• Preheat the oven to 400°F and grab out a baking sheet. Start heating a cast-iron skillet over low heat.

Cauliflower prep

• Trim the tough outer cauliflower leaves, but leave any tender inner leaves intact to help hold the steaks together. Trim the stem so that it’s flush with the base.
• Stand the cauliflower with the stem end facing down. Using a clever knife or a large chef’s knife, slice about 1 ½ inches off from one of the outer round edges (you can save the outer pieces for another recipe).
• Slice the remaining cauliflower into 1 ½-inch steaks — you should get 2-3 depending on how large your cauliflower head is (save the other outer round edge for another recipe as well).

Marinate

• Transfer the steaks to a flat working surface (we just use our baking sheet). Combine the olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
• Turn the heat of the cast-iron skillet up to medium-high and add a drizzle of extra olive oil to the pan. Brush the tops of the cauliflower steaks with ½ of the oil marinade, then add one in with the marinade side facing down.

Cook

• Cook it on the first side for 2-3 minutes, gently pressing down on the steak as it sears to give it a nice char. Brush the top with more marinade as it cooks.
• Carefully flip it and cook it for another 2-3 minutes on the second side, then transfer it back to the baking pan and repeat with the remaining steaks. Add a touch more olive oil as needed.
• Roast the seared cauliflower steaks at 400°F for 15-18 minutes, or until the stems are tender when pierced with a fork.

Chimichurri

• While the cauliflower steaks are roasting, prepare the chimichurri by combining the freshly chopped parsley, cilantro, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice in a bowl.

Assembly

• Serve your cauliflower steaks immediately while warm on a bed of hummus, mashed potatoes, or mashed sweet potatoes. Add a drizzle of chimichurri on top and chopped nuts or seeds if you’d like. Happy eating!