Mashed Cauliflower
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This mashed cauliflower recipe tastes so much like mashed potatoes, you’ll do a double-taste—comforting, delicious, and healthier, too!
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
This mashed cauliflower recipe is creamy and comforting—and it tastes remarkably like mashed potatoes. Maybe it’s just my eyes playing tricks on me, but it really does! Plus, it’s easier to make, healthier, and lower in carbs. But don’t make it solely for those reasons; this purée is delicious in its own right. When my friend Heather tested the recipe, she texted me, “OMG so good, just licked the bowl of my Cuisinart.”
This cauliflower purée makes a fantastic side dish to many comfort foods—think classic meatloaf or turkey meatloaf, onion-braised beef brisket, or easy BBQ boneless short ribs.
What You’ll Need To Make Mashed Cauliflower
- Cauliflower – Choose a firm, white head free from blemishes for the freshest flavor.
- Chicken broth – Adds depth and helps cook the cauliflower until tender.
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper – Enhances and balances all flavors in the purée.
- Unsalted butter – Adds richness and a creamy texture.
- Fresh thyme – Lends a subtle woodsy and earthy flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by bringing the chicken broth and salt to a boil and a large pot. Add the cauliflower.
Cover, reduce the heat to low and steam for 20 minutes, or until cauliflower is very tender.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cauliflower to a food processor and add the butter along with a few tablespoons of the chicken broth.
Process until smooth and creamy, then taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Add the chopped thyme and process until evenly mixed. Transfer to a bowl and serve.
Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions
Prepare the mashed cauliflower as directed, then cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, or microwave in a covered dish, stirring every minute. For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
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Mashed Cauliflower
This mashed cauliflower recipe tastes so much like mashed potatoes, you’ll do a double-taste—comforting, delicious, and healthier, too!
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower (about 2 lbs.), cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring the chicken broth and salt to a boil. Add the cauliflower; bring back to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low and steam for 20 minutes, or until cauliflower is very tender. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cauliflower to a food processor. Add 3 tablespoons of chicken broth from the pot, along with the butter. Process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add thyme and process until just combined.
- Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare the mashed cauliflower as directed, then cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, or microwave in a covered dish, stirring every minute. For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 151
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Sugar: 5g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 6g
- Sodium: 731mg
- Cholesterol: 25mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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My husband hates vegetables and my older son is vegan. Made this recipe twice, once as you had listed except reducing butter to only 1 TBS and it was absolutely delicious and my husband could not tell he was eating cauliflower and thought they were mashed potatoes and ate all of it. The second batch I cooked the cauliflower in vegetable broth and used 1 TBS of vegan butter and my son raved about it. Thank you so much for helping me find something else that I can make that can work for my family. BTW, I also tried the asparagus soup and my husband ate all of it. You have helped me find a way to get my husband to eat vegetables and enjoy it!! Everything I make comes out so delicious and makes me feel like a real chef. I now have a friend subscribing to your recipes too since I keep raving about them. Can’t wait for your cookbook.
Thank you, Nancy – I’m so happy you’re having success with the recipes! ?
This is amazing!! I make it all the time instead of mashed potatoes. It is great with chicken stock or veggie stock!
This recipe is absolutely perfect! Thank you for sharing. One shortcut I have found for busy nights and/or a lack of desire to dirty too many more dishes is to pour out some of the chicken broth leaving somewhere in the neighborhood of the 3 tablespoons, adding the butter and thyme, and then using my immersion blender.
Hi
I have to say I rarely boil or steam cauliflower anymore. I oven roast it instead.
Cooked it this way then blended it. I think this adds another layer of taste and keeps it from becoming too runny.
Steve
Great idea Steve- thanks for sharing!
Loved this recipe so much! I can’t believe I haven’t tried it earlier! The thyme adds such a nice flavor. Thanks for this keeper recipe!
Oh My YUM!
This is SO easy and delicious…the first time I made it I had to stop myself from eating it right out of the cuisinart! I only use 2 T of butter and it is still rich and creamy. This is my go-to recipe whenever I’m craving mashed potatoes
I absolutely love this cauliflower pure’e. So much more flavor from the usual mashed potatoes side dish. It has become my go to side when I barbecue or grill…which is all year long living here in So Cal. Super Dish J S Thanks for posting this!!!
Loved it. So did puppy 🙂
wow! this is so easy to make and so delicious–I can’t wait to make it again. I only used 2T of butter, and it still tasted very rich and buttery. Next time I may try skipping the butter entirely. I served it with your bbq turkey meatloaf which was also great! thanks for all the great recipes!