Cauliflower Steaks with Mushroom Marsala Sauce
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Roasted Cauliflower steaks take center stage in this plant-powered main course. A luxurious mushroom and marsala cream sauce finishes this dish that is as nourishing as it is deeply satisfying. This healthy meatless dinner is ready in a snap and worthy of a spot on your vegetarian recipe rotation.
Looking for more hearty meatless dishes try these incredible Brussels sprout and mushroom vegan enchiladas and this tofu salsa verde stuffed sweet potato.
It cannot be underestimated, the power of a familiar dish to comfort weary souls at the end of the day. This mush-roomy pan sauce with a swirl of sour cream gives that satisfaction. Cooking with marsala wine is a tradition in Sicily. Italian Americans brought the practice to these shores creating the much-loved chicken marsala recipe because the flavor reminded them of home. I just love the magic that food has to remind us, to transport us elsewhere. This is my healthier interpretation of that dish.
Let’s Get Cooking!
INGREDIENTS
Detailed measurements and ingredients can be found within the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Cauliflower – You’ll need one large head of cauliflower, florets will not work, you will be slicing the cauliflower into thick steaks.
- Mushrooms – In this recipe I used cremini mushrooms but any kind of mushroom will do.
- Shallot and garlic – or onion and no garlic, y0u do you.
- Marsala wine – This is a fortified wine, similar to port. You can substitute red vermouth or even red wine but marsala is sweeter and adds a definitive specific deliciousness.
- Stock – Veggie stock for vegetarian, bone broth, or chicken stock if not.
- Sour cream – Easily replaced with coconut cream if you are vegan.
TOOLS
- Sheet pan
- Sauté pan
- Cutting board
- A good knife
WHAT IS A CAULIFLOWER STEAK AND DOES IT TASTE LIKE STEAK?
Let’s be clear, cauliflower steak is not steak! It does not taste like steak. It is cauliflower, albeit DELICIOUS cauliflower. Sliced in a way that offers more surface area and opportunity for seasoning. The cauliflower steak is a thick and hearty portion, typically a main course dish. It mimics a steak in shape and its ability to be caramelized but does not have the taste of a T-bone or any other type of steak.
HOW TO MAKE
- Chooses a large head of cauliflower
- Wash and dry cauliflower and remove outer leaves
- Trim stem so that cauliflower is stable and stands up easily
- Cut cauliflower into thick slabs about 2″ thick
- You can either cut from one end of the cauliflower to the other
- Or cut through the heart center of the head and then divide up each piece
- Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and season with salt and pepper
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, flipping steaks at the halfway mark
PRO TIP!!
Do not overcook the cauliflower! You want texture. If your steaks are smaller watch your cooking time.
MUSHROOM MARSALA SAUCE
Master this creamy mushroom marsala sauce and you will begin pouring it over everything!
TIPS TO MAKING A GREAT MARSALA SAUCE:
- Saute mushrooms first. Do not crowd your pan with mushrooms, use a large pan, get it super hot, add your mushrooms (with some fat olive oil, avocado oil, or butter), and do not touch the mushrooms for a few minutes. Allow the mushrooms to brown and develop color and then flip.
- Once the mushrooms are brown move to the outer edges of the pan, turn down the heat, add a bit more fat, and saute shallot and garlic.
- Add a generous glug of marsala wine (specific instructions and measurements can be found in the recipe card), and allow the alcohol to burn off, this will take a few minutes and the wine will reduce
- Add chicken stock or vegetable stock reduce by half
- Swirl in a tbsp of sour cream
- Bammo! Deliciousness
NUTRITION NERD CORNER 🤓
A mushroom a day keeps the doctor away 😉
Mushrooms contain three important compounds that make them cancer-fighting soldiers – Antigen Binding Lectins, Aromatase Inhibitors, and Anti-Angiogenic Properties. Big words with really big fighting power.
Read more about mushrooms’ nutritional superpowers.
DIETARY MODIFICATIONS
This recipe is gluten-free, vegetarian, and keto-friendly.
- Vegan – Use coconut cream in place of sour cream
- Whole 30 – Use mushroom stock in place of marsala and coconut cream instead of sour cream
- Paleo – Use mushroom stock in place of marsala and coconut cream instead of the sour cream
MORE CAULIFLOWER RECIPES YOU WILL LOVE
For similar tasty dishes, check out my cozy healthy Thanksgiving recipes, healthy fall recipes, and November recipes roundups!
I can’t wait for you to try this recipe for Cauliflower Steaks with Mushroom Marsala Sauce! When you make it, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @abrapappa or use the hashtag #abraskitchen so I can feature your photo!
If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to rate and leave a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!
Cauliflower Steaks with Mushroom Marsala Sauce
Ingredients
Cauliflower Steak
- 1 large head of cauliflower sliced into steaks, see note for details
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Sauce
- 8 oz. cremini mushrooms sliced
- 1 large shallot diced
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- 1/4 cup marsala wine
- 1/4 cup vegetable stock or chicken stock
- 1 tbsp. sour cream
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp. fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Slice cauliflower into steaks, see note for details. Place the steaks on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet. Season both sides of the steaks with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Roast in the oven for 10 minutest. Then, flip the cauliflower steaks and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Mushroom Marsala Sauce
- Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat. When the pan is warm add butter. When the butter is melted add the sliced mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms brown, about 5 minutes.
- Move the mushrooms to the edge of the pan. Reduce your heat slightly then add the olive oil, shallot and garlic and cook until soft and fragrant about 3 minutes.
- Pour in marsala wine and allow the alcohol to burn off and reduce (this will take about 2 minutes and the wine will reduce by 1/4 to 1/2) Stir the sauce to incorporate all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add vegetable (or chicken)1 stock and allow the sauce to simmer and reduce by half.
- Whisk in sour cream until smooth and combined.
- Finish with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Scatter fresh parsley on sauce.
Notes
- Use a sharp knife.
- Cut a piece off the bottom of the cauliflower so that it can stand up easily.
- Cut through the center first and then slice additional slabs from each piece.
- Expect the amount of slices to vary but you want the steak to be about two fingers width or 2 inches each.
- Leftovers are best kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 5 days.
Nutrition
Meet Abra Pappa, MS, CNS, LDN
Abra is a licensed nutritionist, seasoned home cook, and forever flavor-chaser. She’s spent more than two decades exploring the connection between food and health—and just as long obsessing over what makes something truly delicious. Abra’s Kitchen is where those two loves meet, with recipes that celebrate vegetables, follow the seasons, and make you excited to cook.
Absolutely delicious! I will definitely be making this again for my vegetarian friends 🙂