Dairy-Free Recipes Using Cauliflower
Step out of the box and try something new like cooking with cauliflower. Did you know cauliflower although may taste kind of bland on its own is a powerhouse vegetable and I’m going to tell you why! To start cauliflower contains 77 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin C. It is also rich in nutrients like vitamin K, magnesium, fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and protein, yes protein! So why wouldn’t you want to try implementing it into more of your cooking?
Leave your steamed cauliflower and butter or cheese sauce in the past and give one of these recipes a go. We have found 15 stellar recipes that will blow your mind. Your whole family will look at cauliflower in a whole new way. As an added bonus all of these recipes are vegan-friendly too. Kudos if you are plant-based already but if you’re not all the more reason to try something new and you’ll be able to serve it to your vegan friends too, common we all have one by now! If you’re not a fan of vegan meat substitutes why not try using vegetables instead. Most good recipes will have added flavors that compliment cauliflower nicely to make it so appealing that it is even kid-approved. If that is you and you struggle to get your children to eat more vegetables then I’m talking to you! Alright, let’s get into this I’m so excited and my mouth is watering already.
1. Sloppy Cauliflower Joes
When you think of sloppy joes your mind probably brings back childhood memories of ground meat slopped into a sauce and then served on a bun. Keeping with the theme here, this sloppy joe doesn’t contain a single gram of meat, cauliflower is used in its place in this recipe.
If you’re transitioning to a plant-based diet or seeking to try something new like a meatless dinner this will be a great option for you. It takes a traditional dinner and puts a unique spin on it without sacrificing flavor or texture. When you transition to a new diet it’s a lot easier when you can eat something that is familiar to keep it from getting boring or way out of your comfort zone. Use a food processor to chop the cauliflower, if you don’t have one you can do it by hand too. The key is to make sure the cauliflower is chopped finely enough to resemble ground beef.
https://www.brandnewvegan.com/recipes/sloppy-cauliflower-joes PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: BRAND NEW VEGAN2. Healthy Cauliflower Fried Rice
If you’re on the Keto diet or simply trying to watch your carb intake, cauliflower will take the lead here. It is so tasty and filling and very healthy. Your dieting friends will thank you if you make this for them. This is another plant-based alternative dish.
This recipe takes an Asian classic like fried rice and makes it low carb with cauliflower rice. Traditionally fried rice has fried egg in it whereas this recipe does not. It is super low calorie, only 183 calories per serving to be exact while still maintaining nutrition like 10 grams of protein per serving, all the while making it a satisfying dish. You can choose to eat this on its own or use it as a side dish.
https://runningonrealfood.com/healthy-vegan-cauliflower-fried-rice/ PHOTOS AND RECIP HERE: RUNNING ON REAL FOOD3. Low Carb Cauliflower Sushi
If you’re like me and a sushi outing is on the list of things to do weekly because you love it that much, then you’ll want to try out this recipe. Sushi is delicious but can be full of carbs if you eat roll after roll. This recipe is a great replacement for traditional sushi as the rice is substituted with cauliflower rice. You can enjoy the flavor and textures you love about sushi without having to worry too much about your waistline.
This recipe does call for cream cheese so make sure to either opt out or you could even buy plant-based cream cheese to keep this recipe dairy-free. There’s something so satisfying about avocado and cucumber sushi, I think it’s the creamy and crunchy texture, best of both worlds right? Whether you’re following the Keto diet or not you’ll want to give this recipe a try.
http://www.forkly.com/recipes/low-carb-cauliflower-sushi/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: FORKLY4. Buffalo Cauliflower Bites With Vegan Ranch Dip
These cauliflower bites are an excellent way to get more veggies into your diet. This recipe is a great way to make meatless buffalo wings at home. They get their crunchy texture from panko breadcrumbs and are baked not fried.
The bites are finished with a gentle tossing in buffalo styled hot sauce and then can be served with a vegan ranch dip keeping this recipe completely dairy-free. This makes the perfect snack to eat while watching Sunday afternoon football that the whole gang can enjoy. You can even make this delicious plate and eat it all to yourself while binging on your favorite shows, there’s no guilt allowed here.
https://www.veggieinspired.com/buffalo-cauliflower-bites/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: VEGGIE INSPIRED5. Cauliflower Tikka Masala
Tikka Masala is a classic curried Indian dish. Most varieties that you would get served at a restaurant are made with chicken. While there are many meat substitutes out there cauliflower is the star in this recipe once again. A lot of people love curry dishes because they’re full of bold flavors and have creamy textures, a palates dream. However, some curry dishes although delicious can make us feel heavy and tired afterwards.
