WHAT DOES CAULIFLOWER CREAM SAUCE CONSIST OF? The texture of this cauliflower sauce is extremely similar to that of milk- or creamy sauces that are customarily thickened with a roux made of flour and butter. In essence, this cauliflower sauce is a plant-based replacement for Béchamel sauce. This thick and creamy cauliflower purée may be used as a PERFECT alternative for thickened dairy sauces or cream-of-whatever soups in just about everything, from macaroni and cheese to fettuccine alfredo to mashed potatoes to creamy corn. Also, a note: although I happen to adore this cauliflower cream on its own, this sauce on its own does not have a particularly robust taste (it is undeniably a touch cauliflower, but it is not like WHOA, CAULIFLOWER.). I recommend serving this sauce with cauliflower cream. You are aware?). This is intended to be a basic recipe, which means that it tastes the best when it is altered in some way and combined with another ingredient. Because it may be used in such a wide variety of preparations, the flavor of this cauliflower cream has been purposely kept on the mild side.
When you first blend all of the ingredients, you have the option of including roasted garlic, sautéed garlic, onions, herbs, lemon juice, or any of your preferred seasonings. Doing so will significantly enhance the flavor of the cauliflower sauce on its own. florets of cooked cauliflower seen up close and personal. Throughout the week, we will be discussing some of our FAVORITE applications for this cauliflower cream; however, for the time being, let's focus on a few noteworthy aspects of the sauce itself:
- INGREDIENTS. One head of cauliflower, a little bit of salt, and some vegetable stock are all that is required to make this cauliflower sauce. That wraps it up! (Because it's technically a cauliflower cream, although it doesn't include any cream)
- RIDICULOUSLY EASY. After simmering the cauliflower pieces in a little bit of stock until they are ultra-ultra tender (you might even go so far as to call them, well, mushy), we then whirl it all up in a blender or food processor until we have a nice, smooth "cream." This "cream" can be used in place of a traditional dairy-based alternative.
- USE IT IN ALL OF YOUR STRATEGIES. SERIOUSLY. One pot of magic cauliflower cream can typically yield anywhere from two to four distinct meals for me throughout the week. The use of cauliflower cream as a substitute for milk or cream sauces in popular dishes such as macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, fettuccine alfredo, or creamed corn, or the use of cauliflower cream to thicken a soup or sauce is becoming increasingly popular.
- MEAL PREP MAGIC. My absolute favorite thing about this cauliflower sauce is that it cuts the amount of time it takes to prepare some of our all-time favorite comfort foods to practically nothing – there is no waiting for sauces or soups to thicken, which is one of the things I dislike most about traditional bechamel sauce. If I have this cauliflower cream prepared and ready to go before I start cooking, I can have a standard mac and cheese or our family's favorite cauliflower rice risotto ready to serve in only 15 minutes.
DIRECTIONS FOR PREPPING CAULIFLOWER CREAM SAUCE : This cauliflower cream is going to be made utilizing a technique that I have been referring to as the 10-10-10 approach. Is this some new approach that I've come up with? Yes. But does it make it extraordinarily simple to commit this recipe to memory? ALSO YES. Setting three separate timers for 10 minutes each will ensure that your cauliflower is cooked to perfection, allowing you to complete this cauliflower cream recipe. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and start the timer for ten minutes. While you stir and continue to cook, set a timer for ten minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set the timer for ten minutes. Blend, cool, store, donezo. You won't have to keep checking on the cauliflower every few minutes or trying to guess how long it's been on the stove; instead, you can just pull out your reliable phone timer and continue living your life while the cauliflower cooks on low heat. The only thing you need to commit to memory for this recipe is the number combination 10-10-10, and you'll be good to go. Note that the 10-10-10 timing approach produces the greatest results when applied to cauliflower pieces that are relatively small (less than 1 inch in size) and cook over a medium-high heat that is tilted more toward the high side. If you use frozen cauliflower or particularly large florets, you might need to add some more cooking time to the recipe; in most cases, simply adding 2 minutes to each timer in a 12-12-12 sequence will do the trick. For optimal results, the cauliflower should be cooked until it readily breaks apart and can be mashed. FAQ About Cauliflower Sauce This recipe has been through a TON of testing to ensure that it is perfect. Here are some of the most common questions that have been raised by our testers.
