Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks with Parsley-Almond Sauce Recipe
Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks feature perfectly cooked, tender yet crisp cauliflower slices served with a vibrant, creamy parsley-almond sauce. This vegan, gluten-free recipe is quick and easy to prepare, making it a healthy and tasty side dish or main entrée. The air fryer ensures the cauliflower gets beautifully browned edges without heating up your kitchen, while the almond-based sauce adds a fresh and nutty flavor profile.
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan
Ingredients
Cauliflower Steaks
- 1 large head cauliflower (about 6 inches in diameter)
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
- About ¾ cup water (for air fryer basket)
Parsley-Almond Sauce
- ¼ cup lemon juice (divided: 3 tablespoons for sauce, remainder for squeezing on steaks)
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup blanched slivered almonds (or whole raw almonds soaked 1 to 2 hours)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten-free)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Plan and Prepare Cauliflower: Start with a very large head of cauliflower to get two thick steaks. Trim and remove the thick green leaves and bottom stem to create a flat base for slicing.
- Slice Cauliflower Steaks: Place the cauliflower stem-side down, slice about ¾- to 1-inch to the right of center, cutting straight down; set aside any loose florets. Then slice ¾- to 1-inch to the left of center to create the first steak, and another slice to the left for the second steak. Refrigerate leftover cauliflower.
- Preheat Air Fryer: Add about ¾ cup water to the bottom of the air fryer basket, ensuring the water does not touch the cauliflower. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F.
- Season Cauliflower Steaks: Rub both sides of each steak with avocado oil. Season with a pinch of salt and freshly cracked pepper.
- Cook First Side: Place steaks in the preheated air fryer basket and cook for 6 minutes, allowing the bottom side to cook and brown.
- Prepare Parsley-Almond Sauce: While cauliflower cooks, combine almonds, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, ½ cup water, tamari, nutritional yeast, garlic, ground cumin, and sea salt in a food processor. Process until creamy yet textured. Add chopped parsley and pulse until finely chopped. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Flip and Squeeze Lemon: After 6 minutes, carefully flip the cauliflower steaks using a spatula. Squeeze additional lemon juice over each steak.
- Cook Second Side: Continue cooking for another 4 to 5 minutes or until the steaks are browned at the edges and slightly tender in the stem area.
- Serve: Plate the cauliflower steaks and generously spoon the fresh parsley-almond sauce over or alongside them. Finish with additional cracked black pepper if desired.
Notes
- If using whole raw almonds for the sauce, soak them for 1 to 2 hours beforehand to ease blending and achieve a creamier texture.
- Adding water to the air fryer basket creates steam, helping the cauliflower become tender while air frying it to crispness.
- This recipe is easily adaptable to a nut-free diet by substituting almonds with roasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds in the sauce.
- Uncut leftover cauliflower can be stored in the refrigerator for future use.
- This sauce is excellent beyond the cauliflower steaks and can be used as a dip or spread.
