This is one of the easiest recipes in my weekly rotation. I started making it because my husband loves my Italian mashed potatoes with parmesan cheese. I love them too, but I wanted to give us a less fattening option to enjoy as often as we want to without any guilt. Here’s my very own Mashed Cauliflower recipe. It is absolutely creamy, flavorful, low-carb, and keto-friendly. Each portion has only 6 grams of net carbs. So, dig in!
HOW TO STEAM CAULIFLOWER ON THE STOVE
There is hardly any cooking involved in my Mashed Cauliflower recipe, except for steaming the cauliflower florets. You can steam them in an Instant Pot, or on your stove, using a steam basket inside a large saucepan with 1/2 inch of water at the bottom (scroll down to the video below to see how I did it). The rest of the magic happens in your food processor (I’ve been using the heck out of this food processor for about 2 decades).
Steaming cauliflower on the stove is quick and simple:
- Core the cauliflower and break it into florets
- Place a steam basket into a large saucepan with about 1/2 inch of simmering water at the bottom
- Add the florets to the basket and cover to cook for 8 minutes or until the cauliflower stems can be easily pierced with a fork (don’t overcook it!)
- Let the florets cool off for 1-2 minutes before placing them inside the food processor with all the other ingredients.
CREAMY MASHED CAULIFLOWER
This recipe is extra smooth and rich thanks to a mix of sour cream, whole milk, and Parmesan cheese with just a hint of butter. To that, I add extra virgin olive oil, garlic (roasted or raw), and fresh thyme for a powerful burst of flavor.
Some might be surprised that I eat dairy. I do only occasionally and always make sure it’s quality dairy, organic, and grass-fed. If you are completely off dairy, I’m afraid this yummy recipe is not for you. But I have another great low-carb cauliflower recipe to recommend: my Roasted Cauliflower Hummus. Totally paleo, dairy-free, vegan and delicious!
TIPS FOR BEST RESULTS
- Don’t oversteam the cauliflower. Make sure the florets are not a soggy pulp, or you’ll end up with a watery mess.
- Wait a couple of minutes for the steamed florets to cool off and let all the steam evaporate before adding them to the food processor. It’s ok if they are a little warm, but if they are too hot and wet you will partly steam the other ingredients. That would be bad, especially if you are using raw garlic (trust me, you don’t ever want to taste barely steamed garlic… Yuck!)
- Roast the garlic for a milder garlicky flavor. It’s pretty easy; I do it in my bagel toaster oven for small batches. However, you can do it in a regular oven, as well.
– Preheat your oven to 400°F
– Discard the excess layers of peel, leaving intact just the skins closest to the cloves
– Cut the tips off the top of the cloves (about 1/4 inch)
– Brush the exposed tips with olive oil and place side up on a baking pan or inside a muffin pan
– Bake for about 30 minutes until the garlic is golden brown
– Let cool off before squeezing the cloves out of their skins - If you don’t like garlic at all, skip it and add some chopped chives at the end. The flavor will be more subtle and still delicious, plus the green bits will look pretty as a garnish.
I like all the variations above, but maybe my favorite one is roasted garlic, which takes a little extra time, but it’s totally worth it. Experiment and see which combination you prefer. - Blast the ingredients in a food processor until they are all perfectly combined and really creamy. Make sure there are no “crumbs” or visible bits of florets. If you do this right, the texture will be light and fluffy like a cloud, and each forkful will melt in your mouth.
AND… ACTION!
Watch how easily you can make this yummy recipe in your own kitchen.
Get the full recipe below. I really hope you try it and love it as much as I do!
MASHED CAULIFLOWER (KETO)
Ingredients
- 3 lbs cauliflower cored, steamed and broken into florets
- 2 cloves garlic or substitute half a head of roasted garlic for a milder flavor (roasting instructions in the body of the post)
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tbsp butter grass-fed
- 5 tbsp sour cream organic
- 1/2 cup whole milk organic
- 5 tbsp Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tbsp thyme fresh
- ½ tsp Himalyan salt adjust to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper adjust to taste
Instructions
- Core the cauliflower and break it into florets
- Place a steam basket into a large saucepan with about 1/2 inch of simmering water at the bottom
- Add cauliflower to the basket and cover to cook for 8 minutes or until the cauliflower stems can be easily pierced with a fork (don’t overcook it!)
- Let the florets cool off a little for 1-2 minutes and let the steam evaporate before placing them inside the food processor with all the other ingredients. Blast and mix them all together thoroughly until smooth and creamy (keep processing for about 5 minutes, taking breaks to push down the mix here and there)
- Transfer the mashed cauliflower mix to a serving bowl and garnish with fresh thyme leaves
Nutrition
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