This makes a wonderful lower-carb, lower calorie alternative to mashed potatoes: How to Make Cauliflower Puree.
I’ve loved my husband for a long time (22 years, in fact- minus the 1 month we took to actually “fall” in love). Anyway… I have a new love today. A love for something that I had zero idea I’d fall in love with. I mean, I like cauliflower and all (usually roasted with lemon and garlic or steamed with a little butter and salt). But PUREED is a whole different story. I whipped up some pureed cauliflower last weekend, and now I’m in love with the stuff.
It’s an awesome substitute for mashed potatoes, especially if you are trying to avoid carbs for whatever reason. But even if you are into eating carbs (and believe me, I totally am), this is one delicious bowl of food.
This is an easy recipe to make. Separate the head of cauliflower into florets and steam it in a steamer basket until it’s super tender- like stick-the-fork-in-and-it-goes-right-through tender.
Move that tender cauliflower to a food processor or a mega-powerful blender. Add warm milk that has been flavored with garlic and melted butter.
Process it all until it is nice and smooth. That’s it. You’re done! You’ve made pureed cauliflower!
Spoon it into a bowl and give it a good dose of salt and pepper, and try your best not to dive face-first into the bowl and eat the whole thing. Yeah, I enjoyed it that much.
And I should mention that I’m not like a huge superfan of cauliflower itself. It’s okay and all, but served this way is the way to go. So incredibly, surprisingly GOOD. Enjoy!
If you happen to be following the Weight Watchers WW plan, you will find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card below.
How to Make Cauliflower Puree
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
- ½ cup nonfat milk (or 2% or half & half cream for more rich flavor)
- 1 large garlic clove, smashed
- 1 to 2 tablespoons salted butter (plus or minus, to suit your taste)
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place cauliflower florets in a steamer basket, with an inch of water in a large pot (lid on top). Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and steam until the cauliflower is very tender, about 20 minutes. A fork stuck through should glide through easily.
- While the cauliflower is cooking, prepare the milk. Place the milk in a microwave safe bowl (can do in a small pan on the stove too). Add garlic and butter and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and let sit.
- Place the steamed cauliflower into a food processor or a blender with pureeing capability. Spoon out the garlic from the milk mixture and discard. Pour the milk mixture into the bowl of the food processor and process until the cauliflower is completely pureed. Spoon into a bowl and season with salt and pepper, as desired.
Notes
- Reduce calories/fat further by using a reduced-fat butter. (I prefer the splurge of real butter and half and half cream.)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Here are a few more recipes for people who love cauliflower:
- Southwestern Roasted Cauliflower by Cookin’ Canuck
- Cauliflower Pizza Crust by RecipeGirl
- Spiced Cauliflower “CousCous” by Love and Lemons
- Cauliflower Pepperoni Pizza Casserole by Closet Cooking
- Pickled Cauliflower by RecipeGirl
- Roasted Cauliflower Soup by The First Mess
Could I use frozen cauliflower (thawed & steamed)?
Yes– it will be better with fresh!
How do you think this would be with buttermilk?
I haven’t tried it, so I’m not sure!
Great idea! I have a difficult time figuring out how to eat cauliflower because I just don’t like it raw, but this gives me ideas. Tx!
Love this post because I have been meaning to try this!
Pure deliciousness, Lori! Hubby and I have been making different cauliflower dishes since going low carb back in the late 1990’s. This recipe will be so helpful to others! I love knowing how much you love your hubby. 🙂
I wonder if I can use my Vitamix for this?
I’ll bet you can!
Absolutely love this idea… I’ve been looking for ways to eat lighter and this is the perf option!
This is such a healthy alternative to mashed potatoes! I want to give it a try.