Cauliflower steaks with kale-walnut pesto
This vegan-friendly dish is a nutrition powerhouse.
If you’re vegetarian or vegan or trying to eat more plants but want the heft of something to slice into, try making cauliflower steaks. Cauliflower is a nutritional powerhouse! It’s a member of the cruciferous or brassica group of vegetables, like kale and broccoli. Cauliflower is low in carbohydrates, meaning it won’t cause a rapid increase in your blood sugar, and it’s a great addition to a healthy diet. It’s also a good source of vitamin C and K, B vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants.
For color and flavor, this recipe includes fragrant kale-walnut pesto. Adding kale to the basil traditionally found in pesto adds fiber and many nutrients, and the walnuts add healthy fats that lend a creaminess, so you won’t miss the cheese.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Few pinches of salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup packed kale leaves, stems removed, sliced thinly
- 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons toasted walnuts, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Using a sharp knife and starting at the top center of the cauliflower, cut 2 1-inch-thick “steaks.” Reserve the rest of the cauliflower for another use.
- Brush one side of each cauliflower steak with olive oil. Then, sprinkle with salt and half the garlic powder. Turn the steaks over and repeat the process.
- Place the prepared cauliflower steaks on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast until tender, about 10 minutes on each side. Check with a fork for doneness. The cauliflower should be slightly golden and tender but not falling apart.
- While the cauliflower is roasting, prepare the pesto: In a food processor, process the kale, basil, walnuts, salt, and olive oil until the mixture becomes a coarse paste. Thin, if needed, with additional olive oil.
- Serve each cauliflower steak on a plate with 2 tablespoons of pesto drizzled on top of each one. (You’ll have leftover kale-walnut pesto.)
Nutrition information (per serving)
- Calories: 175
- Total fat: 15.3 g
- Saturated fat: 2.2 g
- Trans fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 343 mg
- Total carbohydrate: 9 g
- Dietary fiber: 4 g
- Total sugars: 3 g
- Added sugars: 0 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Potassium: 492 mg
Note: Includes 2 tablespoons of kale-walnut pesto.
Recipe contributed by Linda Shiue, MD.