MAY I FREEZE THIS CREAM MADE FROM CAULIFLOWER? YES! The Magic Cauliflower Cream retains its form quite well in the freezer. Keep in the freezer for three to four months in a container that seals tightly and is airtight. To get the best results, let it thaw in the refrigerator first, then transfer it directly into a saucepan and cook it back up to a sauce-like consistency over medium heat. IS IT POSSIBLE TO DOUBLE THE RECIPE? Totally! If you double or triple the recipe, you will need to increase the cooking time (when I double the recipe, I add an extra 10 minutes of cooking time, making the method 10-10-10-10), and you will also need to blend the cauliflower in batches due to a large amount of cauliflower that needs to be processed. We prefer using an immersion blender and blending right in the pot when working with double and triple batches because this eliminates the need to blend the ingredients in separate batches. IS THIS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE MADE IN A FOOD PROCESSOR OR IMMERSION BLENDER? Yes! See the image below for a comparison of how well a blender and a food processor (we favor this one) operate in this situation. If you have to, you can use an immersion blender; however, you should be aware that you will have to move it about quite a bit and mix for a very long time to completely pulverize all of the cauliflower. If you are creating a double or triple batch, an immersion blender is a tool to use; however, if you are only making a single batch, I find that a blender or food processor works better. IS IT TRUE THAT CAULIFLOWER CREAM HAS A CREAMY CONSISTENCY? CREAMY. The secret to making a cauliflower sauce that is smooth and velvety is to make sure that the cauliflower is cooked until it is quite tender (it should mash very readily with a fork and should appear almost "mushy" – which is a technical term).
The additional step of blending the cauliflower cream for a relatively long time, such as ONE WHOLE MINUTE in the blender, also contributes to the sauce becoming particularly silky and smooth. As long as the cauliflower is cooked until the florets are very soft, we've discovered that this sauce can be whipped up very easily in a wide range of blenders and food processors without any lumps or clumps forming. However, there are a few things you can do to help smooth out the texture of your cauliflower cream if it isn't as creamy as you would like it to be:
- After re-blending, transfer the cauliflower cream back to the fire and continue cooking it for an additional 5 to 10 minutes to further break down any leftover cauliflower pieces.
- Blend until smooth after adding a little amount of vegetable stock, coconut milk, heavy cream, or butter (if you aren't using vegan ingredients).
HOW SHOULD I APPLY MY MIRACULOUS CREAM MADE FROM CAULIFLOWER? This cauliflower cream can be utilized in a TON of different ways. The following are some of our top picks:
- Make macaroni and cheese with cauliflower cream instead of the traditional cream sauce, which is often made with butter and flour and either cream or milk.
- To thicken sauces and soups, a dollop of magic cauliflower cream can be added. In this recipe for chicken and potatoes made in one pan, I've been substituting it for the cornstarch slurry, and in this recipe for corn chowder, I've been using it in place of the flour and the cream.
- When making creamed corn, green bean casserole, or creamed spinach, use this soup instead of the cream-of-whatever variety of canned soup.
- Use in place of butter and cream when making fettuccine alfredo (extra points are awarded if you replace the fettuccine with zoodles! SO GOOD. Just make sure there is enough cheese.
- You can make vegan mashed potatoes by substituting creamy sauce made from cauliflower for butter and cream.
Modifying the consistency: If you like a thinner cauliflower cream, add a dash of vegetable stock or little water and blend the mixture until it reaches the required thickness. In a saucepan set over medium heat, bring the cauliflower cream to a low simmer.
Continue cooking, stirring the mixture regularly, until the sauce has thickened to the desired consistency. However, we shouldn't have to make any changes to the consistency in most cases. Keeping it fresh and storing it: This cauliflower cream keeps nicely in the freezer. Keep in the freezer for three to four months, sealed in an airtight container (you can store it longer, but I find the flavor is sharpest and cleanest within just a few months). After it has been defrosted, you may give it a quick whirl in the blender or use an immersion blender to get it back to a smooth consistency, if necessary. Uses: Cauliflower cream can be used in place of milk-based sauces in dishes such as macaroni and cheese and fettuccine alfredo. However, it is important to remember to use an adequate amount of cheese in these dishes. Use it to thicken sauces and soups in place of a roux or cornstarch slurry (as in our favorite one-pot chicken!), in place of butter or crème in mashed potatoes, or as a replacement for canned soup or cream sauces in creamed corn, creamed spinach, or your fave casserole. Adapting recipes to use cauliflower cream: To adapt recipes so that they can use cauliflower cream, we often use three-quarters of a cup of creamy cauliflower sauce in place of one cup of the milk or cream that is called for in the recipe (while also omitting any roux, cornstarch slurry, or other thickening agents).