Mashed cauliflower, a delicious and simple side dish, made with just 6 ingredients. It's so creamy, fluffy and a low carb alternative to mashed potatoes.
mashed cauliflower
mashed cauliflowerI ate tons of mashed potatoes growing it, but mashed cauliflower is not a popular recipe in my country, so I've tried it recently and OMG, it's SO good!
Cauliflower wasn't my favorite veggie when I was a child, I actually didn't like it, but now I'm obsessed with it and I've been so into pretty much anything made with cauliflower lately.
It's amazing this recipe is also made with cauliflower and other 5 simple ingredients because it's so fluffy and creamy and its texture is pretty similar to mashed potatoes. Some recipes suggest to add a little bit of potato, but I think it's not necessary.
The key to getting a great texture is to add just the proper amount of liquid, if you add to much milk, you'll get runny mashed cauliflower. You could also use only oil and discard the milk, but I prefer to make the recipe this way to reduce the amount of fat.
Many recipes call for butter, but oil works great. Some people also add cream cheese or sour cream, but this version is so tasty and much healthier, you don't need the extra fat.
If you're oil-free, don't worry, I've got you covered. Just use water or vegetable stock to sautée the garlic and then add more milk or stock instead of the oil.
Feel free to add other ingredients like nutritional yeast, lemon juice, spices (paprika, ground ginger, nutmeg), dried herbs (oregano, rosemary, basil) or even fresh herbs (parsley is my favorite one for this recipe).
mashed cauliflower ingredients
These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this mashed cauliflower recipe:
- Cauliflower -I prefer to use fresh cauliflower, but I've seen some recipes that call for store-bough riced cauliflower. I've never tried it myself, though.
- Extra virgin olive oil - I’m Spanish, so I use extra virgin olive oil to cook most of my dishes. However, any type of oil is okay. I always use extra virgin oils when possible because they’re healthier. If you don’t eat oil, just use some water or vegetable stock to sautée the garlic and then add more milk or stock instead of the oil.
- Garlic - Garlic powder will do as well, but don't sautée it. You don't need to heat the oil either if you're going to use garlic powder.
- Milk - Any type of unsweetened milk will do. I used soy milk, though.
- Salt - I always use Himalayan pink salt. Any type of salt is okay, though.
- Ground black pepper - Fresh ground black pepper tastes amazing. However, I find store-bought more convenient and also easier to measure with a teaspoon.
how to make mashed cauliflower
- Steam the cauliflower florets for 10 minutes or until soft.
- In the meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet and sautée the garlic until golden brown (read the recipe box for an oil-free alternative).
- Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and mash with an immersion blender or a potato masher. You could also use a food processor or a regular blender if you want.
- Serve immediately or keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
looking for more cauliflower recipes?
- Cauliflower Steak
- Whole Roasted Cauliflower
- Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
- Cauliflower Pizza Crust
- Cauliflower Soup
did you make this mashed cauliflower recipe?
Please leave a comment below, share it, rate it or tag a picture @simpleveganblog on Instagram and hashtag it #simpleveganblog. We’d love to see what you cook!
Mashed Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower, 2 pounds or 900 g
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, optional
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoon milk of your choice, I used unsweetened soy milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Discard the outer green leaves from the head of cauliflower and also the stem. Chop the cauliflower into small florets and steam them for 10 minutes or until soft. You could also boil them if you want.
- In the meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet and cook the garlic over medium-high heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
- Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and mash with an immersion blender or a potato masher. You can also use a food processor or a regular blender.
- If you don't want to use oil, just cook the garlic in some water or vegetable stock and add more milk or stock (1-2 tablespoon or even more if needed) to the large bowl with all the remaining ingredients.
- Serve immediately (I topped my mashed cauliflower with some chopped fresh parsley, ground black pepper and extra virgin olive oil) or keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Micah says
The olive oil is way too strong. I recommend leaving out. I normally don't notice the flavor but in this recipe, it overwhelms the cauliflower. But I will try again without.
Iosune says
Hi Micah! I think it tastes amazing with extra virgin olive oil as I'm Spanish and we use it for everything, even cakes 🙂 But please feel free to use any oil you want!
Indian recipes says
mashed cauliflower recipe looking awaosme and tasty ..i would like to try at weekends.
Thanks for sharing a such a good and tasty recipe, keep sharing such a new and interesting recipes.
Iosune says
Hi! You're so welcome 🙂
shri says
Today I learned from this post a new and interesting recipe by the cauliflowers.
Thanks for sharing a such a good and tasty recipe, keep sharing such a new and interesting recipes.
Iosune says
Hi Shri! You’re so welcome 🙂 Have a nice day!