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.

Cauliflower Steaks with Tomato Garlic Confit - roasted cauliflower steaks on white platter with tomato confit

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!

Cauliflower Steaks with Tomato Garlic Confit - cauliflower head sliced into steaks on a cutting board with knife

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.
Cauliflower Steaks with Tomato Garlic Confit - cauliflower slices on sheet pan with brushed olive oil, salt and pepper

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!

Cauliflower Steaks with Tomato Garlic Confit - roasted cauliflower steaks on sheet pan with tomato confit and spatula

Food photography by Ashley Cuoco

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Cauliflower Steaks with Tomato Garlic Confit - roasted cauliflower steaks on white platter with tomato confit

Cauliflower Steaks with Tomato Garlic Confit

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  • Author: Laney Schwartz
  • 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

Scale
  • 1 head of cauliflower
  • 23 tablespoons olive oil 
  • ¾ teaspoon salt

For the Tomato Garlic Confit:

  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1012 cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled (about 1 head)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 11 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

  1. 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.