Cauliflower Steaks with Red Curry Peanut Sauce

Today I’d like to share one of my favorite vegan side dishes from Red Hot Kitchen. I love to make this year-round in the oven, but this would also work on a grill for your next backyard cookout.

If you’ve never had cauliflower “steaks” before, this vegan side is exactly as it sounds—cauliflower sliced into flat steaks that you can grill, roast, or pan-fry. I prefer roasting because it cooks the cauliflower most evenly, and you end up with slightly crisp and golden brown edges while the middle stays tender. The Thai red curry peanut sauce makes a lovely spicy and creamy sauce to drizzle over the steaks.

Cauliflower Steaks with Red Curry Peanut Sauce

Yield: 4 as part of a multicourse meal

Author: Diana Kuan

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

Delicious vegan cauliflower "steaks" drizzled with a creamy Thai curry peanut sauce.

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk, oat milk, soy milk, or almond milk
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
3 tablespoons peanut butter
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Carefully trim the outer leaves off your cauliflower while leaving the stem intact. Place the cauliflower on the cutting board, stem side down. With a chef’s knife, slice the cauliflower into 4 slabs about 1 inch thick all the way through the stem. Reserve about 2 cups of loose florets for the sauce; any remaining loose florets can be saved for another use.
Rub the cauliflower steaks with the oil and lay them on the baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle salt over the top. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown a slightly crispy around the edges.
In a food processor, pulse together the 2 cups cauliflower florets until it resembles the texture of couscous. Add the coconut milk, red curry paste, peanut butter, and sugar and blend until a smooth paste forms.
Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the curry paste mixture. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Transfer the cauliflower steaks to a large serving dish or divide among 4 plates. Drizzle the red curry peanut sauce over the steaks, and garnish with the peanuts and cilantro (if using). Serve with rice on the side.