Thanksgiving Mashed Cauliflower with Herbed Chestnuts

Creamy and comforting, this mashed cauliflower recipe can easily replace mashed potatoes on your Thanksgiving table! And the hearty herbed chestnut topping adds a wonderful punch of flavor.

Mashed cauliflower has become a popular replacement for mashed potatoes and the fashionable lower-calorie dish will find its place at many Thanksgiving tables this year.  We decided to take our mashed cauliflower dish up a notch with toothsome roasted chestnuts sprinkled with Herbes de Provence.

We roast fresh cauliflower and garlic cloves on a baking sheet, and once cool, blend in a food processor with unsweetened almond-coconut milk, and salt and pepper to taste.  We use packaged roasted and peeled chestnuts, chopped and sautéed in olive oil, seasoned with savory  Herbes de Provence.

Creamy, Vegan & Wonderful

Our mashed cauliflower with herbed chestnuts is creamy and velvety smooth. Savory Herbes de Provence (savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and lavender) give the dish a wonderful floral taste that brightens the richly-flavored chestnuts. If you prefer a less floral taste, use a blend that as less lavender in it.

Cooking with Herbes de Provence is an easy way to impart a healthy zing to vegetables, tofu, soups, and stews.  The mixture of dried herbs is a mixture of the most popular flavorings of southern France’s Provence region.  The spice gained popularity in the U.S. during the 1970s when French-style brasseries became trendy serving soups, omelets, and ratatouille.  Try using just a small amount of Herbs d’ Provence if you haven’t used the spice blend before.  Though delicious, it’s herbal and floral notes can be strong.

Serve our mashed cauliflower with herbed chestnuts with some of our other Thanksgiving favorites like Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Pretzel and Cashew Crusted Tofu or our delicious and elegant  Tempeh Wellington.

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Thanksgiving Mashed Cauliflower with Herbed Chestnuts

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★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Vicky & Ruth
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Side dish
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American / Thanksgiving / Vegan

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Description

Creamy and comforting, this mashed cauliflower recipe can easily replace mashed potatoes on your Thanksgiving table! And the hearty herbed chestnut topping adds a wonderful punch of flavor.

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Ingredients

• FOR THE MASHED CAULIFLOWER
• 4lbs cauliflower florets ( fresh or frozen)
• 1 head of garlic, peeled and cloves separated
• 3–4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (to taste)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/8–1/4 tsp ground black pepper ( to taste)
• 1 cup plain  unsweetened non-dairy milk (we used almond-coconut)  (See Note 1)
• FOR THE HERBED CHESTNUTS
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 10.5oz peeled and roasted chestnuts, sliced in half  (See Note 2)
• 2 tsp Herbes de Provence
• 1/4 tsp salt

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Instructions

FOR THE MASHED CAULIFLOWER

1.  Preheat the oven to 375F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Arrange the cauliflower florets and the garlic (it’s important not to crowd the baking sheets). Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive and bake for 45 minutes or until tender (depending on the size of the cauliflower florets, baking may take longer.  Fresh cauliflower will take longer to bake as well)
2. Remove the cauliflower and garlic from the oven, let it cool slightly and transfer to a  food processor. Add the remaining 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, pepper, and non-dairy milk. Process until smooth.  (you might need to add more non-dairy milk to the cauliflower until the desired consistency is achieved). Adjust salt, pepper, and olive oil to taste

FOR THE HERBED CHESTNUTS

1. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the chestnuts,  Herbes de Provence and salt and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring often

Place the mashed cauliflower in an oven-safe baking dish and top with herbed chestnuts.  To reheat, cover with aluminum foil at 250F, until warm

Notes

1. In this recipe use a plain (not vanilla) unsweetened almond-coconut milk.
2. You can easily find peeled chestnuts during Thanksgiving in most supermarkets. You can also find them in the kosher section of your supermarket or online

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/2 cup
• Calories: 230
• Sugar: 8.3
• Sodium: 456
• Fat: 10
• Saturated Fat: 1.6
• Unsaturated Fat: 7.8
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 32.7
• Fiber: 6.5
• Protein: 6
• Cholesterol: 0