Looking for an easy vegan dinner? These zaatar cauliflower steaks are roasted, then served with the most delicious herby green tahini sauce – a simple, delicious plant-based meal full of Middle Eastern flavor that can be made in under 35 minutes. Video.
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This Zaatar Cauliflower recipe is probably one of my favorite ways to serve cauliflower. It’s a fancier version of what I grew up eating at home with my Egyptian father. Here I’ve cut the cauliflower into steaks before roasting, but you can easily just use cauliflower florets if in a hurry. Toss them with olive oil, salt, and zaatar spice, and while they roast in the oven, whip up the green tahini sauce. Serve this with a side salad like our Lemony Kale Slaw or Lebanese Slaw (Salatet Malfouf), and you’ll have a delicious and satisfying vegan meal that is low in carbs and gluten-free.
Also, you’ll find a million uses for any leftover green tahini sauce – it is incredibly delicious spooned into wraps, over salads or buddha bowls or roasted veggies, you’ll thank yourself for making it! We have a whole bunch of cauliflower recipes on the blog, so make sure to take a peek.
Zaatar Cauliflower Ingredients
- Cauliflower - The hearty centerpiece of the dish, sliced into thick "steaks" that become tender and caramelized when roasted while still holding their shape beautifully. Leaving the stem intact helps keep the slices together. Or use cauliflower florets!
- Olive oil - Helps the cauliflower roast evenly while adding richness and helping the edges become golden and crisp.
- Zaatar spice - A fragrant Middle Eastern spice blend that adds earthy, tangy, nutty flavor from cumin, coriander, sumac, and sesame seeds. We have a recipe for homemade Zaatar!
- Salt and pepper - Enhance the roasted flavor of the cauliflower and balance the spices.
- Green Tahini Sauce– Water, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs, jalapeño, salt, and tahini - A creamy, vibrant sauce that brings the dish to life. Tahini adds rich nuttiness, while lemon juice brightens the flavors. Fresh herbs create a bold green color and fresh flavor, garlic adds savory depth, and jalapeño brings optional heat. Water helps loosen the sauce into a silky, spoonable consistency.
How to make Zaatar Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce
Trim the leaves from the cauliflower, leaving the stem intact. Clean the stem, then slice the cauliflower into ¾-inch slices.
Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and Zaatar.
Place in the hot oven and bake until fork-tender.
While it is roasting, make the green tahini sauce!
Serving Suggestions
For an elegant presentation, serve it on a plate with the green tahini sauce. Sprinkle with more za’atar and toasted pine nuts, if you like. Pair this with a side like our kale salad or wilted greens. Here is our Zaatar spice recipe, if you want to make your own, and I love this with either Lebanese Slaw, or Lemony Kale Slaw. If you need a starch, this Middle Eastern rice would be good!
Storage
Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The cauliflower can be frozen for up to 3 months.
More cauliflower Recipes you’ll love
- 31+ Mouthwatering Cauliflower Dishes
- Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Romesco Sauce
- Turmeric Coconut Cauliflower Curry Recipe
- Crispy Cauliflower with Tahini Yogurt
Hope you enjoy this delicious vegan meal and please let us know what you think in the comments below!
Zaatar Cauliflower Video
Zaatar Cauliflower Steaks with Green Tahini
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 43 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: cauliflower recipes, dinner recipe, healthy dinner, vegan, vegan dinner, vegan main
- Method: Baked, roasted
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Description
A simple recipe for Middle Eastern Zaatar Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Green Tahini Sauce. Vegan and Gluten-free!
Ingredients
- 1 whole cauliflower- leaves trimmed ( leave the stem intact)- sliced into 1/2 inch thick steaks
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3-4 teaspoons zaatar spice ( a blend of cumin, coriander, sumac, sesame seeds)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 fat garlic cloves
- 3/4 cup fresh herbs (cilantro, Italian parsley, dill or basil or a combo!) tiny stems ok!
- 2-3 slices jalapeno (optional)
- 1/2-1 teaspoon salt, start with 1/2, add more to taste
- 1/2 cup tahini paste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F
- Trim leaves off the cauliflower, leaving the long stem intact. Slice the very end off the stem. Slice the Cauliflower into 5-6 slices about ½-¾ inches thick. See photos.
- Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle generously with zaatar spice and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan in the oven to roast until fork-tender, about 20-25 minutes.
- While it’s roasting, make the green tahini sauce. Place all the ingredients except the tahini paste in the blender, and blend until combined (but not smooth). Add the tahini paste and blend again until the desired smoothness. Adjust salt to taste. Add more water to thin it out if you like.
- Plate up the Zaatar Cauliflower Steaks and Drizzle with Green Tahini Sauce!
Notes
The recipe for the green tahini sauce will probably make more than you will need. Save the leftovers of Buddha bowls, salads, or roasted veggies for the week.
Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 308
- Sugar: 3.1 g
- Sodium: 224 mg
- Fat: 27.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.6 g
- Fiber: 5.7 g
- Protein: 7.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I never leave ratings but this was so good I had to. I used mint, parsley and corriander in the dressing. A smattering of toasted walnuts and pomegranate seeds on top and I absolutely devoured it.
Hi Gillian, I am so happy you enjoyed this! And thankyou for rating; it is always very appreciated.
