This simple vegetarian dinner is filled with classic and comforting flavors! Cauliflower Steaks with Tomato Garlic Confit is a veggie-based main dish that’s totally satisfying and flavorful.
We try to do vegetarian dinners somewhat regularly. My No-Fuss Vegetarian Spinach Lasagna and Easy Stovetop Lentil Soup are flavorful, savory, and comforting dinners that I come back to again and again. I wanted to add to my collection of meatless dinners, though! That’s how these Cauliflower Steaks with Tomato Garlic Confit came to be. Thick cuts of cauliflower create really delicious and satisfying “steaks,” and adding a spoonful of Tomato Garlic Confit over the top finishes it off with loads of fresh and garlicky flavor. You know my love for garlic!
Ingredients in Cauliflower Steak
Cooking a cauliflower steak is super simple (even simpler than a meat-based steak!), and it creates a surprisingly filling and flavorful vegetarian meal. I love this affordable and quick alternative to steak!
- Cauliflower – Grab a big, full head of cauliflower! Remove the larger leaves from the bottom and cut the stem. Your cauliflower should sit flat when upright on the cutting board. Now you can slice it into “steaks” about 1.5-2″ thick! Hang onto any smaller pieces and cook them alongside the bigger steaks.
- Olive oil – Just a couple tablespoons to coat the cauliflower and help it roast to crispy-on-the-outside perfection!
- Salt – You can season cauliflower steak however you like, but I prefer to keep it simple with salt and pepper and let the Tomato Confit bring the main flavor.
What is Tomato Confit?
A confit is a dish cooked in liquid over a long period of time. In this case, the tomatoes cook in olive oil AND of course I’ve made it a quick confit because who has time for anything more?
As they heat they burst open and cook into the oil along with garlic, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. It creates an incredibly simple topping for the cauliflower that’s also bursting with comforting, saucy flavor!
Food photography by Ashley Cuoco
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Cauliflower Steaks with Tomato Garlic Confit
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Oven baked
Description
This simple vegetarian dinner is filled with classic and comforting flavors! Cauliflower Steaks with Tomato Garlic Confit is a veggie-based main dish that’s totally satisfying and flavorful.
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 2–3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon salt
For the Tomato Garlic Confit:
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 10–12 cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled (about 1 head)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1–1 ½ cups olive oil (enough for the tomatoes to be covered at least half way)
- Splash of red wine vinegar (about 1 tablespoon)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional if you want some heat)
- 1 handful of fresh herbs (basil, oregano, thyme or dill)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prep the Tomato Garlic Confit. Add the tomatoes, garlic cloves, salt, pepper, olive oil, vinegar and red pepper flakes (if using), to a baking dish. Give a quick stir until everything is evenly coated. Add the fresh herbs on top.
- Place in the oven until tomatoes are bursting and bubbly, about 20-25 min.
- Meanwhile, prepare the cauliflower. Remove some of the big leaves from the bottom of the cauliflower and slice the stem so it sits almost flat. Use a large, sharp knife and cut the cauliflower into thick slices (about 1 ½-2 inches thick). You should get about 2-3 thick cauliflower steaks and the rest will be broken up into smaller pieces or florets. Just cook them up alongside the cauliflower steaks!
- Place the cauliflower steaks and floret pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the olive oil evenly over all sides of the cauliflower and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
- Place cauliflower in the oven with the tomato garlic confit for about 25-30 minutes. Once the tomatoes are finished cooking, remove from the oven and bump up the heat to 450 degrees to finish cooking the cauliflower until browned and cooked through. Feel free to broil in the last 1-2 minutes to get that extra golden color.
- Add the cauliflower onto a platter or individual plates and spoon the tomato garlic confit over it. Store leftover oil from the confit in a sealed container in the fridge and use for other dishes to add tons of flavor!