Broccoli Steaks With Romesco Recipe

A lot of great vegan food involves soups, salads, stews, and curries: dishes that can load up on flavor by layering ingredients. Sometimes, though, it's nice to step away from bowls of saucy veggies and have the vegan equivalent of a steak — a simply seasoned, center-of-the-plate, tender main course, made quickly and served over flavorful sauce. If you follow a plant-based diet, you've probably had your fair share of cauliflower steaks and grilled portobello mushrooms. 

Another great vegetable to add to your veggie-steak rotation is broccoli. Just like cauliflower, the stalks can be cut into large, steak-like pieces and roasted until tender and juicy. The earthy, slightly sweet flavor of broccoli pairs perfectly with spicy, zippy romesco, a Spanish sauce made with tomatoes, almonds, and peppers. This recipe for broccoli steaks with romesco sauce, written with developer Michelle McGlinn walks through how to perfectly roast large cuts of broccoli and how to whip up a bright and flavorful romesco to go with them. You can create a delicious and satisfying vegan meal in less than 30 minutes.

First, you'll need several large heads of broccoli. Look for healthy green broccoli florets with a thick stem, and try to find the largest heads possible. If the broccoli at your store is looking a little small, grab a few extra so that your meal is still just as filling. From there, you'll need salt, pepper, and olive oil, as well as roasted red peppers, fire-roasted tomatoes, garlic, parsley, blanched almonds, Aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes), red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and sweet paprika. For a spicier romesco, opt for hot or smoked paprika, and for milder stick with sweet.

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Slice broccoli into ½-inch wide steaks.

Trim the stems to about 1 inch.

Arrange broccoli on a foil-lined sheet tray.

Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, tossing gently if needed.

Roast for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Broccoli should be fork tender and slightly browned.

In the meantime, make the romesco by combining all of the ingredients in a food processor.

Pulse until almost smooth.

To serve, spread romesco on a plate and top with broccoli steaks.

Using blanched almonds in romesco is important for the texture of the sauce. Blanching the almonds removes the skins, making the nut softer and easier to blend till completely smooth. Blanched whole almonds aren't always easy to find in stores, but they're very simple to make at home in less than 5 minutes. 

To blanch almonds, bring a small pot of water to boil. Drop in the whole almonds and boil for about 1 minute, just until they start turning darker brown and wrinkly (you might not even see this happen, so just set a timer for a minute). Prepare an ice bath and strain the almonds from the hot water, dropping them immediately into the ice to cool. The almond skins should already be splitting and wrinkled; simply give the skins a squeeze and they should slide right off. While this is the best way to achieve a smoother texture and a more vibrant color for your romesco, you can also skip blanching and use the almonds skin-on in a pinch. Blanched slivered almonds are more commonly found in stores, and they will work just as well in this recipe.

This recipe makes roughly 2 ½ cups of romesco, which may be more than you need for your broccoli steaks. Don't toss the extra romesco, though: The leftover sauce is terrific for so many other recipes. If you eat meat, romesco can be used as a sauce on top of steaks or as a marinade for grilled chicken. 

If you're vegan, try it with grilled or roasted tofu. It's also delicious mixed with roasted potatoes or tossed into roasted carrots or other root vegetables. You can also use romesco as a pasta sauce for a zesty and bright summer pasta. To make a seriously good romesco pasta, we recommend adding Italian sausage (or a vegan version), broccoli rabe, and plenty of parmesan cheese, dairy or vegan both work well. Romesco is also delicious when mixed with warm chickpeas or white beans and served over rice, farro, or couscous. Romesco sauce also makes an unusual and popular dip for crackers, crusty bread, or crudités.

As for the leftover broccoli steaks? Simply reheat them in the microwave (or the air fryer, if available) and enjoy them again for up to 4-5 days alongside pasta, potatoes, or couscous salad.