This recipe takes tikka masala and gives it a healthy twist while maintaining flavor. There is no meat or heavy cream in this recipe so if you follow a plant-based diet this can be for you too. The sauce is mixed in the blender and then is thickened and finished on the stove. This recipe also offers an optional cashew cream recipe to top off your dish. Enjoy this cauliflower tikka masala over a bed of rice, in a tortilla or with some naan bread.
https://vegetariangastronomy.com/cauliflower-tikka-masala/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: VEGETARIAN GASTRONOMY6. Low-Carb Cauliflower Mexican Rice
This cauliflower rice is another great low-carb recipe to help you stay on track with your diet goals. This recipe gives fried rice a new flavor by providing it with Mexican flavors. It is full of flavor from cumin, chilli powder and has a dose of heat from chopped jalapenos.
Diced peppers are also mixed in with the cauliflower rice making it even more nutritious. To keep it plant-based you could even add in black beans for extra protein. This recipe only takes 15 minutes to make and 10 of that is prep time so you can have this dinner served up and ready to eat on busy nights.
http://www.forkly.com/recipes/low-carb-keto-cauliflower-mexican-rice/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: FORKLY7. Dairy-Free Butter Cauliflower
This recipe takes an Indian dish like butter chicken and turns it into a meatless dinner option. You’ll get the satisfaction that you’re having something healthier but without sacrificing all the flavor that butter chicken has to offer. Dishes like this may seem impossible to make dairy free because a lot of butter chicken recipes contain loads of butter and sometimes even heavy cream.
Cauliflower is used as a chicken substitute in this recipe. The sauce is made up of raw cashew, tomato paste and loads of spices which are completely made in the blender so there is no elbow grease needed here. Serve over your favorite rice, basmati is a great option and even add a piece of naan for good measure.
https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/vegan-butter-cauliflower/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: IT DOESN’T TASTE LIKE CHICKEN8. Coconut Lime Baked Cauliflower Tacos
Tacos are a fun meal because you can change them up in so many different ways. When you think about how to make tacos most people enjoy them with ground beef on either a soft or hard tortilla shell and then finished with toppings such as shredded lettuce and cheese, salsa and maybe some avocado.
Well, this recipe is far from traditional. It contains no meat at all and is dairy-free and plant-based friendly. These tacos are filled with crispy coconut lime baked cauliflower. It also guarantees a texture explosion from the crispy breaded cauliflower to crunchy coleslaw it lies on, there is so much flavor in one bite. This recipe even has a dairy-free tarter sauce recipe that will complement these tacos nicely.
https://www.veggieinspired.com/crispy-baked-cauliflower-tacos/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: VEGGIE INSPIRED9. Dreamy Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
If you’re looking to cut back on your dairy but still crave comforting foods like Fettuccini alfredo consider this option. This recipe is completely dairy-free and made from cauliflower. This is a great way to have a food you love but feel satisfied that you’re having a healthier option.
While it doesn’t taste exactly the same as a cheesy alfredo sauce it does make a great substitute. It is still full of flavors like garlic and gets a hint of a cheesy flavor from the nutritional yeast. The pureed mixture gives you the same creamy texture you love about alfredo sauce. To keep it low carb and low-calorie serve on spiralized vegetables like zucchini or if you’re not too concerned about that serve it with your favorite pasta.
https://www.theendlessmeal.com/dreamy-vegan-cauliflower-alfredo/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: THE ENDLESS MEAL10. Cauliflower Tacos
This is another great taco recipe but has a more traditional take on a taco. While it may be convenient to buy fake meat crumbles for meatless tacos, try using vegetables instead. Once again, cauliflower is the meat substitute in this recipe. The trick is to make sure you add the right kind and the right amount of spices so that you can’t even tell there is a vegetable in there, that means kid approved too.
