Creamy Cauliflower Purée
This creamy cauliflower purée is a significantly more nutritious alternative to mashed potatoes and just as delicious, if not more. With very little effort, you get a billowy and smooth purée that has a hugely satisfying complexity and is the perfect accent to any main.
Cauliflower mash, or purée, has certainly been around for a while, bordering on old-school actually, but when I posted the process on my instagram story a bit ago I got so many questions for what to serve with it that I thought I’d make a quick little post about it.
What to Serve with Cauliflower Purée
To serve your cauliflower purée, you can treat it just as you would an all-potato mash — try it with Roasted Chicken, Turkey Meatloaf, or Chicken Piccata. And unlike the heavier all-potato mash, I think a cauliflower purée would also go brilliantly with buttery scallops, grilled fish or chicken, or even these Thai-style chicken burgers. To keep it vegetarian or vegan, I love to top the purée with chopped roasted veggies or a sauté of garlicky mushrooms with swiss chard or spinach – so good.
There is certainly no reason not to give your cauliflower purée a twist to make it even more special — try experimenting by adding butter that has been infused with fresh garlic and turmeric, top with different herb combos or even chopped nuts and seeds for an outstanding dish.
Cauliflower Purée Tips
- Do not overcook the vegetables and drain the water really well. Once drained, leave the florets in the hot pot to let any residual moisture evaporate — this ensures the purée will not be thin and watery. Alternatively, you can steam the vegetables which is a little more work but the vegetables won’t absorb as much water.
- If you aren’t avoiding carbs, add 1 diced waxy potato (I like yukon gold) to the cauliflower florets which will make the purée more flavourful and less thin. If your head of cauliflower is huge, feel free to add 2 or more potatoes.
- Using a food processor makes the job even easier and the purée will be very smooth and creamy. If you don’t have a food processor you can use a potato masher instead. The mash will be chunkier but still delicious.
- There is certainly no reason not to give your cauliflower purée a twist to make it even more special — try experimenting by adding butter that has been infused with fresh garlic and turmeric, top with different herb combos or even chopped nuts and seeds for an outstanding dish.
This creamy cauliflower purée is incredibly simple, delicious, and healthy. I would love to hear from you if you give it a try.
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of cauliflower about 2 lbs., cut into florets*
- 1 medium Yukon gold potato peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut into chunks
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives optional
Instructions
- Place cauliflower florets, potato pieces, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt in a large pot and add enough water to just cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil over high heat and then lower to a simmer. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
- Drain the vegetables really well and let sit in the hot pot for a few minutes to dry out. Transfer the cauliflower and potatoes to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add butter and salt and process until smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper. Garnish with chives, if using, and serve immediately.
Notes
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