The Best Easy Mashed Cauliflower
The best easy, healthy, vegan mashed cauliflower recipe with a hint of garlic and just six simple ingredients. You will love this dish as a healthy Thanksgiving side, and it also makes the perfect warm comfort food!
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Easy Vegan Mashed Cauliflower
Good morning everyone! I am rolling right along with the fall/winter themed recipes that are perfect for Thanksgiving. This simple cauliflower mash makes the best healthy, vegan side dish.
It’s packed with nutrients, healthy fat, and tons of flavor. It has been a staple side dish that I’ve been making for my family’s Thanksgiving for a few years now. It’s always a hit, and you can adjust the salt and pepper to your own taste.
This is an amazing comfort food recipe. While this recipe is incredibly simple with just six ingredients, it’s still super flavorful with a creamy texture. It’s the perfect warm comfort food dish for chilly fall and winter days, and it makes a great side for so many recipes.
I love serving it up with some vegan mushroom gravy for even more flavor and variety. You can even adjust it to your own taste by adding more or less garlic, black pepper, and salt. I even threw some dill weed on top of mine for a bit of added color and flavor.
You’ll be pleasantly surprised by just how rich this is.While the ingredients list is short and sweet, the mashed cauliflower is surprisingly packed with flavor. The olive oil adds so much richness and serves as a source of healthy fat. I think you’ll be surprised by how good this recipe truly tastes.
So, let’s take a look at the ingredients that make up this wonderful fall recipe that just so happens to be the perfect vegan Thanksgiving side dish.
Easy Mashed Cauliflower – Ingredients
- Cauliflower – One head of fresh cauliflower does the trick for this recipe. It makes quite a bit of mash, and I will say that fresh cauliflower tastes so much better than frozen, so try to buy a fresh head just before you plan to make this recipe.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil –A high quality extra virgin olive oil packed with flavor is key to making this recipe a success. I used the California Olive Ranch brand, and I really enjoy the flavor of it.
- Nut Milk – I used unsweetened cashew milk for this recipe for extra creaminess. You can use whatever plain nut milk you have on hand. In my opinion, cashew milk is one of the best, because it really adds to the overall creaminess.
- Fresh Garlic – Using fresh garlic is the only way to go for this recipe. You will want to mince it up into tiny pieces. It adds so much flavor to this recipe, but it also provides key health benefits like combating sickness (which is especially important during the chilly months when people tend to be more prone to getting sick).
- Salt + Pepper – This is where you can really customize the recipe to your taste. As a child, my parents never salted our food much, so I don’t use much salt. I do, however, like to add more pepper than most people probably would. I enjoy spicy food, but only to a certain extent.
You definitely will never see me willingly munching on ghost peppers, but I do like a little spice when I’m in the mood for it.
I always suggest starting with a little bit of salt and pepper, tasting your mash, and then adding more as needed. You can always put more in, but if you go overboard, you can’t really take it back out.
- Optional Add-ins – As I said, I sprinkled some dill weed on top of mine, and you can certainly do the same, though it isn’t a necessary step. You can also serve yours up with some vegan mushroom gravy, green beans, etc. for some added flavor and nutrients.
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The Best Easy Vegan Mashed Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower (about 4 cups chopped)
- 2 small cloves garlic (use less if cloves aren't small, otherwise it will be way too spicy!)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp nut milk (I used unsweetened cashew milk)
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Chop your head of cauliflower into pieces.
- Add your cauliflower to a large pot and cover with water
- Bring your pot of cauliflower to a boil on the stovetop, then cook for about 20 minutes until your cauliflower is soft.
- While cauliflower is cooking, mince your garlic cloves.
- Drain and rinse your cauliflower, then let it sit for a few minutes to cool.
- Add the cauliflower, olive oil, nut milk, and minced garlic to a food processor.
- Process for a few minutes until smooth.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Enjoy warm. This dish pairs great with vegan mushroom gravy or freshly cooked green beans.
Notes
I love how simple, tasty, and healthy this recipe is. When you’re trying to make a bunch of different dishes on Thanksgiving, it’s nice to have a few easy sides that you can whip up in minutes with little effort. That way, you won’t be rushed or stressed in the morning while you’re trying to prepare your meal in time for lunch or dinner.
My family typically eats Thanksgiving around 2 – 3 pm. I’m not sure if this is standard or if a lot of people eat later in the evening. Let me know in the comments! I’ll be back with a tasty Thanksgiving dessert recipe soon, so stay tuned for that.
Sending happiness & light your way!
-Alyssa 🙂
