In this easy but exquisite Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Casserole, a cheezy, nutmeg-kissed sauce smothers velvety cauliflower florets.
Here's a recipe that you'll be proud to serve at your holiday table, and yet it's so easy to make! This Creamy Vegan Cauliflower is perfect for anyone who's eating low-carb, and it is soy-free and can be gluten-free and nut-free. The cauliflower in the casserole bakes up creamy and soft and is nestled in lashings of a delicious and cheezy white sauce flavored with thyme and nutmeg.
I've been experimenting with low-carb vegan recipes for the holiday table that are both easy and delicious, and this Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Casserole is one of my favorites so far.
I designed this recipe to appeal to all eaters, because there's always a mix at the holiday table. It is creamy and comforting and filling, and everyone you serve it to will love it. Even Jay took a second serving, which is saying a lot, given that he almost never wants to touch anything with a white sauce, especially a veggie. đ
Why low carb?
As a woman in the middle of my life I've found that keeping the weight off on a vegan diet has become more challenging by the year. During my last visit my doctor urged me to eat fewer carbs to help shake off the pounds, which have added up slowly over the last few years and have become increasingly harder to shake off.
But if you eat plant-based, you know that low carb vegan food is easier said than done. Plant foods are naturally high in carbohydrates (with the exception of foods like tofu and some nuts), and low carb diets require you to go as low as 50 and even 25 net carbs a day. While that is nearly impossible on a vegan diet, one can reasonably manage to stay under 100 net carbs a day and eat very healthfully. That's been my goal.
I already have a bunch of low carb vegan recipes on the blog. And creating new low carb foods has been a revitalizing challenge for me, as a cook. I've had a lot of fun coming up with recipes like this Vegan Cauliflower Casserole, which has a total of 11 grams of carbohydrates per servin. If you subtract the 2 grams of fiber in each serving you are left with just 9 grams of net carbs, which is fantastic for a vegan dish. (If you skip the breadcrumb topping, or just leave the breadcrumbs out of the topping, the total comes down to just 7 grams of net carbs.)
For any low carb eaters who are also eating higher fats, this recipe has 12 grams of healthy fats from the nuts and the olive oil. If you prefer a low-fat version, see the recipe notes--I have you covered.
I'm not planning to only blog low-carb recipes in future, but I hope to include more of them here in coming days. And regardless of whether or not you are watching your carbs, or are feeding someone who is, this vegan Cauliflower Casserole is a delicious recipe to make and eat. I hope you will try it.
Why you'll love this Vegan Cauliflower Casserole
- It's delicious. The sauce is cheezy and creamy and savory and the cauliflower florets nestled in it turn golden-brown and velvety as they bake. It's the ultimate comfort dish.
- It's easy to make. There are a couple of steps here--blanching the cauliflower, blending the sauce and then putting it all together--but they are baby ones and really easy to do. They also take hardly any time.
- It's so comforting. Creamy, cheesy recipes are always high on the comfort scale and this one is no exception. Every decadent bite will take you a step closer to bliss.
- It's healthy. All the fats here are good fats, and like I said, if you're watching your carbs this is the recipe for you. You can also easily make it gluten-free by using gf breadcrumbs or by skipping the breadcrumbs altogether, and it is soy-free.
Ingredients
- 1 small head cauliflower. About 1.5 pounds before trimming. Cut into medium-size florets.
- 1 cup raw cashews. You can use cashew pieces. If you are nut-free, increase the tapioca starch to four teaspoons and stir in 2 cups of coconut milk or soymilk.
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 cups vegetable stock. Water is fine too.
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons tapioca flour. You just need a small amount to thicken the sauce, which will help keep the carb quantity down.
- 1 teaspoon thyme. Oregano is just as good. Use 1 tablespoon if using fresh herbs.
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg. This adds lots of delicious flavor.
- 1 tablespoon parsley (optional). For garnish.
How to make the Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Casserole
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the cauliflower florets and let them cook five minutes. Drain and pat the florets dry, or spread them on a baking sheet and let them air-dry for a few minutes.
