At our last get-together, I even tricked my family into eating mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes. They loved it. This is not just a dish for people eating Paleo, it is for everyone. Serve it in lieu of potatoes to lighten up your next meal.
To start this recipe, you heat up the oven and prepare the garlic. Then while the garlic is roasting, prepare the cauliflower. It doesn’t really matter how particular you are when chopping up the cauliflower into florets, because it will all be blended later anyways.
The cauliflower is steamed for 12-14 minutes (which is much faster than boiling potatoes, if I may say so). Then it is blended with the rest of the ingredients.
For the measurements of almond milk and ghee, remember that you can always add more. You definitely don’t want to end up with soupy cauliflower, so add them in slow increments when blending.
I believe that the addition of roasted garlic really elevates this simple dish. Once the garlic is roasted and you let it cool or a few minutes, you can squeeze the garlic right out of the clove. I may or may not have added an entire head of roasted garlic to my mashed cauliflower.
Feel free to use less of course. Though it’s a little extra time, roasting brings out so much more flavor than raw garlic would. Definitely worth it.
Once again, I love to use my immersion blender for recipes such as this, or for soups. Mainly because there is no need to transfer hot ingredients to and from a food processor or blender. Instead you can blend the cauliflower right in the pot.
One head of cauliflower will only serve about two people, which is perfect for my boyfriend and I. But if you are going to make this for a crowd I recommend doubling the recipe.
It is a surprisingly delicious alternative to traditional mashed potatoes. Mashed cauliflower is an easy way to lighten up any meal, and it is plate-licking good.
(Make this next: Roasted Cauliflower Paleo Hummus)
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 head of garlic
- Salt and pepper to taste
- fresh chives, chopped
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb, then cut off the very top of the head of garlic to expose the individual garlic cloves. Place in aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil, then seal the foil around the garlic. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the cloves are soft. Allow garlic to cool, then squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the skin.
- Meanwhile, place a couple inches of water in a large pot. Once water is boiling, place steamer insert and then cauliflower florets into the pot and cover. Steam for 12-14 minutes, until completely tender. Drain and return cauliflower to pot.
- Add roasted garlic, milk, ghee, and salt to the cauliflower. Using an immersion blender or food processor, combine ingredients until smooth. Top with chives and freshly ground pepper.
what is Ghee and where do I find it?
Ghee is clarified butter, and it can be found at Trader Joes or Whole Foods.
You have to be careful with the garlic. I wasn’t paying attention and I put the whole head of garlic in it and it was very sharp and bitter. Next time I’ll just put a clove or two in it.
Did you put the garlic in raw? It should be roasted first, which gives it a sweeter and more mellow flavor.
FANTASTIC!! I used 3 large roasted garlic cloves for 1/2 head cauliflower, which was just right for a single serving. I do not typically enjoy eating cauliflower, but this I love!
Glad that you liked it Kari! A great way to eat more vegetables.
Excellent. Will make a double batch next time for second helping
Great! I can always eat more than one helping of this recipe.
Mine came out a bit runny. Is there some way to thicken it up a bit?
Including more cooked cauliflower would be the best way to thicken the mash. Adding the almond milk slowly also helps to ensure that it doesn’t get too runny.
What can I substitute for almond milk? I have a nut allergy.
chicken stock is a good sub.
My family LOVED this – I was skeptical about it at first, but it was so much like mashed potatoes, even my picky-eater 9 year old daughter loved it.
I used a tbsp of organic minced garlic about the third time I made this recipe. I have to say I like it better. I also sprinkled bacon on top with green onions. Other than those above things I mentioned above , I followed the recipe to the T, and it was delicious.
Loved this! The roasted garlic made all the difference. I actually only did about half a head of garlic, and now I wish I’d followed your advice and done more! Thank you for and easy delicious dish!
i made this dish tonight but added a little bit of red onion with the garlic and parsley-sauted and then added to the cauliflower with a tbsp of grass fed butter and 3 tbsp of organic sour cream! Very yummy!
Delicious! One head made enough for two nice servings. I steamed the cauliflower for about 10-12 minutes along with minced garlic. The immersion blender got it to the perfect consistency in a snap as I added the Ghee and almond milk. I needed less almond milk that the recipe called for. Plenty of fresh ground pepper and Himalayan pink salt finished it off. I have garlic chives in my herb garden so that was the final touch. Thanks so much!
Sooooooo delicious! Added coconut butter instead of ghee and a bit of cayenne pepper since I like a bit of heat- so unbelievable delicious! Thank you for the recipe!