A food processor is going to do a lot of the work for you here in this recipe. The food processor is what helps chop up your cauliflower into fine pieces making it similar to a texture of meat crumble. There is also walnuts added to the mixture to help enhance the texture as well as nutrition because they’re a good source of Omega 3 Fatty Acid. Serve this savory Mexican flavored tacos to your family and feel good about it too.
https://www.brandnewvegan.com/recipes/mexican-food/amazing-cauliflower-tacos PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: BRAND NEW VEGAN11. 30-Minute Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Chowder
There are a lot of chowder recipes out there, however, a lot of them contain some sort of dairy product to make them creamy and rich. Dairy isn’t invited to this party because this chowder is made dairy-free. Whether you save chowder recipes for cool days or think of it as a comfort food you’ll want to give this recipe a try.
The base of this chowder is made up of roasted cauliflower and one small. Both of these vegetables give this chowder it’s creamy texture once it’s been pureed. The other mysterious ingredient in this recipe is hummus. Make sure to choose a roasted garlic hummus to add to the flavor and a store-bought option is a convenient choice. To compliment a protein filled food like hummus this chowder is also full of quinoa. Puree all the ingredients together to get a rich and creamy soup that will satisfy your tummies.
https://www.simplyquinoa.com/30-minute-roasted-garlic-cauliflower-chowder/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: SIMPLY QUINOA12. Crispy Baked Cauliflower With Chinese Lemon Sauce
Take the opportunity to bring Asian take-out home with this recipe. This recipe takes cauliflower florets and turns them into glorious breaded and crispy bites. This is a great way to get more vegetables into your meals.
This recipe also includes a homemade Chinese lemon sauce that has ingredients from salty soya sauce to fresh lemon, ginger and even sugar to make it sweet. Your family will definitely be impressed with your cooking skills since everything is from scratch. Serve these cauliflower bites on a bed of rice to make it a fulfilling meal.
https://www.cilantroandcitronella.com/crispy-baked-cauliflower-chinese-lemon-sauce/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: CILANTRO AND CITRONELLA13. Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwich
Don’t give cauliflower a bad rep because this sandwich just redeemed their place if you are a cauliflower hater. If you don’t follow a plant-based diet regularly throw out your lunch meat because it is time you step up your sandwich making game with this recipe. Bring this lunch to work and everyone will just assume you became a five-star chef, ok ok I may be a little over dramatic but you get the point!
Start with a good quality bun, no more boring plain bread! Use a ciabatta bun to give your sandwich a gourmet status, but really they serve a practical purpose here. Ciabatta buns are wider than traditional buns so your cauliflower steaks will fit much better in them. The cauliflower steaks are baked in a spicy and savory buffalo sauce that you are surely going to enjoy. Top your sandwich with toppings you love and you’ll have this delicious lunch or light dinner in no time.
https://www.thissavoryvegan.com/ultimate-vegan-buffalo-cauliflower-sandwich/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: THIS SAVORY VEGAN14. Sticky Sesame Cauliflower
If Panda Express, Manchu Wok and the like are your favorite go-to grab and go Asian cuisine places then you’ll want to make this recipe. It will taste just as delicious and is even healthier for you! There is no chicken invited to this party because you guessed it, this dish is vegan too! There also no breading steps required make it even easier.
The cauliflower florets are what substitute chicken bites. After the florets are baked they are then smothered in a sticky sesame sauce that will definitely make you melt in your chair for. There’s something about sweet and savory sauces that are to die for. This recipe is also pretty easy and only takes 25 minutes to make. Serve with rice or your favorite rice noodle for a whole meal.
https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2017/01/09/sticky-sesame-cauliflower/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: CHOCOLATE COVERED KATIE15. Harissa Spiced Cauliflower Steaks
These cauliflower steaks make an excellent choice when it comes to date night dinners in. This recipe is not only vegan but gluten-free too. Whether you are vegan or not this is a really unique recipe for a chance to try something different.
Take a restaurant speciality like cauliflower steaks home with you from this recipe. Cauliflower tends to be quite bland in taste on its own. To fix that, this recipe uses harissa paste to make it blasting with flavor. This recipe makes it easy and calls for store-bought harissa paste so that’s less prep time for you. Finish the dish by using the leftover florets and make a cauliflower mash and then serve both the steak and the mash alongside a tasty lemon chickpea salad. This dish looks gourmet but is relatively easy to make, have your partner to join in with you and make it an activity to do together.
https://evergreenkitchen.ca/home/harissa-spiced-cauliflower-steaks PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: EVER GREEN KITCHEN
