The Best Cauliflower Mash. Cauliflower Mash hit the scene a few years ago and has never gone away. Cauliflower is one of the most versatile veggies, and I still love using it. I have a Loaded Cauliflower Soup that is just as filling and tastes just as good as a loaded potato soup. And I am not kidding either – because you should know I am never going to lie to you and tell you cauliflower is a potato, or can taste JUST LIKE buffalo wings. BUT IT CAN taste fire as the kids say these days. So, this Cauliflower Mash is no mashed potato, but it is just as frickin good.
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Simple Steps
I have only one other recipe on my site that I deem is the best, and this Cauliflower Mash is the second. In my opinion, if you are eating cauli-mash with chunks or any grainy-ness, that just is not right.
So to start, we boil the cauliflower in salted water. This breaks down the cauliflower as well as seasons it. A big, fat pinch of salt in the water with the cauliflower goes a long way. Next, we boil. It should be extremely fork tender. When in doubt, boil it longer. We want it falling apart.
Finally, drain the cauliflower. A little water is still okay! Add everything to a blender with a fat of your choosing. You don’t need to add the fat, but it does give you extra oomph & it’s only 1/4 cup! I choose sour cream because I am a big fan of the acid, tangy flavor and fattiness it adds. But you have tons of options: coconut cream to keep it vegan, plain greek yogurt, whole milk, sour cream, even cream cheese can work.
Blend it up & TASTE
Blend, blend, blend. You can also add a tbs of butter at this step of you want or you can just serve with butter. But you should have your blender on for at least one minute. I want it to be as smooth and creamy as you can possibly get it.
If you are a QSC follower than you know I never put a salt measurement in the recipe. That’s because the sign of the perfect recipe is salting & seasoning so it tastes exactly how you like it. After blending for your entire minute, scrape the sides and blend again if necessary. Add another small pinch salt, stir & then stick a spoon in there and give it a taste. You can add your fresh cracked pepper here too. If it tastes delicious, you’re done! If it tastes a little bland, try to add another pinch of salt. If it tastes just like salty cauliflower, maybe you need to add your tablespoon of butter or a dollop of more fat.
When you make this recipe, please let me know your thoughts in the comments or tag me on Instagram @quartersoulcrisis. I really love hearing from you and I want to know how it goes. Ps. If you are going to make this, you should absolutely pair it with my Easy Perfect Steak recipe.
The Best Cauliflower Mash
Equipment
- blender, immersion blender or large food processor
Ingredients
- 1 Large Head Cauliflower
- 1/4 cup Sour Cream
- 1-2 tbsp unsalted butter
- salt to taste
- optional garnish, fresh cracked pepper & minced chives
Instructions
- Steam Cauliflower: Roughly chop cauliflower into mostly similar sized chunks. In a large pot filled 3/4 with water, add large pinch salt – like you are salting pasta water! Add the cauliflower pieces. Bring to boil. Stir occasionally. Boil cauliflower for 15-20 minutes until extremely fork tender. When in doubt, boil longer. We want the smoothest cauliflower ever.
- Drain Cauliflower: Drain cauliflower with a colander. It doesn't have to be crazy dry, just get rid of most of the water. If using an immersion blender, add back to pot. If using a blender, add drained cauliflower to blender with sour cream & butter. Blend on high until completely creamy and not at all grainy. When in doubt, blend longer. Stir it up, blend again. We want it to be creamy.
- Season: This is the second most important step aside from BLENDING blending blending. Add a pinch of salt, blend for 30 seconds & taste. If it is missing something, maybe add a little more salt or another tablespoon of sour cream until it tastes exactly how you want it. I find that an extra pinch of salt & pepper can make it perfect.
- Serve with minced chives, parsley or any of your favorite things to add.
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