Thick slabs of cauliflower are pan seared and roasted with spices before being stuffed into sandwich rolls with spicy guacamole in these sloppy-good Mexican inspired sandwiches.
Can I just say something? Don't take this the wrong way, but cauliflower steaks sound like such a terrible idea. Keep in mind, this is coming from a person who can count the number of non-veggie steaks that she's eaten in her life on one hand, and never even liked the things. I'm here, so I'm obviously all about creating delicious plant-based versions of traditionally meat based foods, but sometimes I have to laugh at myself, and yes, occasionally I get a snarky comment when I post a recipe for something like carrot burgers before I realize how amusing the idea must be to someone who isn't me.
Cauliflower steaks instantly hit me as stereotypical vegetarian food when I first heard about them, and it took me a while to give in and try them for myself. Guess what? Stereotypical vegetarian food can be pretty darn good, at least if you do it right. And cauliflower steaks rock.
Taking things a bit further, Mexican spiced cauliflower steaks on sandwiches topped with sloppy guacamole is kind of mind blowing. This is one of those recipes that gets me hungry just writing about it. Taking the photos was rough, as I got the spices all over my hands while cooking, and every time I leaned in to get close to the camera I got a whiff of the spicy Mexican goodness that I'd only yet had a little taste test of.
Can you tell I liked these sandwiches?
When you make these, you probably wont end up with four to six cauliflower steaks. What you'll likely get is two or three "steaks" and an assortments of florets. Don't worry. Just shove the florets into a couple of sandwiches and proceed as if nothing's amiss. The person you’re feeding will be none the wiser, I’m quite sure, as all the cauli gets smooshed in a soft layer of creamy guacamole.
Mexican Cauliflower Steak and Guacamole Sandwiches
Thick slabs of cauliflower are pan seared and roasted with spices before being stuffed into sandwich rolls with spicy guacamole in these sloppy-good Mexican inspired sandwiches.
Ingredients
For the Mexican Cauliflower Steaks
- 1 medium cauliflower crown
- 2 tbsp. olive oil divided
- 1 tbsp. lime juice
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- ½ tsp. ancho chili powder
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- salt to taste
For the Guacamole
- 2 ripe avocados pitted and peeled
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 tbsp. lime juice
- 1 medium tomato seeded and diced
- ½ red onion diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper minced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
For Serving
- 4-6 sandwich rolls sliced open
- shredded lettuce
- cayenne pepper hot sauce
Instructions
Make the Mexican Cauliflower Steaks
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Preheat oven to 400º.
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Remove outer leaves from cauliflower and trim stem. Place on a large cutting board, stem side down. Starting at the center, cut into 1 inch thick slabs, retaining any florets that break off in the process.
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Coat a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, arrange cauliflower slabs and any stray florets in skillet and cook until lightly browned on bottoms, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on opposite sides, about 2 minutes more.
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Coat a large baking sheet with remaining oil. Arrange cauliflower on baking sheet and sprinkle with lime juice, garlic, cumin, ancho chili powder, salt and pepper. Bake until tender, about 15 minutes.
Make the Guacamole
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While cauliflower roasts, place avocados in medium bowl and mash well with a fork or potato masher. Stir in cilantro, lime juice, tomato, onion, jalapeño, salt and pepper.
Make the Sandwiches
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Stuff rolls with cauliflower steaks and top with guacamole, shredded lettuce and hot sauce.
Whoa! This looks easy and delicious. I love cauliflower, I love guacamole, I love sandwiches--this is a combination of perfection! Have you tried grilling the cauliflower? We always grill out for my dad's Father's Day present, and smoky Mexican cauliflower sandwiches sound amazing right now. Mmmm...
I haven't tried grilling it, but I really want to! I've been grilling a lot lately and didn't want to overdo it on the grill recipes for the blog. I think it would be awesome though. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it. :)
I find myself totally drawn to your recipes via Pinterest. I think I pin every single one I see. Gorgeous photos and such delicious sounding food! I just had to stop by and let you know! I am following from now on! Keep up the amazing work!
Thank you so much! I actually just clicked over to your blog and saw a bunch of recipes of yours that I've pinned. Ha! I guess great minds think alike. ;)
That looks delicious!
Just made these - they're incredible! Super simple, filling and delicious. It's going on my regular rotation for sure.
Yay! Glad you enjoyed them - I loved the heck out of these sandwiches too! Thanks Emily!
I never had a 'real' steak.... I had plenty of my Dad's braised steak and that was enough to put me off. Cauliflower steaks do sound soooooo appetizing though... and how to make it better than to pair it with guacamole? Amazing.....
Haha, yeah, I haven't had a "real" steak since I was a little kid, so I don't have much basis for comparison myself. I think you'll love cauliflower steaks though. Enjoy!
I made these today. So yummy. Thanks for the recipe.
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed them! :)
Ohhhh no you didn’t!!
WHY didn’t I think of this!? This is so delicious and simple! Thank you! I simply loved it!
I'm so happy to hear that!