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Mashed Cauliflower

Last Updated December 16, 2020. Originally Posted December 16, 2020 By Kristina Sloggett 72 Comments

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vegan Mashed Cauliflower is tasty comfort food, and a low carb alternative to classic mashed potatoes. from the holiday table to a weeknight dinner! also: how to roast garlic

recipe originally published September 21, 2011

 

green bowl of garlic studded Mashed Cauliflower, stack of plates and forks in background

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS – Jump to any section:

    1. Vegan Mashed Cauliflower
    2. How To Make Mashed Cauliflower
    3. How To Roast Garlic
    4. Mashed Cauliflower Ingredient Variations
    5. Meal Prep and Storage Tips
    6. More Vegan Cauliflower Recipes
    7. Mashed Cauliflower Recipe

 

 

Low carb comfort food

Vegan Mashed Cauliflower is THE low carb comfort food side dish. With a short ingredient list and an easy, approachable method, this has become a favorite dish at our house.

Cauliflower in general has become one of my favorite foods. Extremely adaptable, cauliflower provides a base for most flavors you want to pair with it. Also versatile in its form – air fried, riced, steak, and one of my favorites – mashed.

Cauliflower is high in fiber and nutrient dense, and is a low carb alternative to grains and in this case, potatoes. Especially in the winter months but honestly – year round, I crave mashed cauliflower. It is one of our regular weekend meal prep recipes that we love to use all week, in comfort bowls and as a side dish.

 

How to make this recipe

I use two methods – steaming the cauliflower and boiling the cauliflower. I can usually fit two chopped heads of cauliflower in my large two tier bamboo steamer, and sometimes it is just easier to boil the chopped cauliflower in a large pot.

An important tip for the cooked cauliflower: once it is cooled enough to touch, squeeze as much water out of it as you can. 

The next step can be a couple of methods also:

  1. texture: mashing with a potato masher if you want some texture
  2. smooth: blending with a stick blender or food processor

Continue reading for flavor variations.

A shortcut in making mashed cauliflower? Buy the frozen florets or riced.

 

four photo collage showing How To Make Mashed Cauliflower: chop cauliflower, steam cauliflower

 

four photo collage showing How To Make Mashed Cauliflower: after steaming, add butter, milk, roasted garlic and spices, then mash

 

How To Roast Garlic

Roasted garlic has incredible flavor. We roast garlic weekly at our house – I use it in recipes, I spread it on a baguette, I add it to salads. Just a couple simple steps brings you buttery soft, rich garlic cloves. 

  • Preheat oven to 400 °F
  • Using a sharp knife, carefully slice the top from the bulb of garlic
  • Place whole bulbs of garlic on a piece of foil
  • Drizzle with olive oil
  • Wrap garlic in foil
  • Roast at 400 °F for 40 minutes

 

two whole bulbs of roasted garlic, wrapped in browned parchment paper

 

four photo collage showing how to roast garlic: preheat oven, chop off top of garlic, place on foil, drizzle with olive oil

 

Ingredient Variations

  • Extra Protein: add cannellini beans! drain and rinse one can of beans (I suggest a cannellini, great northern, or other light color bean, unless you don’t mind grey mashed cauliflower…)
  • Extra Flavor: add hummus! add dairy free cream cheese or cheese! my two favorite vegan mashed cauliflower ingredient additions add great depth of flavor and extra creamy texture.

 

Mashed Cauliflower in a green serving bowl

 

Meal Prep and Storage

How long does Mashed Cauliflower last? My rule for freshness is generally 3-4 days. I have enjoyed this vegan mashed cauliflower all week.

This is an excellent meal prep recipe. I make a double batch and we enjoy it most of the week with lunches and dinners. Once cooked, set cauliflower aside to cool. Transfer to a glass container with a sealing lid, and keep refrigerated. 

 

More Vegan Cauliflower Recipes

  • Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower: always a super popular dish to serve! tangy, spicy, and irresistible, you’ll want to plan for a double batch. 
  • Vegan Creamed Spinach: a steakhouse classic, veganized. the heavy cream component has been replaced with a delicious nutmeg cauliflower sauce you will love!
  • Easy Bean and Rice Enchiladas: cauliflower rice is the star of this super easy weeknight meal. make ahead to put in the oven as soon as you get home!
  • Cauliflower Cashew Confetti Salad: a vibrant dish full of great color and texture! a perfect potluck recipe. Layers of flavor and crunch with a bright lemony shallot dressing.
  • Shiitake Cauliflower Risotto Stacks: fancy and flavorful, this dish has a few steps – and is one hundred percent worth it! 

 

overhead view of mashed cauliflower in a green serving bowl, beige napkin with white trim on side

 

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Yield: 8 servings

Mashed Cauliflower

Mashed Cauliflower

a tasty low carb alternative to mashed potatoes. straight up comfort food you will crave.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 heads fresh cauliflower, greens removed and trimmed
  • 1/3 - 1/2 cup dairy free milk *see note
  • 2-3 tablespoons vegan butter
  • 1 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1 bulb roasted garlic

Instructions

  1. Chop / break cauliflower into small pieces.
  2. Steam, roast, or boil until soft, 20-25 minutes (I used a bamboo stacked steamer).
  3. In the pot you steamed or boiled in, mash cauliflower with milk, butter, salt and pepper.
  4. Add roasted garlic cloves, mash to combine.
  5. For a smoother texture: purée in batches in high speed blender or food processor.
  6. Transfer to serving bowl.

