Cauliflower Piccata

This Cauliflower Piccata takes thick slices of roasted cauliflower and covers them in a bright, buttery lemon-caper sauce. You get tender cauliflower with lightly browned edges, plenty of garlic and shallot flavor, and that salty, tangy piccata sauce that makes the whole dish much more interesting than plain roasted cauliflower. It works beautifully as a plant-based main dish or alongside your favorite pasta, potatoes, or grains.

Try my Roasted Cauliflower Chickpea Salad recipe.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Bright and flavorful: Lemon and capers give the sauce plenty of tang.
• Simple ingredients: Most of what you need is easy to keep in the pantry.
• Plant-based: Vegan butter gives you that classic buttery piccata-style sauce without dairy.
• Roasted instead of fried: The cauliflower develops great flavor in the oven with very little fuss.
• Ready in about 35 minutes: The sauce comes together while the cauliflower roasts.
• Versatile: Serve it as a main dish or side.
• Looks impressive: Thick cauliflower slices covered in lemon-caper sauce make a great presentation.

Try my Creamy Cauliflower Gratin recipe.

What You’ll Need to Make Cauliflower Piccata

• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into approximately 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick slices
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegan butter
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1 lemon, half thinly sliced and half juiced
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 8 fluid ounces (240 ml) vegetable broth, divided

What You’ll Need to Do

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Carefully cut the cauliflower into thick slices about 1 inch wide. Don't worry if some of the outside pieces fall apart into florets. They can roast right alongside the larger pieces.
3. Arrange the cauliflower on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
4. In a small bowl, mix together the oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
5. Sprinkle half the seasoning mixture over the cauliflower.
6. Carefully flip the pieces and sprinkle the remaining seasoning over the other side.
7. Roast for 20–25 minutes, flipping gently halfway through, until the cauliflower is tender when pierced with a fork and lightly browned around the edges.
8. While the cauliflower is roasting, get started on the piccata sauce.
9. Melt the vegan butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
10. Add the sliced shallots and cook for 2–3 minutes, until they begin to soften.
11. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
12. Stir in the capers, lemon slices, and fresh lemon juice.
13. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of the vegetable broth until completely smooth.
14. Pour the remaining vegetable broth into the skillet and stir everything together.
15. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture.
16. Let the sauce gently simmer for 2–3 minutes, stirring regularly, until it thickens slightly.
17. Taste the sauce before adding any extra salt. The capers and vegetable broth already bring quite a bit of seasoning.
18. Once the cauliflower is ready, carefully transfer the roasted pieces into the skillet.
19. Spoon plenty of the lemon-caper sauce over the cauliflower.
20. Divide between four plates or serving bowls and spoon any remaining sauce over the top.

Try my Cauliflower Caponata Bak recipe.

Easy Ingredient Swaps

Vegan butter: Use additional olive oil if you don't have vegan butter.

Shallots: A small yellow onion works perfectly well.

Fresh garlic: Garlic paste can work in a pinch.

Vegetable broth: Use water mixed with a vegetable stock concentrate or stock cube.

Cornstarch: Arrowroot starch can be substituted in a similar amount.

Capers: Chopped green olives aren't identical, but they'll provide a similar salty, briny flavor.

Oregano: Italian seasoning can work if that's what you have.

Try my Rendang-Spiced Beef and Cauliflower recipe.

Some Twist and Tweak Ideas

Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce for a little heat.

Stir chopped parsley into the sauce just before serving.

Add a splash of dry white wine after cooking the shallots and let it reduce before adding the broth.

Mix nutritional yeast into the sauce for a little extra savory flavor.

Roast some chickpeas alongside the cauliflower and add them to the finished dish.

Add a little extra lemon zest if you really enjoy citrus.

Top with toasted breadcrumbs for crunch.

Add fresh basil or parsley before serving for extra color.

Try my Kimchi Beef Cauliflower Bowl recipe.

Some Helpful Tips

Keep part of the cauliflower stem attached. The stem helps hold the cauliflower slices together.

Don't worry about imperfect slices. A cauliflower naturally breaks into steaks and florets. Roast all of them.

Flip carefully. The cauliflower becomes more delicate as it cooks.

Don't overcrowd the baking sheet. Give the pieces a little space so they roast rather than steam.

Make a cornstarch slurry. Mixing cornstarch with broth first prevents lumps in the sauce.

Watch the garlic. Thirty seconds is usually plenty. Burned garlic can make the sauce bitter.

Taste before salting. Capers and broth can already contain plenty of sodium.

Don't over-thicken the sauce. Piccata sauce should lightly coat the cauliflower rather than becoming thick like gravy.

Try my Cauliflower Margherita Pizza recipe.

Why Lemon and Capers Work So Well

Piccata-style sauces are all about contrast.

The vegan butter gives the sauce richness, while lemon juice adds sharp acidity. Capers bring salty, briny flavor, and the shallots add a little sweetness.

That combination works especially well with cauliflower because cauliflower itself has a fairly mild flavor. The sauce gets to do most of the talking.

Try my Roasted Cauliflower Ranch Bowl recipe.

Some Budget-Friendly Tips

Buy a whole cauliflower rather than packaged cauliflower steaks.

Regular onion can replace shallots if shallots are expensive.

Bottled lemon juice can work in the sauce, although you'll still need fresh lemon if you want the slices.

Store-brand vegetable broth and vegan butter work perfectly well.

Buy capers in larger jars if you use them regularly in pasta, salads, or sauces.

Serve the cauliflower over rice, couscous, or potatoes to stretch the recipe into a more filling meal.

Try my Baked Cauliflower Parmesan recipe.

Some Serving Ideas

Serve Cauliflower Piccata with:

• Spaghetti or linguine
• Mashed potatoes
• Roasted potatoes
• Quinoa
• Couscous
• Brown rice
• Garlic bread
• Simple green salad
• Roasted asparagus
• Steamed green beans
• White beans
• Chickpeas

For a simple dinner, I like serving the cauliflower over pasta or mashed potatoes so none of that lemon-caper sauce goes to waste.

Try my Roasted Cauliflower Nourish Bowl With Hummus recipe.

Great for a Weeknight Dinner

The useful thing about this recipe is that the two main parts cook at the same time.

Once the cauliflower goes into the oven, you've got plenty of time to make the sauce.

By the time the cauliflower is tender, the piccata sauce should be ready to go.

That makes this feel much more elaborate than the actual work involved.

Some Storage and Reheating Tips

Store leftover cauliflower and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

For the best texture, reheat the cauliflower in the oven or air fryer until warmed through.

You can also reheat everything together gently in a skillet over medium-low heat.

If the sauce becomes too thick after refrigeration, add a small splash of vegetable broth or water while reheating.

The microwave works for convenience, although the cauliflower will be softer.

I wouldn't recommend freezing this dish because the cauliflower can become watery and very soft after thawing.

Final Thoughts

This Cauliflower Piccata is a simple way to turn one head of cauliflower into something that feels much more substantial.

Roasting gives the cauliflower browned edges and a tender center, while the lemon, capers, garlic, shallots, and vegan butter create a bright sauce with plenty of character.

Pair it with pasta, potatoes, or grains, spoon that extra sauce over everything, and you've got an easy plant-based dinner that definitely doesn't taste like an afterthought.