- Prep-time: / Ready In:
- Makes 4 steaks
- Serving size: ¼ of recipe
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Get traditional steakhouse flavor without the animal products when you dig into a plate of this satisfying cauliflower steak with creamed spinach. Nestled into a bed of tender farro and sweet roasted onions, the savory steaks are browned to perfection and mimic the thick texture of meat. Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy, salty flavor to the creamed spinach, which is so good you’ll want to include it in grain bowls and other meal combos. This restaurant-quality recipe is perfect for impressing guests or whipping up a fancy Valentine’s Day dinner at home.
By Shelli McConnell,
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 heads cauliflower, leaves removed (3 lb. total)
- 1 large sweet onion, sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium tamari
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 lb. fresh baby spinach
- ¼ cup thinly sliced shallot
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 cups unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 3 cups hot cooked farro
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Line two baking sheets with foil. Carefully trim stem ends from cauliflower, leaving cores intact so florets are still attached. Place cauliflower heads, core sides down, on cutting board. Using a chef’s knife, cut cauliflower vertically into four 1- to 1¼-inch-thick “steaks” (reserve ends and loose pieces for another use). Arrange steaks and onion slices on prepared baking sheets.
- In a small bowl combine tamari and 1 tablespoon water. Brush mixture over steaks and onion. Sprinkle with black pepper. Roast 25 to 30 minutes or until golden, turning once. Halve onion slices.
- Meanwhile, for creamed spinach, in an extra-large skillet cook and stir spinach, half at a time, over medium until wilted, adding water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, to help it wilt. Transfer to a colander. Squeeze out liquid. In the skillet cook shallot and garlic over medium, stirring and adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to prevent sticking. In a small bowl whisk together flour, nutritional yeast, and ¼ cup of the plant milk. Add remaining plant milk to skillet. Gradually whisk in flour mixture. Cook and stir 8 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in nutmeg then spinach.
- Serve cauliflower over farro. Top with onion and spinach. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper.
Per serving (¼ of recipe): 447 calories, 81 g carbohydrates, 19 g protein, 5 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 289 mg sodium, 18 g fiber, 9 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
Comments (13)
(5 from 11 votes)Wow! This was fantastic! It was so filling, and came together rather quickly, which I was a bit surprised about. I cooked the farro in the Instant Pot once I put the cauliflower and onions in the oven. The only change that I made was to substitute steak seasoning on the cauliflower steaks instead of just pepper. I think that added the right amount of spices for our family. I'll definitely be making this again!
Not enough spices
Wow, this was really tasty comfort food. I substituted thinly sliced baby kale for half of the spinach, used cashew milk and brown rice instead of farrow. I agree about the red chile, it adds just the right amount of kick.
Oops, I meant to rate this 5 stars!
I just made this again and it's still so yummy. I added cayenne pepper and salt to taste. Very good.
This recipe was amazing - and the red pepper a 'must'! Wonderful flavors, it all came together nicely. And my cauliflower was in pieces, not steaks, but it all tasted fine! And I agree, a doubling of the water/tamari mix!
This was really good! I agree with the others in doubling the tamari sauce… I’ll probably slice more onions as well because I LOVE onions. Lastly, I think it could have used a pinch of salt, but it was delicious none the less! This will definitely be a repeat!
Eileen needs to use nutritional yeast, not brewer's yeast. They are totally different.
Just excellent. Like Nikki suggested, I doubled the tamari/water mixture but left everything else exactly as is, and this is one of the most impressive meals I've made so far a year into trying out FOK recipes. Absolutely thrilled to add this one to our rotation, particularly for the fall and winter months with that lovely festive nutmeg.
Flavor was good, but the mix of flour, brewers yeast and almond milk made a thick clump of paste. There was no "whisking it." When I added the clump, a little at a time to the rest of the milk with a whisk, it didn't smoothly incorporate. Had to use a spoon to hunt and mash the pieces of clump, which was hard since the onion and garlic was still in the pan. I'm going to try again, but add enough milk to the flour and yeast mix to make a smooth mixture, then add it to the rest of the milk.
I made this and loved it. I've been having trouble finding recipes I can eat that are plant-based because so many have chickpeas or beans. Unfortunately, it clashes with having microscopic colitis. So I was excited to find this one. I had to switch the onions with green onions and tried using the Farro for the first time. I wasn't sure if it would agree with my intestines. It didn't cause too much of a problem. Praying I'll find more recipes that agree with me, to help my kidneys heal.
I used a bag of cauliflower florets because it’s what I had on hand, and used a spray bottle to flavour them before and during roasting. I added a bit of siracha to the creamed spinach, and served with a baked potato instead of farro. Unfortunately I still add a bit of salt to bring out flavours (that’s just me - my son doesn’t) but we both thought really good.
Very good! I needed more of the tamari water to coat my cauliflower. Next time, I will probably double the water/tamari mixture, put it in a bag or container, then add the cauliflower steaks to better coat. I will definitely make the spinach as a side for other meals.