Healthy Vegan Cauliflower Casserole

Name: Healthy Vegan Cauliflower Casserole
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 1 head cauliflower; 1 tablespoon fresh thyme; 6 tablespoons breadcrumbs (, gluten-free if needed (see note)); 3 tablespoons pine nuts; 3 tablespoons hemp seeds; ½ teaspoon sea salt; 1 cup cooked potato (, peel before cooking (about 1 medium potato)); ¼ onion (, medium (cook with potato)); 2 cloves garlic; ¾ cup raw cashews (, see note); ½ cup unsweetened cashew milk (, almond works too (I use the Silk Brand)); 1 cup veggie broth (, low sodium if needed); 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon sea salt

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Healthy vegan cauliflower casserole is ultra rich and creamy without the dairy. Potato always gets the spotlight, so it's time for change!

A close up shot of a slice of cauliflower casserole on a plate with a sprig of thyme

This recipe was originally published on 11/21/2016

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of WhiteWave Foods. The opinions and text are all mine.

I love surprising people with dairy free recipes that they swear have dairy! This is one of those meals and it's always a hit.

This gratin like recipe makes an amazing side dish. This tastes ~~just as good~~ even better than its dairy loaded counterpart. But it has no dairy and can be made gluten-free as well!

I swapped the typical potatoes for slices of cauliflower to get in some extra veggies and give a low carb option. Whipped up a creamy sauce made of amazing whole foods. Then covered it all in a crispy flavorful breadcrumb topping.

Ingredients

In order to make this creamy and comforting casserole, you'll need a variety of whole foods:

For the base you'll need:

Cauliflower
Thyme
Breadcrumbs
Pine nuts
Hemp seeds
Sea salt

Cauliflower, bread crumbs, hemp seeds, pine nuts and salt on a wooden surface

And for the sauce, gather:

Potato
Onion
Garlic
Raw cashews
Unsweetened cashew milk
Veggie broth
Lemon juice
Apple cider vinegar
Sea salt

Ingredients needed to make a dairy free cashew based creamy sauce

I made this vegan cauliflower casserole using Silk brand cashew milk, but any milk will work. Keep in mind that the creamier the milk is, the creamier the sauce will turn out.

Silk dairy free milk containers laying on a grey towel

How to Make Cauliflower Casserole

Make the creamy sauce.
Layer cauliflower with breadcrumb topping.
Bake and serve!

Serving suggestions

Any dishes that would normally compliment a potato au gratin would go great with this dish. Here are some of our faves:

Preparation tips

To make the best Cauliflower Gratin ever, keep these suggestions in mind:

You can make your own breadcrumbs by toasting your own bread. I've found that 3 slices is sufficient.
The best method is to boil both the potato and onion together until they're soft.
Any broth will do, but I prefer to use a veggie broth without tomato in the base.
Slice the head of the cauliflower into thick slices, about ½ inch thick. Make sure to also remove most of the thick stem.
Since you need to slice the cauliflower into strips, and because you want this more on the al dente side texture wise, it's best to use fresh cauliflower. But if you don't have another option you can definitely use frozen. The frozen cauliflower will release a little more liquid, so you may want to reduce the amount of added liquid in the recipe.
If you are not using a high speed blender you can either soak the cashews overnight or grind the dry cashews into a fine powder using a coffee grinder.

Tips for making ahead

If you want to make this cauliflower casserole ahead of time, you definitely can. Here is what I would do for the best results:

Make the cream sauce.
Prep the cauliflower.
Make the breadcrumb topping.
When you are ready to serve, put it together and bake.
If you want to bake this ahead of time as well, you certainly can. Bake, then let it cool down all the way before putting in the fridge, you can simply store in the baking dish and cover with tin foil or plastic wrap.
When ready to serve, take it out of the fridge and allow to return to room temperature . Then warm it up in the oven but watch carefully so it doesn't burn or dry out. You may need to add a touch of broth to help.

How to store leftovers

If you have any of this cauliflower casserole left over, I'd be shocked. But if it happens, here's some suggestions:

Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
You can also freeze leftovers for future use for 2-3 months. The longer you keep it frozen the less the dish will keep it's flavor and texture.
When you reheat this casserole, the texture may be a little watery but if you warm it in the oven it will help thicken it again.

Common Questions

How do you know when cauliflower is cooked?

When cooking cauliflower, you want to watch it carefully because it goes from al dente to super soft quickly. Depending on what you are making, the texture you need will change.

In this recipe, you want something a little on the al dente side so it holds up when serving. Much like potatoes, if you overcook it, then it will get super soft and although still delicious, won't remain a layered type dish.

As the cooking time comes to an end begin checking it with a fork. Once the fork can go through fairly easily then it's ready!

What do you serve with gratin?

Practically anything! It's a wonderful side for your favorite main dishes, pairs nicely with a fresh salad, or is the perfect addition to any holiday meal.

What are the benefits of eating cauliflower?

Cauliflower is an amazing veggie! It's in the cruciferous family and naturally high in fiber and b vitamins. So a great addition to your diet.

It doesn't have much flavor on it's own, and easily takes on any flavor you cook it with. Which makes it perfect for so many things! It has a little creaminess to it and makes a good sub for potatoes when you need something a little lower in carbs.

It also has a great texture when riced and sautéed so makes a good low carb rice option. We love subbing half of the rice for riced cauliflower in our recipes, like in this vegan tikka masala or these veggie sheet pan fajitas.

More Vegan Cauliflower Recipes

Cauliflower is quite the shapeshifter, and can be a magical vehicle for amazing flavors. If you liked this dish, check out these other gluten free, plant based cauliflower recipes: