
1 tbsptomato paste
2 tbspsherry vinegar
1 tspsmoked paprika
1/4 tspcayenne pepper
2 tbspfresh parsley, chopped (optional)
4 wholelemon wedges, for serving (optional)

Equipment

Cutting board
Food processor
Parchment paper
Oven
large baking sheet
pastry brush
serving platter
spatula
large sharp knife

80/20 Diet

This recipe easily meets 80/20 Diet standards with 100% of its ingredients being nutrient-dense whole foods—vegetables, nuts, and olive oil—that are anti-inflammatory and rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. There are no processed components, making it a perfect example of the nutritious 80% that forms the foundation of this balanced approach.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

This recipe is rich in anti-inflammatory ingredients including olive oil, almonds, and colorful vegetables like cauliflower and red peppers, while featuring anti-inflammatory spices such as smoked paprika and garlic. The absence of refined sugars, processed foods, and inflammatory oils makes it ideal for reducing inflammation while providing antioxidants and healthy fats.

Clean Eating

This recipe exemplifies clean eating with its use of whole, minimally processed ingredients in their natural state—fresh cauliflower, roasted peppers, raw almonds, and pure olive oil—with no refined sugars, artificial additives, or processed components. Every ingredient is recognizable and wholesome, prepared using simple roasting and blending techniques.

Detox Diet

This detox-friendly recipe emphasizes whole, unprocessed plant foods including cruciferous cauliflower, antioxidant-rich red peppers, and liver-supporting ingredients like garlic and olive oil, while completely avoiding dairy, refined sugars, and processed ingredients. The nutrient-dense vegetables and healthy fats support natural detoxification pathways.

Flexitarian Diet

Perfect for flexitarian eating, this recipe places plants at the center of the plate with cauliflower as the star and a vegetable-nut based sauce, demonstrating how plant-based meals can be both satisfying and elegant without any animal products. The whole food ingredients and minimal processing align perfectly with flexitarian principles of emphasizing plants while maintaining flexibility.

Gluten-Free Diet

Naturally gluten-free, this recipe uses only whole vegetables, nuts, olive oil, and naturally gluten-free ingredients with no grains, wheat, or gluten-containing additives. It's a safe and delicious option for those avoiding gluten while providing satisfying texture and flavor through naturally gluten-free whole foods.

Heart-Healthy Diet

This heart-healthy recipe features olive oil and almonds for beneficial monounsaturated fats, abundant vegetables rich in antioxidants and fiber, and completely avoids saturated fats, trans fats, and processed ingredients. The naturally low-sodium preparation using herbs and spices instead of salt makes it ideal for cardiovascular health.

High-Fiber Diet

Rich in dietary fiber from cauliflower (a cruciferous vegetable), almonds, and red peppers, this recipe provides substantial fiber to support digestive health while using only whole, unprocessed plant foods. The combination of vegetable and nut fiber offers both soluble and insoluble fiber for optimal gut function.

Intuitive Eating

This recipe supports intuitive eating principles by offering a satisfying, flavorful meal that honors both nutrition and pleasure without restriction or guilt. The combination of textures, colors, and bold Mediterranean flavors creates an eating experience that's both nourishing and deeply enjoyable, encouraging mindful appreciation of food.

Mediterranean Diet

This recipe is a perfect embodiment of Mediterranean Diet principles, featuring extra virgin olive oil as the primary fat, abundant vegetables (cauliflower and roasted red peppers), heart-healthy almonds, and traditional Spanish flavors from smoked paprika and sherry vinegar. The dish avoids processed ingredients and red meat while emphasizing plant-based whole foods, herbs, and the healthy fats that are central to this eating pattern.

Mindful Eating

Perfect for mindful eating practice, this recipe engages all the senses with its varied textures (crispy cauliflower edges, creamy sauce), vibrant brick-red color, smoky-nutty aromas, and complex flavor layers. The whole food ingredients and beautiful presentation encourage slow, conscious consumption and sensory appreciation.

Pegan Diet

This Pegan-compliant recipe centers entirely on vegetables (cauliflower and peppers) as 75%+ of the dish, uses healthy fats from olive oil and almonds, and completely avoids dairy, gluten, and processed ingredients. The low-glycemic vegetables and anti-inflammatory ingredients align perfectly with Pegan principles of combining paleo and vegan approaches.

Plant-Based Diet

This entirely plant-based recipe showcases how satisfying and flavorful vegetable-centered meals can be, using only cauliflower, roasted red peppers, almonds, olive oil, and plant-based ingredients with no animal products whatsoever. The combination provides complete nutrition through vegetables, nuts, and healthy fats while delivering restaurant-quality taste and presentation.

Vegan Diet

Completely vegan-friendly, this recipe contains no animal products or by-products, relying instead on nutrient-dense plant foods like cauliflower, almonds, and roasted peppers to create a protein-rich, satisfying main course. The romesco sauce provides healthy fats from nuts and olive oil while the cauliflower offers fiber and essential nutrients.

Vegetarian Diet

This vegetarian recipe features cauliflower as a hearty, satisfying protein alternative, complemented by the nutrient-rich romesco sauce made with almonds and peppers. It provides a complete meat-free meal that's both filling and nutritionally balanced with plant-based proteins, healthy fats, and abundant vegetables.

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2 min
2

Place the cauliflower head stem-side down on a cutting board. Using a large, sharp knife, slice down through the center to create two halves, then cut each half into 1-inch thick steaks, starting from the center. You should get 4 good steaks from the center; reserve the florets that fall off for another use.

5 min
3

Arrange the cauliflower steaks on the prepared baking sheet. Brush both sides generously with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, then season with salt and black pepper.

2 min
4

Roast the cauliflower steaks in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then carefully flip each steak and continue roasting for another 15 minutes, until golden brown and tender when pierced with a fork.

35 min
5

While the cauliflower roasts, make the romesco sauce. In a food processor, combine the roasted red peppers, toasted almonds, garlic cloves, tomato paste, sherry vinegar, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper.

2 min
6

Pulse the mixture several times to break down the ingredients, then with the processor running, slowly drizzle in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil until the sauce is smooth but still has some texture. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if needed.

2 min
7

Transfer the romesco sauce to a serving bowl or spread it on a large platter as a base for the cauliflower steaks.

1 min
8

Once the cauliflower steaks are done roasting, carefully transfer them to the platter with the romesco sauce or onto individual plates with sauce spooned over the top.

1 min
9

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over the top.

Frequently Asked Questions