Notes

dairy, soy, gluten and potato free, vegan, low carb

*adding milk:

start with 1/3 cup, and add by the tablespoon or so as you mash, to reach the creamy consistency you prefer.

  • For Added Protein: add cannellini beans! drain and rinse one can of beans (I suggest a cannellini, great northern, or other light color bean, unless you don't mind grey mashed cauliflower...)
  • Flavor Additions: add hummus! add dairy free cream cheese or cheese! my two favorite vegan mashed cauliflower ingredient additions add great depth of flavor and extra creamy texture.

HOW TO ROAST GARLIC

Roasted garlic has incredible flavor. We roast garlic weekly at our house – I use it in recipes, I spread it on a baguette, I add it to salads. Just a couple simple steps brings you buttery soft, rich garlic cloves.

  • Preheat oven to 400 °F
  • Using a sharp knife, carefully slice the top from the bulb of garlic
  • Place whole bulbs of garlic on a piece of foil
  • Drizzle with olive oil
  • Wrap garlic in foil
  • Roast at 400 °F for 40 minutes

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Elmhurst - Unsweetened Cashew Milk - Vegan
    Elmhurst - Unsweetened Cashew Milk - Vegan
  • 10 Inch Natural Bamboo Steamer 2 Tiers + Lid + 50 Wax Papers, 2 Pair Chopsticks
    10 Inch Natural Bamboo Steamer 2 Tiers + Lid + 50 Wax Papers, 2 Pair Chopsticks
  • Glass Food Prep Container Set
    Glass Food Prep Container Set

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 80Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 223mgCarbohydrates: 6gNet Carbohydrates: 2gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 3g

nutrition calculations results vary by calculator, are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to replace medical advice or treatment.

© Kristina Sloggett
Cuisine: American / Category: Side Dish

about Kristina:

spabettieKristina is spabettie! She found cooking at an early age, and created spabettie in 2010 to share vegan recipes. Kristina turned her culinary training into sharing vibrant vegan food!  Read more…

 

 

 

 

 

spabettie / Kristina Sloggett is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

 

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Filed Under: Dinner, Gluten Free, holiday, Low Carb, Meal Prep, recipes, Vegan

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Comments

  1. Jennifer says

    April 11, 2013 at 4:27 am

    Thank you for this recipe! I ate it as a soup and it was delicious! Glad I found the recipe!

    Reply
    • Kristina Sloggett says

      April 14, 2013 at 10:02 pm

      you are welcome, Jennifer – happy you enjoyed!

      Reply
  2. Gretchen says

    October 2, 2012 at 9:09 pm

    I made this tonight, with the hope I could it to my children under the guise of “potatoes”. Unfortunately, I was out of white beans, and left them out. Although the cauliflower came out creamy and delicious, it were also extremely spicy. Akin to a very hot radish. Just curious if anyone else has run into this. I ate mine, but they really burned! Maybe it was the beans that adds the balance?

    Thanks for the great idea though. I hope your father’s appointment went well.

    Reply
    • spabettie says

      October 2, 2012 at 9:30 pm

      I’m sorry to hear this – leaving out the beans essentially cuts the volume of the recipe in half, so maybe cutting the amount of garlic in half would have helped (I am thinking the spicy came from the garlic?).

      Reply
  3. Kristi Rimkus says

    October 2, 2012 at 8:53 pm

    I hope your father is doing well. We love mashed cauliflower in this house. We usually mix it with potatoes, but I like your bean idea!

    Reply
    • spabettie says

      October 2, 2012 at 9:40 pm

      thank you – we found out a bit more today, one more biopsy to go… I really like combining the cauli with beans – more protein! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Kristi Rimkus says

    October 2, 2012 at 8:53 pm

    I hope your father is doing well. We love mashed cauliflower in this house. We usually mix it with potatoes, but I like your bean idea!

    Reply
  5. Kath (My Funny Little Life) says

    October 1, 2012 at 3:20 am

    Perfect comfort food! I want to make this with pumpkin and carrots and probably celeriac as well! Yum yum yum 😀

    Reply
    • spabettie says

      October 1, 2012 at 4:27 pm

      yes, pumpkin and carrots would be great in here – and give it a great color too!

      Reply
  6. Hannah-lyz says

    September 30, 2012 at 9:52 am

    Good luck! I hope it all goes well 🙂 My dad doesn’t like vegetable, so I often sneak cauliflower into his mashed potato and don’t tell him! He used to do the same to me as a kid, hiding veg and beans in the pasta sauce. About time I returned the favour!

    Reply
    • spabettie says

      October 1, 2012 at 4:29 pm

      haa, good for you for doing that now for him! 😉

      Reply
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welcome! I’m Kristina

I am a voracious reader and chickpea eater. also known as spabettie.

using my extensive culinary training and work in the industry, I have been creating vegan recipes for more than a decade.

at spabettie, you will find easy and appealing plant based recipes - vegan, gluten free, and full of vibrant flavor.
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