- Blend the cashews with garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast, salt, ground black pepper and vegetable stock or water. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet. Add the tapioca starch and stir until it darkens a bit. This is your roux which will help thicken the sauce.
- Stir in the blended cashew cream. Stir quickly as you add the cream because the tapioca will cause it to lump up. If lumps do form, just break them with the ladle.
- When the cashew cream boils add the thyme or oregano and nutmeg, Check seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Let the cream reduce and thicken, about five minutes. Stir frequently.
- Coat a baking dish with cooking spray or oil. Place the cauliflower florets in the dish evenly. Then pour the cashew sauce all over it.
- Place the baking dish in the oven and let it bake 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the optional breadcrumb topping, if using, by mixing the breadcrumbs, vegan parm, oil and ground pepper and salt.
- After the cauliflower has baked 20 minutes, remove it from the oven and sprinkle the breadcrumb topping over it. Return to the oven and bake 10 more minutes or until the topping is golden and crunchy.If you aren't using the topping, just let the cauliflower bake 10 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes. You can sprinkle on some parsley, if you like, before serving.
More delicious vegan casserole recipes
- Vegan Cauliflower Cheese
- Vegan French Fry Casserole
- Vegan Spinach Potato Casserole
- Vegan French Toast Casserole
- Classic Vegan Green Bean Casserole
Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Casserole
Equipment
- Large pot for blanching cauliflower
- Skillet
- 2-quart baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 small head cauliflower (about 1.5 pounds before trimming. Cut into medium-size florets)
- 1 cup raw cashews (or cashew pieces)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 cups vegetable stock (or water)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoon tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon thyme (or oregano, dry. Use 1 tablespoon if using fresh herbs.)
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon parsley (optional, chopped, for garnish)
For breadcrumb topping
- 2 tablespoon breadcrumbs (optional if you want to keep the carbs low. You can also use gluten-free breadcrumbs for a gf recipe)
- 2 tablespoon vegan cashew parmesan
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the cauliflower florets and let them cook five minutes. Drain immediately and pat the florets dry, or spread them on a baking sheet and let them air-dry for a few minutes.
- Blend the cashews with garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast, salt, ground black pepper and vegetable stock or water. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet. Add the tapioca starch and stir until it darkens a bit. This is your roux which will help thicken the sauce.
- Stir in the blended cashew cream. Stir quickly as you add the cream because the tapioca will cause it to lump up. If lumps do form, just break them with the ladle.
- When the cashew cream boils add the thyme or oregano and nutmeg. Let the cream reduce and thicken, about five minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Coat a baking dish with cooking spray or oil. Place the cauliflower florets in the dish evenly. Then pour the white sauce all over it.
- Place the baking dish in the oven and let it bake 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the optional breadcrumb topping, if using, by mixing the breadcrumbs, vegan parm, oil and ground pepper and salt.
- After the cauliflower has baked 20 minutes, remove it from the oven and sprinkle the breadcrumb topping over it. Return to the oven and bake 10 more minutes or until the topping is golden and crunchy. If you aren't using the topping, just let the cauliflower bake 10 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes. If using parsley, sprinkle it on before serving.
Notes
- If you want a higher fat content in your casserole, increase the amount of olive oil you cook the roux in to 2 and even 3 tablespoons.
- Conversely, if you want a lower fat content, use just 1 teaspoon of oil for the roux. You can also use a non-dairy milk instead of the cashew cream--add the remaining ingredients including the onion and garlic powders and yeast to the milk. Increase the amount of tapioca flour to four teaspoons. Skip the vegetable stock or water. Keep in mind that more flour will increase the amount of carbs in your casserole.
- To make this recipe nut-free, use any nondairy nut-free milk instead of the cashew cream and, like I mentioned above, skip the stock or water. Add the onion and garlic powders, nutritional yeast and other sauce ingredients to the milk and increase tapioca flour to four teaspoons to better thicken the sauce.
Nutrition
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