Vegan Bunny Elle

Bring a dash of stunning color to your plate with this purple cauliflower steak! They’re pan-seared and roasted with chili oil butter that packs a big punch of flavor, served on a bed of fluffy, creamy tofu “feta” and zingy chimichurri sauce.

Purple cauliflower is like the foxy sibling of cauliflowers 😉 They taste not too different from the regular white cauliflower, but they’re rich in incredible antioxidants like anthocyanin, which has cancer-fighting effect, can aid in prevention of diabetes among other amazing benefits!

And when it comes to preparing cauliflower like a “steak”, my favorite and fail-safe method is to pan sear them first, giving them that seductive, smoky char; then oven roast to get the inside perfectly tender and juicy. For seasoning, you have full free range, herb butter, harissa butter, even just simple salt, pepper, and oil, anything you like! I used a chili butter mixture for that spicy kick and deep umami flavor.

Chili Butter Purple Cauliflower Steak

Stunning purple cauli steaks pan-seared and roasted with chili oil butter that packs a big punch of flavor, served on a bed of fluffy, creamy tofu “feta” and zingy chimichurri sauce.

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 2 large slices of purple cauliflower about 1/2 inch thick each
• 2 tablespoon vegan butter melted
• 2-3 teaspoon chili oil adjust based on your preference for spiciness
• 3-4 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• Salt and pepper as needed

Whipped Tofu Feta

• 6 oz silken tofu
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• Pinch of salt

Chimichurri sauce

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 – 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
• 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil or enough to cover all the ingredients

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 395°F;
2. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large oven safe pan, sear the cauliflower slices, about 4 – 5 minutes for the first side until golden, flip, and another 3 – 4 minutes for the other side, season with a small pinch of salt and ground black pepper as needed;
3. Mix together the melted butter, chili oil, onion powder and minced garlic, brush the mixture onto the cauliflower steaks both sides;
4. Tranfer to the oven, if your pan is not oven safe please transfer the cauliflower steaks onto a lined baking sheet, roast for 25 minutes until just fork tender;
5. Meanwhile, make the chimichurri sauce and tofu feta;
6. Finely chop the fresh parsley and cilantro by hand – I do not recommend using a processor for this! Hand chopping really gives the sauce a texture that’s just right;
7. Then mix the parsley with minced garlic, and the rest of the ingredients, set aside to marinate and infuse;
8. Add all the tofu feta ingredients to a processor, blend till very smooth and silky;
9. Once everything is ready, spread tofu feta on the plate, add the roasted cauliflower, and garnish with chimichurri and extra chili oil if you love spicy like I do, enjoy!