You have to taste creamy garlic cauliflower sauce to believe something so low in calories can be so indulgent and velvety. This one is a family favorite.
Every so often a recipe comes along that surprises you—rich, silky, and deeply flavorful—yet is surprisingly light. That’s exactly what this sauce delivers.
A friend and fellow food blogger, Mary Younkin of Barefeet in the Kitchen, mentioned a cauliflower-based sauce she’d posted earlier. She doesn’t exaggerate about food, so when she raved about a garlicky, thick, and velvety sauce that “didn’t taste like cauliflower,” I paid attention.
Her kids—who aren’t fans of cauliflower—watched her prepare it, tasted a spoonful, and ate the entire batch. That endorsement was enough for me to try it, and I was floored.
This sauce tastes like it contains cream and butter, yet it’s made almost entirely from cauliflower. The method is straightforward: simmer the florets from a whole head of cauliflower until tender, then sauté plenty of chopped garlic in a little olive oil (or butter, or a plant-based alternative) until fragrant.
Scrape the garlic and oil into a blender, add some of the reserved cooking liquid, then add the softened cauliflower and seasonings. Blend until perfectly smooth and silky. The result is a luscious, garlicky sauce that coats pasta, spooned warm over chicken or pork, or used wherever a creamy white sauce is called for.
The recipe makes a generous amount and freezes well. One cup will coat nearly a pound of cooked pasta, so divide into meal-sized portions if you plan to freeze. Serve warm as a pasta sauce, a topping for roasted or pan-fried meats, or as a dip for tortilla chips and vegetables. With olive oil or a dairy-free spread in place of butter, it becomes vegan and remains naturally gluten-free.
When blending hot ingredients, be careful: remove the blender vent cap and cover it with a folded towel so steam can escape. This prevents hot puree from forcing the lid off.
Cook’s Notes
- Keep the cauliflower florets roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
- Boil until the stems turn translucent and a paring knife slides easily into a thick portion.
- Reserve one cup of the cooking liquid. Use it to rinse the pan you sautéd the garlic in and add that flavorful liquid to the blender.
- Be cautious when blending hot ingredients: allow steam to vent while preventing splashes by covering the blender opening with a towel.
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Use these to make Creamy Garlic Cauliflower Sauce
- High-speed blender (Blendtec or Vitamix recommended)
- Scoop colander or regular colander
- Paring knife
- Jar for storage (Weck or similar)
- Stainless steel slotted spoon
- 12-inch skillet or everyday pan
- Cutting board
- Chef’s knife
If you love cauliflower, try other recipes that highlight its versatility including cauliflower pizza crust, roasted cauliflower snacks, or cauliflower-based soups.
Creamy Garlic Cauliflower Sauce
Rebecca Lindamood
5 mins
20 mins
25 mins
Ingredients
- 1 medium to large head cauliflower, washed and cut into small florets
- 6 cups water
- 5–8 cloves garlic (use 8 if small, 5 if large)
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil (or butter, or plant-based spread)
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher or sea salt, divided
- ½ – 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Additional water, milk, or vegetable stock to thin if desired
Instructions
- In a stockpot or large saucepan, combine the cauliflower florets and water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer about 5 minutes or until the cauliflower is very tender.
- While the cauliflower simmers, heat the olive oil and butter (if using) over medium-low in a small saucepan. Stir in the garlic and a pinch of salt and cook gently, stirring frequently, until the garlic is tender and fragrant—do not let it brown. Scrape the garlic and oil into the blender.
- Add one cup of the reserved cauliflower cooking liquid to the garlic pan, swirl to collect flavorful bits, and pour into the blender. Drain the cauliflower with a slotted spoon and add it to the blender. Add the remaining salt and black pepper. Secure the lid, allow a vent for steam, and blend on high until silky smooth. If the sauce seems too thick, thin with additional water, milk, or vegetable stock to reach your desired consistency.
- Serve immediately, or pour into clean jars and refrigerate. The sauce freezes well—divide into meal-sized portions for easy use later.
Nutrition
Sodium: 6 mg
Potassium: 21 mg
Vitamin C: 3.1 mg
Calcium: 5 mg
Nutritional information is an estimate. Calculate with the actual ingredients you use for precise values.
Did you make this recipe?
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This post was originally published on December 12, 2013.