What Does Mashed Cauliflower Taste Like?

Well, it doesn’t taste like mashed potatoes, if you ask me. Ha! Cauliflower does have a fairly neutral flavor that allows a lot of different herbs and seasonings to be added without clashing, but it still tastes like cauliflower. The flavor is light, but it still has that cruciferous aroma. …If you know what I mean.

The texture is also different than mashed potatoes. I find mashed cauliflower to be lighter and thinner, if you will. For that reason, I think it’s really important to add a decent amount of fat to your mashed cauliflower to give it body and weight, something to kind of coat your taste buds and make it feel substantial.

What Can You Add to Mashed Cauliflower?

I used a very flavorful garlic herb seasoning blend to flavor my mashed cauliflower, but you could also play around with things like Cajun seasoning, Everything Bagel Seasoning, ranch seasoning, BBQ seasoning, Montreal steak seasoning… or just about anything else.

As I mentioned above, its really important to add a good amount of fat to your mashed cauliflower so they don’t taste too thin or watery. I used cream cheese because it’s extra thick and helps thicken up the consistency even more. You can also try sour cream, Parmesan cheese, or cheddar cheese.

Can I Use Frozen Cauliflower?

Yes, this works really great with frozen cauliflower. Using frozen cauliflower has an extra advantage because it’s already chopped and partially cooked for you, so making mashed cauliflower will be even faster. And even better yet, you can keep that frozen cauliflower on hand and make mashed cauliflower whenever you want, without the risk of it going bad in the back of your fridge. ;)

To use frozen cauliflower, just boil the florets according to the package directions, or until they are very tender, then proceed with the recipe as written below after the boiling step.

Do I Have to Use a Food Processor?

Nope! I do find that the food processor gives the creamiest, fluffiest results, but an immersion blender also works well. You can use a manual potato masher if that’s all that you have available, but the results might not be quite as smooth because cauliflower is a little more fibrous.

How to Make Garlic Herb Mashed Cauliflower – Step by Step Photos

Remove the leaves and stem from the cauliflower and then cut it into florets. Add the florets to a large pot and cover with water. Place a lid on top, then bring it to a boil. Boil the cauliflower florets until they are VERY tender (about 10 minutes, test by piercing with a fork). Drain the cauliflower in a colander.

While the cauliflower is boiling, prepare the garlic herb seasoning. Combine 1 tsp dried parsley, ½ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp dried basil, ¼ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp salt, and ⅛ tsp pepper.

After the cauliflower has cooked and drained, add it to a food processor. Give it a few pulses to break the florets up into tiny pieces.

Next add 2 Tbsp butter, 2 oz. cream cheese, and the garlic herb seasoning.

Process until the cauliflower is smooth. Give it a taste and adjust the salt or other seasonings to your liking.

Easy peasy!