Tags
cauliflower, gf, glutenfree, meatlessmonday, recipes, vegan, vegetarian
There are a lot of reasons you might want to substitute cauliflower for potatoes when you want a mashed side. Certainly the nutritional value of cauliflower is significant:
- Potatoes are almost 4x more caloric than cauliflower.
- They are comparable in fiber, but potatoes are 4x higher in carbs.
- Cauliflower is a very good source of Vitamin C – one cup has 77% of your daily value.
- While both potatoes and cauliflower score above 100 on amino acids (meaning they are complete or high-quality proteins) the caloric ratio of cauliflower is 19% versus 7% for potatoes.
- Cauliflower has a significantly lower glycemic load (2 versus 10 per 100 grams) so this is a much better choice for maintaining healthy blood sugar.
- Cauliflower is mildly anti-inflammatory (Inflammatory Factor score of 18, higher is better) while potatoes are mildly inflammatory (IF score of -60).
But for me the flavor and texture are big selling points, making mashed cauliflower more than a mere substitution. It’s no compromise in my mind, it’s a delicious side dish in its own right.
You can double this recipe to make a big batch using the whole head of cauliflower, or do what I do: cut out the “middle half” in two half-inch thick slices and save for cauliflower steaks.
Ingredients:
- Half head cauliflower
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp olive oil + more to drizzle
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic (we love it, you should adjust accordingly!)
- Celtic sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Break cauliflower into medium-size florets.
- Simmer in stock for approximately 10 minutes until tender.
- Strain but reserve some cooking liquid to adjust texture later if necessary.
- Place cauliflower, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processer and blend until desired texture.
- Serve with an additional drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of pepper if desired.