Its been consistently warm here in Boston for a few weeks now which means we've been grilling! Some of my favorite things to grill are corn, bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, portobello mushrooms and Beyond Meat Sausages. But by the end of the summer, I am very tired of my standard grilled veggies. And I have found it hard to be creative with grilling recipes, so thats what I wanted to create today. A recipe packed with flavor and quick to throw on the grill. So, I made these Harissa Butter Grilled Cauliflower Steaks.
Cauliflower steaks are something we eat often in my house. And every time we do I say we should have them even more. I like them because they are a blank canvas for any flavor you like. And they are incredibly easy to make.
Cutting Cauliflower Steaks
To cut cauliflower steaks, first wash the head of cauliflower and cut away all leaves and any protruding stem. Then, with the cauliflower stem side up, cut straight down the center of the stem. Then with each half- still stem side up cut about a 1.5 inch steak. And you're done! And, save the leftover florets to put in your next stir fry, make some cauliflower rice or roast it.
What is Harissa?
The main flavor for these Harissa Butter Grilled Cauliflower Steaks is-you guessed it- harissa. Harissa is a North African hot chili paste. It has other spices and garlic in it as well making it really flavorful. So, its the perfect thing to add flavor to cauliflower steaks- which need a LOT of seasoning. This is the brand of Harissa I use.
Which brings me to my next point. Try as hard as you can to brush the harissa butter onto every available space. The cauliflower steaks will be pretty tasteless without it. So, use a brush to get into all the crevices.
I'd call heat level of these Harissa Butter Cauliflower Steaks medium. I don't recommend reducing the harissa here to reduce the heat. The steaks will lack flavor. Instead, try grilling my Garlic Butter Cauliflower Steaks!
To cut the heat I like to serve them with a simple 3 ingredient tahini sauce. But, serve them with your favorite creamy dressing- like Follow Your Heart Ranch- or even hummus to save the a tiny bit of time!
📖 Recipe
Harissa Butter Grilled Cauliflower Steaks
Ingredients
- 2 ~1 ½ inch Cauliflower Steaks, see above for cutting tips
- 1 ½ tablespoon Plant-Based Butter, melted I used Country Crock Plant Butter
- 2 tsp Harissa Paste
- 2 tsp Lemon Juice
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- Salt
For the Optional Tahini Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Tahini
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 ½ Tbsp Water
- Pinch Salt
Instructions
- Heat grill.
To make the Tahini Sauce
- In a small bowl combine tahini and lemon juice and stir. The mixture will get really thick! Add water, a little bit at a time until you achieve a smooth, creamy sauce. Season with a pinch of salt. Set aside.
For the Cauliflower Steaks
- Meanwhile combine melted plant butter, harissa paste, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder and oregano.
- Brush all the harissa butter over the two cauliflower steaks, being sure to get all the crevices!
- Season each side of the cauliflower steaks with salt.
- Reduce grill heat to medium high/medium and place cauliflower steaks on and close the lid.
- Let cook for 10 minutes, flip and let cook with the lid closed for 10-13 minutes longer. Pierce with a fork to test for doneness.
- Serve with grilled veggies and roasted sweet potatoes or put it on a sandwich!
Kristen
Hi! I’d like to try this recipe but the Harissa Paste that you linked is currently unavailable. My grocery store only sells Harissa seasoning. How can I swap the seasoning for paste? Thank you.
Megan Calipari
Hi! You can use an equal amount of the harissa powder and it should work perfectly!