When I tried scallops, I couldn't help thinking that they tasted like cooked cauliflower stalks, as the texture and flavor are so similar! And so this recipe was born – cauliflower scallops. With this recipe, you can make the vegan version of your go-to restaurant indulgence in less than 30 minutes!
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🌟Why you'll love this recipe
🧾Ingredients in this recipe
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
For more information on cooking vegan dishes or with vegan ingredients, try my guide to cooking with tofu or browse the vegan recipes page.
👩🍳How to Make This Recipe
⭐ Pro Tip
To make the stalks look as much like scallops as possible, I trim the bottoms of the florets. This is cosmetic only, and helps to keep them looking uniform!
⭐ Pro Tip
You can push the cooking time to get the cauliflower just past golden brown and get a little more of a char, which is delicious!
Serve with a delicious salad, on top of a bed of mashed potatoes, or on top of mushroom and pea risotto (my favorite)! For salad inspiration, try this Golden Beet & Goat Cheese Salad or this Grapefruit Fennel Salad.
📋Recipe FAQs
You can consume the cauliflower florets raw and they're great as a snack with a dip or with other veggies. I don't recommend eating the stalk raw because it can be tough.
It can, but these cauliflower scallops are meant to be cooked and eaten fresh. That's when they taste the best.
Yes, cauliflower is a carbohydrate. It is a low-carb vegetable and is very popular in vegetarian diets – when ground down it can be used as a rice substitute.
Scallops are considered a delicacy by many and are in really high demand. They are also in low supply relative to the demand, which drives their price up.
Cauliflower is often compared to broccoli in texture, but the taste is much more subtle and mild than broccoli.
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Cauliflower Scallops
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower stalk
- flavorless oil like canola, vegetable, sunflower seed, or avocado. Butter also works.
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Remove the florets from the cauliflower and set them aside for another recipe.
- Trim the stalk so the sides are close to parallel to each other. It is OK if the bottoms of the floret stalks remain. You want to keep as much of the cauliflower as possible, but you want each piece to be a similar size. Also, trim the woody part off the bottom of the stalk.
- Cut the stalk into 1-inch thick discs. Add them to your steamer and steam until fork-tender, 5-10 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a non-stick or cast-iron pan over medium heat. Add in the steamed cauliflower discs. Season with salt and pepper and sear the top and bottom until golden brown, 1-3 mintues per side.
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