Name: Cauliflower Steaks with Romesco Sauce and Lentils
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 1 cup dry lentils (beluga, black caviar lentils, french green lentils, etc- small lentils cook the fastest!); 6 cups water; 1 teaspoon salt; optional additions: garlic cloves, bay leaves, sliced onion, dried herbs ( thyme, oregano); 1 extra-large cauliflower; 1 large bell pepper, halved or quartered; ½ red onion, sliced; 4-6 fat garlic cloves; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1 teaspoon coriander; 3/4 teaspoon salt; ½ cup almonds (Marcona are nice, or sub toasted hazelnuts, walnuts, pinenuts, etc); 2 teaspoons smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon cumin; ½ teaspoon salt and pepper each, more to taste; ¼- ½ teaspoon cayenne or chili flakes- add to taste.; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar; 1/4 cup olive oil; 2-4 tablespoons water (to desired consistency)

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Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with flavorful Romesco Sauce over a bed of simply seasoned lentils. A quick and easy sheet pan dinner – vegan, plant-powered, and full of flavor! Video.

Love cauliflower? Check out our 33+ Best Cauliflower Recipes!

Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with flavorful Romesco Sauce over a bed of simply seasoned lentils. A quick and easy sheet pan dinner - vegan, plant-powered, and full of flavor!
Oh, mirror in the sky what is love? Can the child within my heart rise above? Can I sail through the changin’ ocean tides?Can I handle the seasons of my life? ~Stevie Nicks

We loved this simple vegan dinner the other night and thought I’d share. Roasted Cauliflower nestles in flavorful Romesco Sauce over a bed of simmered lentils. It’s a nutritious meal, full of flavor and goodness, that comes together quickly and easily. Truly the place where healthy meets delicious!

What I love about this recipe is how the Romesco Sauce ingredients roast simultaneously as the cauliflower. While baking away in the oven, the lentils are simmering on the stovetop, giving you a little hands-off time before dinner. Then it’s just a matter of whizzing up the flavorful sauce and assembling. A tasty, easy, vegan sheet pan dinner.

Fall has arrived and I’ve been enjoying these brisk temperatures. Something about it makes me feel very alive. When you see the falling of the leaves, the wilting of the flowers, the dying off of nature, it’s a good reminder of how precious this life is. I know it will end, and in a way, I suppose it must, for it to mean something. And then the questions begin to surface, like, have I loved deeply enough? Or dug down far enough within myself to fully experience this life, or shed enough of what is not real? Big sigh…

Cauliflower Steaks Video

What you’ll need:

Lentils: FYI- small lentils cook fastest! I love these black caviar lentils– done in 20 minutes!
Cauliflower
red bell pepper
red onion, sliced
garlic cloves
almonds (Marcona almonds are nice, or toasted hazelnuts)
olive oil
red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
tomato paste (or sub sundried tomatoes)
salt and spices: smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, cayenne

How to make Roasted Cauliflower with Romesco Sauce

Step one

Preheat the oven and start the lentils cooking on the stovetop. These are the tiny Black caviar lentils that cook in 20 minutes- a lifesaver on busy nights!

slice the cauliflower into steaks

Step two

Slice the Cauliflower into ½-¾ inch slices, then trim the leaves, leaving the stem intact. Place on a parchment-lined sheet pan that has been sprayed with spray olive oil.

place cauliflower steaks on a parchment lined sheet pan

Step three

Make the quick marinade and brush it over the cauliflower and bell pepper, onion and garlic.

brush the marinade over the cauliflower

Step four

Roast until the stems of the cauliflower are fork-tender.

roast cauliflower until tender

Step five

When the peppers are collapsing, make the romesco sauce.

check that red bell pepper is tender

Place the pepper, onion, garlic, almonds, spices, olive oil, vinegar, tomato paste and salt in the food processor and pulse.

blending romesco sauce ingredients in a food processor

Blend until well combined but not too smooth.

romesco sauce in food processor

Optional: Place it in a pan to keep warm, and deepen the flavor.

cook the sauce in a pan

Step six

Season the lentils with a little olive oil if you like.

season the lentils with olive oil

Step seven

Assemble! Divide lentils among bowls, divide romesco sauce, then top with the roasted cauliflower. Sprinkle with some fresh herbs and you are good to go.

Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Romesco Sauce over a bed of simply seasoned lentils. A simple, easy vegan dinner made on a sheet pan!

Hope you are having a beautiful fall week.

love,

Sylvia

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Cauliflower Steaks with Romesco Sauce and Lentils

★★★★★ 4.9 from 41 reviews

Author: Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home
Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 35
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 3-4 1x
Category: vegan, main
Method: baked
Cuisine: Spanish
Diet: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Romesco Sauce over a bed of simply seasoned lentils. A quick and easy sheet pan dinner – vegan, plant-powered, and full of flavor!

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 F

If making lentils, place water, lentils and salt in a medium pot, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer gently until tender. See notes for additional seasonings. Drain, drizzle with olive oil.

Sheet Pan:

Spray an extra-large, parchment-lined sheet pan with spray olive oil. ( You may need two if using small pans)

Cut a whole cauliflower into ½-¾ inch slices or “steaks”, and then trim the leaves, leaving the stems. (TIP: leaving the leaves on until after slicing, helps them stay together better while you slice). Place these on the sheet pan.

Slice the onion into 1/2 inch thick rings and quarter the bell pepper removing seeds and place on the sheet pan, along with the whole garlic cloves.

In a small bowl mix the marinade ingredients together, then brush liberally over the cauliflower, getting the edges too. Brush any remaining over the onion, garlic and bell pepper.

Bake in the oven until the cauliflower steaks are fork-tender and peppers are tender and collapsing, about 35 minutes, checking on the garlic, halfway through. Remove the garlic when golden, ahead of time if need be.

Romesco Sauce: Place the roasted peppers, onion, garlic, and nuts in a food processor and pulse until chopped. Add the salt and spices, tomato paste, vinegar, olive oil and a little water. Pulse again until well combined, leaving a little texture. Add more water to loosen it and get it saucier- if you like, or keep it thick up to you. Taste and adjust salt and heat level.

Assemble your bowls. Drizzle warm, drained lentils with a little olive oil, and divide among bowls, spoon romesco sauce on the other side of the lentils, top with a couple of cauliflower steaks.

Scatter with fresh parsley. Enjoy!