"The ultimate vegan sandwich is here! Just wait until you taste this crispy vegan buffalo cauliflower sandwich! This baked cauliflower recipe is my vegan take on the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich. It is so tasty, you’ll never miss the chicken! I promise!"
Crispy Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwich
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Prep time 15mins
Cook time 1hr
Serves or Makes: 6
Recipe Card
ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, washed and cut into large florets
- 2 tablespoon safflower oil, divided
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 9 oz package unprepared broccoli slaw
- 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 cup vegan buffalo sauce + additional sauce as an optional topping
- hamburger buns
- sweet pickle chips, as additional topping
Directions:
Method
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 450º.
Step 2
Set up your steamer basket in a large pot, adding enough water to generate steam. You do not want the water to come into contact with the food. Make sure that the lid to your pot fits on securely.
Step 3
Bring the water in the pot to a boil and add the cauliflower to the steamer basket. Steam the cauliflower for 6-8 minutes.
Step 4
While the cauliflower is steaming, combine the broccoli slaw, vegan mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, salt & pepper into a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine, then cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve the sandwiches.
Step 5
Combine the flour, water, salt and pepper into a large bowl. Mix until a batter is formed. The batter consistency should be similar to pancake batter. You might need to add more water 1 tbsp at a time.
Step 6
Using a basting brush, coat the bottom of your baking sheet with 1 tbsp of safflower oil.
Step 7
When the cauliflower is done steaming add small batches of the cauliflower florets into the batter and gently stir them to coat. Use a wire skimmer to remove the cauliflower, allowing the excess batter to drip off. Then add the cauliflower to the baking sheet.
Step 8
Bake the cauliflower on the middle rack. After 20 minutes, flip each piece and spray or baste it with additional safflower oil (see Recipe Notes). Then bake for another 10 minutes. The cauliflower should become browned and crispy.
Step 9
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and drizzle the buffalo sauce over the baked cauliflower. Gently toss the cauliflower to fully coat it in the buffalo sauce. Return the baking sheet to the oven for an additional 6-8 minutes.
Step 10
Toast the hamburger buns.
Step 11
To serve the sandwiches, pile several buffalo cauliflower florets on top of the bottom bun. Then top with the chilled broccoli slaw and a drizzle of additional buffalo sauce. Season with salt & pepper and sweet pickle chips, as desired.
Recipe Notes:
Step 1
The first time I tried this recipe, I had envisioned cutting the cauliflower into “steaks” to mimic a chicken breast. I found, however, that this led to 2-3 steaks and a lot of small, broken florets. Instead, I recommend cutting the cauliflower into large florets. The florets work just as well when made into a sandwich.
Step 2
To limit the amount of oil in this recipe, I lightly spray the cauliflower with safflower oil using a refillable oil spray dispenser.
Step 3
Toasting the hamburger buns is a must-do! It takes a few extra minutes, but adds so much to these sandwiches!