Very very good.
With the cauliflower bits that weren’t staying together, I blanched them and blended together with the tahini sauce so there was no waste.
As a complement I cooked kale with some butter and seasoned with a pomegranate dressing (reduced pomegranate juice with a bit of sugar, when it was almost ready I added thinly sliced dutch carrots).
The combination was AMAZING. I’ll definitely be cooking this again.
Great to hear Maria! Glad you enjoyed!
Very very good.
With the cauliflower bits that weren’t staying together, I blanched them and blended together with the tahini sauce so there was no waste.
As a complement I cooked kale with some butter and seasoned with a pomegranate dressing (reduced pomegranate juice with a bit of sugar, when it was almost ready I added thinly sliced dutch carrots).
The combination was AMAZING. I’ll definitely be cooking this again.
Sounds delicious Maria!
The pomegranate dressing sounds amazing!
Delicious! Served with some chicken breasts and drizzled the yummy sauce on all if it. Thanks!
Perfect Anna!
Delicious! This is definitely going into the rotation.
Glad you enjoyed this Carla!
It was delicious Sylvia!
I’m just back from a trip, so I didn’t have greens to make the green tahini, I made it with lots of garlic & lemon. I’m going to make your Cauliflower Steaks with Romesco & Lentils next.
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes.💕
Thanks so much Mary! Glad you are enjoying.
It’s summer! Would it work to grill rather than roast the cauliflower? We have a beautiful head of cauliflower in the garden as well as fresh garden herbs for the sauce. But who wants to turn on the oven in August???
I hear you Mary! I have never grilled cauliflower raw. I’m sure it can be done. Go low and slow?
This was the 2nd recipe we’ve used from this marvelous blog, and it was so delicious. Trying to eat more vegan, this “steak” does not disappoint. Definitely be very generous with the za’atar spice, I could have added more. The green tahini? Mind blown. So good!
Yay Janelle! Thanks so much. xo
Made this recipe tonight and my family loved it! I messed up on the sauce and ended up adding water and 2 avocados and it tamed things from being WAY too spicy (whoops!) Definitely going to make again with the correct herbs for the sauce haha
Hi! Any good substitute for the tahini? Just out right now 🙂
Oh goodness! the Tahini really makes it! You could try making “tahini” with raw sunflower seeds and water (half-half)- I’ve done that in a high powered blender.
The green sauce in this recipe is to die for!!! So tasty. I made the cauliflower and sauce over a bed of couscous and I forgot to buy kale so I added chickpeas instead! And one day this week I added olives on the side for a little something extra. I love your recipes!
Hi Sylvia, can I make this dish in advance and reheat lateron?
I think that should be fine!
Hi! This was delicious :-). The recipe doesn’t actually say to sprinkle on the spice, so I assumed that you do it before roasting.
Thanks, yes, ok, I added it. Glad you enjoyed.
Where did you find cauliflower that looks like this?! Mine doesn’t slice up like this at all. We have nuggets instead of steaks.
Nuggets work too!:) I just try to find the biggest cauliflower I can get my hands on, and then carefully slice. Not all pieces are perfect – especially the ends- but usually the middle pieces look pretty good. 😉
We did this recipe via video with my cooking coach and it was perfect! My birth boyfriend loved his roommate loved it and it was totally easy to do once I figured out how to cut the cauliflower
Great to hear!
I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! I made your za’atar seasoning on Sunday which is how I found this recipe. Even my nearly seven-year-old daughter approved of this recipe! We served it with leftover veggies from last night which consisted of summer squash (from our garden), zucchini, bell peppers and red onions. I topped the cauliflower with the incredible green tahini sauce and toasted pepitas! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Perfect!Glad it worked for you! 🙌
So easy to make but so delicious. Great for healthy, yummy dinners. Thanks!! 🙂
It should!
Sauce was amazing. So creamy, this is just right for the dairy obsessed normly non vegan.
Thanks Ulrika and Yay!!! 🙌
Sauce was amazing, creamy and hit the spot for the dairy obsessed non vegan.
I made the tahini sauce with Italian parsley and it was delicious with the roasted cauliflower.
Delicious! I had two servings. I made this last night. My tahini was a little bitter so next time I will be sure to buy a better brand.
So glad you liked this Lex!
So beyond delicious! The Zaatar gave the cauliflower such a great flavor and paired with the green tahini sauce made it even more addictive.
Glad you liked it!
This was really good! I made it into a bowl dish by cutting up the cauliflower into smaller pieces and roasting with chickpeas. Served it over barley and topped it all with the sauce, slaw, and some pine nuts. We loved it. I did have to add some maple to the sauce to cut the bitterness—not a recipe problem but a tahini quality problem. Still in search of a non-bitter tahini…
Thanks so much Susanna! Appreciate this so much!
MERCI j’ai beaucoup aimé cette recette. Il me reste de la sauce Bisous Chris 06
Merci Chris!!!
Wow! Like every FeastingAtHome.com recipe, this was spectacular. Not difficult to make and so delicious. I made my own Zaatar. My hubby and I are looking forward to using the leftover green tahini sauce for other dishes during the week. The sauce is similar to Cava’s green tahini dressing.