The best 3-ingredient faux mashed potatoes you've ever had! Only this time the star ingredient is cauliflower! Cauliflower makes this side dish a low carb option that you can devour. Made with garlic, cauliflower, and your favorite plant-based milk. I used coconut milk.
When I went Paleo, potatoes weren't even allowed on the diet yet. That diet change was only recognized a few years ago. The Paleo diet I did the very first time meant no grains and no potatoes. And I never really ate them but they were a good option for a starch if grains weren't allowed on the diet.
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During the beginning days of Paleo, I just didn't know what to eat or what to cook. And what to cook that would make me feel full, satiated, and satisfied. That is until I came across the often ignored veggie, Cauliflower. I had heard of making cauliflower mash to replace mashed potatoes or cauliflower rice to replace actual rice or cauliflower pizza crust instead of a gluten-free pizza crust, but the inspiration to make it never took place until I started having health issues that made me change my diet, and my lifestyle.
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I began looking at Paleo Food Blogs searching for recipes that I could make in a pinch. My favorite Paleo Blogger of all time is Michelle Tam & Henry Fong behind the famous blog Nom Nom Paleo. I ate her turkey meatballs on the regular and learned all about making that cauliflower mash. I learned the diet through her blog, and it helped me immensely. She was one of the first to show up in the wellness industry with cauliflower mash. Cauliflower made into potatoes. And like most, I was forever changed. It was the best side dish to serve with all of my meals. Perfectly paired.
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Is cauliflower mash easy to make?
Yes! So easy. Only 4 steps!
How do you make cauliflower mash?
You can make this cauliflower mash recipe with one full head of cauliflower, two heads, or even three heads. More if you'd like. But you can only fit one head into a Nutribullet or high-speed blender at a time until it breaks down. This recipe calls for one head of cauliflower.
- First, chop, wash, and dry.
- Then steam the cauliflower with the garlic buds. A silicone steamer works very well in this step. Below is a diagram of your large pot and your steamer. Set on the stove on medium heat. Fill it with approx ½ cup of water. You don't want the water above your steamer. The legs of the steamer should sit in water. But you don't want water seeping through the holes of the steamer or coming up above it.
- Once your steamer filled with the garlic and cauliflower is inside the pot, you will want to cover the pot so the steam gets locked in.
4. Either a food processor or a blender will do. Place your steamed cauliflower with the remaining garlic buds in stages into the blender or food processor. Use your plant milk to make it creamy. Then add your seasonings such as salt, pepper, or nutmeg, and blend. That's it! This isn't cereal so lots of milk won't work. Here at Goodie Goodie Gluten-Free, we just use a little bit. After a few moments, you'll have a creamy cauliflower mash that is ready to eat immediately.
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Cauliflower mash tips:
- Michelle from Nom Nom Paleo uses a food processor. I used a high-speed blender and added coconut milk to make it uber creamy.
- Using a silicone steamer is great because you can put it inside your steam pot. It doesn't have to be fancy. The one below is what I've used for years. It's dishwasher safe too which is a big deal. This steamer also has little legs underneath it allowing the cauliflower to sit above the waterline.
- Use your dried spices and herbs. These are great ways to get in your dried herbs, and adds immense flavor to your meal.
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Best Cauliflower Mash
The best 3-ingredient faux mashed potatoes you've ever had! Only this time the star ingredient is cauliflower! Cauliflower makes this side dish a low carb option that you can devour. Made with garlic, cauliflower, and your favorite plant-based milk. I used coconut milk.
Servings: 2 people
Equipment
- Large pot
- Steamer to put inside pot
- High-speed blender OR food processor
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower chopped into large chunks
- 3 pods fresh garlic
- ⅓ cup unsweetened coconut milk
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- First, chop into pieces, wash, and dry.
- Then steam the cauliflower with the garlic buds. Fill the pot with approx ½ cup of water and bring to a boil over medium heat. A silicone steamer works very well in this step. Put the cauliflower into the steamer and add the steamer into the pot. You don’t want the water above your steamer. The legs of the steamer should sit in water. But you don’t want water seeping through the holes of the steamer or coming up above it. Once your steamer filled with the garlic and cauliflower is inside the pot, you will want to cover the pot so the steam gets locked in. At this point set the stove to medium or low. And let it steam until the cauliflower is softened with the touch of a fork, approx 5 minutes.
- Once your cauliflower has cooled somewhat and isn't steaming hot, place your steamed cauliflower in stages into the blender or food processor. As your cauliflower is blending add a little milk at a time to get the mixture moving. You don't have to use to whole ½ cup. You can use less. It all depends on your blender or food processor. Blend until the consistency is as desired.
- Add additional spices and herbs into your mash and serve.
Notes
- Michelle from Nom Nom Paleo uses a food processor. I used a high-speed blender and added coconut milk to make it uber creamy.
- Using a silicone steamer is great because you can put it inside your steam pot. It doesn’t have to be fancy.
- Use your dried spices and herbs. These are great ways to get in your dried herbs, and adds immense flavor to cauliflower.
- Use whatever plant milk or dairy milk you want. Whatever you can tolerate you use.
Love & cauliflower!
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