Step away from the cashews! This nut-free creamy, dreamy cauliflower alfredo is as delicious as it is low calorie and will have the cauliflower haters thinking twice.
Full disclosure - I hate cauliflower. No matter how many times my mum convinced me to eat it on my Christmas dinner, or when my dad tried to cover it in a cheese sauce and get me to try. The lingering taste was just cauliflower-y, boiled cabbage water taste, not "mild, earthy and nutty taste with sweet undertones" as promised on recipes.
There is no doubt that cauliflower is a fantastic low carb vegetable, rich in vitamin C and fibre. During my diet craze years (prior to being vegan) I was someone who joined the fad of cauliflower rice and my god it was awful. I even made a cauliflower pizza and managed three bites before I couldn't stomach anymore.
Here is my gamechanger, this beautiful recipe for cauliflower alfredo. When I tell you that me, a cauliflower hater, LOVES this recipe, you know it's damn good.
Being able to have a creamy, decadent sauce full of vitamins A and C, protein, fibre and calcium with only 144 calories per serving is a win in my book.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 brown onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 head of cauliflower, chopped
250ml vegetable stock
1-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, dependent on your taste
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons sea salt
½ teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegan butter
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Fresh cracked black pepper, to season
Method
Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and let it cook for 3-4 minutes, until it is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the cauliflower and the vegetable stock/ water to the pan, cover with a lid and let the cauliflower steam for 5-6 minutes, until it is soft when pierced with a knife.
Transfer the cauliflower and remaining liquid in the pan to a blender (you can use a stick blender in the pan if this is the equipment you have)blend on high until smooth. Add more water if required to reach the desired consistency.
Add 1 tbsp of nooch,1 tsp salt and the soy sauce to the sauce and blend again. Taste and add more nooch and salt, if that is to your taste. Add the butter and blend once more.
Either use the cauliflower alfredo right away or pour it into a pan to keep warm until you are ready to use it.
Serve on top of pasta with the chopped parsley and cracked black pepper.
Optional - Add some vegan bacon and chilli flakes for an elevated version.
Vegan VVitch Notes
Any blender will work to make the sauce but a high-powered blender will make the smoothest sauce.
If the alfredo is too thick, simply add a little extra water or stock.
Fresh cauliflower is best for this recipe as frozen cauliflower can hold a little too much water and I find the frozen florets have a more intense cauliflower-y taste.
You can freeze this sauce just be sure to warm through gently, add more liquid if required and possibly blend again if the sauce has become a little grainy.
I find that I use this sauce often instead of making a high calorie rue white sauce for my mac and cheese or lasagne. It's also a fantastic whole foods base for a queso. It keeps the calories low, boosts the veg and tastes delicious.
Don't be put off by the cauliflower, take a chance on this one.
Blessed be,