This striking baked cauliflower side dish will be a hit for any holiday spread, potluck, or Sunday night supper. With its cheesy sauce, fork-tender veggies, and crispy toppings, this dish is a satisfying blend of textures and flavors. If you like, you can substitute broccoli for some or all of the cauliflower.
By Shelli McConnell ,
Ingredients
- 8 cups cauliflower florets (2 lb.)
- 1 small onion, chopped (¾ cup)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1¼ cups unsweetened, unflavored plant milk, such as almond, soy, cashew, or rice
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 teaspoons white whole wheat flour
- 4 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- Ground white pepper, to taste
- ½ cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Place cauliflower and onion in a steamer basket in a Dutch oven. Add water to Dutch oven to just below basket. Bring to boiling. Steam, covered, about 8 minutes or just until tender. Transfer to a 2-qt. baking dish.
- For sauce, in a small saucepan cook garlic in 2 Tbsp. water over medium about 3 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. In a blender combine cooked garlic and the next five ingredients (through mustard); cover and blend until smooth. Return to saucepan. Cook and stir about 8 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Stir in parsley. Season with white pepper. Pour sauce over cauliflower in baking dish.
- Sprinkle panko and almonds over cauliflower. Bake, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until heated through. To transport, cover dish and place in an insulated carrier with a hot pack.
Nutritional Information:
Per serving (1 cup), 88 calories, 14 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 3 g total fat, 104 mg sodium, 4 g fiber, 3 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
I made this for the first time this evening. The sauce was creamy with a hint of lemon. It was delicious. I made some substitutions according to my family’s dietary needs and planetary concerns. I substituted vegetable stock for the plant-based milk. I found gluten free panko in my local supermarket. I used chopped pecans in place of the almonds. My husband had thirds, not just seconds. I will make this recipe again soon.
I looked up panko breadcrumbs and they are specifically made from white flour, so should just be whole wheat breadcrumbs.
‘…panko is simply a type of breadcrumb (the word panko is Japanese—”pan” meaning bread and “ko” meaning flour). Real panko is always made from a special kind of white bread (as opposed to whole wheat) that is made without crusts that are baked using an electrical current. The loaf is ground into fine slivers or flakes that are then dried.’ (ref: https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-panko-3376842)
This is a sure keeper for my recipe book. I used a really good squirt of mustard and didn’t saute the onions this added a little crunch. I didn’t use the almonds as I have a nut allergy.
This is a new staple dish for me! It does have a very strong mustard flavor, which I love (I actually add a bit of extra mustard and often use spicy brown instead of dijon) and I have added kale as well. This is an easy, tasty weeknight meal!
Can you steam it on stovetop instead of the oven ?
Does it have to be steamed in the oven ? Can’t it be done on stovetop as well ?
Followed this recipe as written. It really lacks flavor, and the flavor it DOES have is too mustardy. Glad I did a test run before bringing this to Thanksgiving.
The positives: good crunch from the sliced almonds and panko
This was easy to make and pretty tasty. The cauliflower was tender but not mushy. I thought the Dijon overpowered the other flavors, so next time I will start with one teaspoon and add more as needed. I think a couple of teaspoons of miso would be a nice addition.
I made this and followed the recipe exactly. I was not a fan. Will not make again.
One of my favorites, brought it for Thanksgiving.
This was great! It will go into our regular rotation. The only thing I would change is I would double the sauce! Don’t get me wrong… as written – with the size of the cauliflower I used (a whole head)- it was enough to cover for sure. It was just so tasty I wanted it more saucy.
Where is the onion in the recipe instructions? Should it be with the garlic?
Never mind, I was reading too quickly haha, happy thanksgiving everyone!
I have made this recipe several times, exactly as written. I like it very much!
FOK, you’ve chosen SO much better. This was terrible. Since going Vegan over a year ago, I’ve enjoyed most of your meals. None so bad that I had to review…until this one! Don’t waste your time with things like this.
Added more nutritional yeast & spices. Just a little bland but then added 4 tablespoons Dijon rather than teaspoons, and OH what a difference to my personal taste.
what was terrible about it?
Looks great!!
I am looking for make ahead meals… could I make the the day before and assemble to step two… then refrigerate. Next day remove from fridge until room temp, add panko, bake and serve?
This looks like a delicious recipe, but it contains wheat. Does anyone know if the flour and panko can be substituted with a gluten free alternative?
I often use tapioca or arrowroot flour as a thickener instead of wheat flour. It works the exact same way.
I saw recipe for chickpea “breadcrumbs” on YouTube. Maybe give it a shot?
I did gluten free panko and flour and it wa fine.
I wonder about cooking times for the steam.
Does the cauliflower get really mushy having been steamed for 8 min, them baked for another 20 min? Seems like ingredients are already hot when placed in the oven for the bake so why bake so long?
Very easy to make. I thawed out frozen edamame and added it to this dish for added protein. Very tasty!
Has anyone tried this with a gluten free flour?
Fantastic recipe – love it. Thank you F&K for sharing this x
This one is definitely a keeper! The sauce is so delicious I may try it on some pizza as well.
@ Carol Oneal,
As to your question about a Gluten Free option.
Instead of the flour, I would suggest you to use cornstarch (can also do the same with arrowroot powder).
On the step after the blend of the liquid, I would poure the blender mix back into the pot.
Then I would mix 1 / 2 tbsp cornstarch with COLD water in another little bowl and mix until no lumps.
Add the cornstarch mix GRADUALLY into the gravy mixture over the heat and stir until thickening.
You may need only some of the Cornstarch mix or perhaps even more to get the consistency you like, but try until you are satisfied with the gravy.
This is just a method more than a recipe.
I always substitute flours to any gravy recipes like this.
The great part is that you don’t ever need oil (or butter and flour bak); You can always just add this to any liquid base and turn it into gravy or a thicker soup. So a great method to know for any Gluten-free eater.
I actually think this always improves any receipt, as it becomes a much more light and silky smooth texture of the gravy.
Hope this helps. Not just for this.
This was a slamdunk for me. I loved the creaminess of the sauce and really appreciated how low key the prep was. I customised it a bit: instead of the almonds and parsley, I used leftover croutons and green onions tossed in olive oil. Same crunch and greenery and I had those things in my cupboard. Thank you very much for the recipe.
Yum !!