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Cauliflower Steak Hummus Plate with Tomato Chickpea and Fennel Salad

Cauliflower Steak Hummus Plate with Tomato Chickpea and Fennel Salad
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Cauliflower Steak Hummus Plate with Tomato Chickpea and Fennel Salad

Recipe by thesal28_wpCourse: Main
Servings

2

servings



After realizing that my Cauliflower Piccata recipe was a home run, I’ve become obsessed with Cauliflower Steaks. Besides being delicious, they are visually stunning and substantial enough to anchor an entire meal around. I love brainstorming ways to make Cauliflower Steaks shine and lately have been enjoying them as the centerpiece to a loaded hummus plate.

Follow my method below and you will be handsomely rewarded. The trick to perfect Cauliflower Steaks is pre-heating the pan you will roast them on, and cracking the oven door occasionally to let out some steam (otherwise your Cauliflower Steaks will be soggy and um, smell like farts).

This Cauliflower Steak Loaded Hummus Plate looks impressive, but is so easy to make. While the cauliflower steaks cook, you make a simple salad featuring chickpeas, tomatoes, shaved fennel and zhoug. Zhoug is a sauce that originates from Yemen, has become very popular throughout the Middle East, and is making its way stateside (Trader Joe’s sells a version now!). It is bright and tangy, as it contains lots of cilantro, parsley and green jalapeño for heat.

To build the Cauliflower Steak Loaded Hummus Plates, you dollop a bit of hummus on the plate, then spread it into a circular base upon which you will place your cauliflower steak. Top the cauliflower steaks with your chickpea salad and finish your plate with a little za’atar seasoning. That’s it!

Ingredients

  • Cauliflower Steaks

  • 1 large or 2 small heads of cauliflower

  • 1/4 tsp ground turmeric

  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

  • 1/4 tsp granulated garlic

  • 1/4 tsp Kosher salt

  • 1 1/2-2 tsp olive oil

  • Chickpea Salad

  • 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

  • 1 cup diced fennel (bulb only)

  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

  • 2-3 tbsp zhoug (Trader Joe’s makes it too, if you need a shortcut)

  • Zhoug (recipe makes appx. 1 cup)

  • 1 1/2 cups cilantro leaves

  • 1 1/2 cups Italian (flat leaf) parsley leaves

  • 1 tsp ground cumin

  • 1 tsp ground coriander

  • 2 jalapeños, cut into 1 inch pieces

  • 2 peeled garlic cloves

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar (Seasoned rice vinegar has a little sugar added to it. If using plain rice wine vinegar, add 2 tsp honey)

  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

  • Additional Platter Ingredients

  • 1 cup hummus

  • Za’atar seasoning

  • fresh herbs, for garnish (optional)

  • Kosher salt

  • black pepper

Directions

  • Slice the base off each cauliflower and cut away any pieces that aren’t connected to stem end (save them for roasting another day). Slice the remaining slab of cauliflower vertically into two, 1-inch thick slabs. In a small bowl, mix together the ground turmeric, smoked paprika, granulated garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt. Rub 1 1/2-2 tbsp olive oil all over the steaks and rub with the spice blend.
  • CAULIFLOWER STEAK OVEN METHOD: Place a sheet pan on the MIDDLE oven rack and preheat oven to 500°(F). Once the oven is preheated, carefully remove the pan and place the cauliflower steaks onto it. Place the pan back into oven. Cook the cauliflower steaks for 14-16 minutes total, flipping once. VERY IMPORTANT STEP: 4 minutes into cook time on each side, carefully crack open the oven door just long enough to release any steam that has built up in oven. This ensures that cauliflower steaks cook primarily via searing instead of steaming. 
  • CAULIFLOWER STEAK AIR FRYER METHOD: Air Fry the cauliflower steaks for 15 minutes at 400°(F) for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through cook time.
  • Make Zhoug: In a food processor, process garlic, jalapeño and vinegar until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Add the cilantro, parsley, spices, oil, salt and pepper to the work bowl and blend until the mixture is homogenized, but still a little chunky. (You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.)
  • In a medium bowl, combine chickpeas, tomato, shaved fennel and zhoug. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Once cauliflower steaks are cool enough to handle, build plates by dividing hummus equally between the 2 plates and spreading into a 4-5 inch diameter circle. Place 1 cauliflower steak on top of each plate of hummus. Divide chickpea salad between plates, spooning right on top of the cauliflower steaks. Finish each plate with a dusting of za’atar seasoning.

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