Cauliflower Stuffing

Cauliflower stuffing is bread-free, savory, and delicious. Pair this cauliflower stuffing recipe with your favorite vegan entree for the holidays. Quick and easy one pot dish ready in under 20 minutes!

If you're looking for gluten-free, bread-free stuffing for the holidays, cauliflower stuffing is a great choice. With all the savory ingredients of holiday stuffing, this cauliflower stuffing recipe is ready in under 20 minutes. And it's so delicious; I serve this tasty vegan bowl all year long for dinner or a side dish.

Jump to:

• Health Benefits of Cauliflower
• Stuffing Ingredients
• Stuffing Ingredient Substitutions
• Making the Stuffing
• Serving Suggestions
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Great Side Dishes for Holiday Meals
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Cauliflower is one of my favorite go-to vegetables when creating a new dish. It absorbs flavors like a sponge and is the perfect texture for a stuffing recipe. As a result, it makes a fabulous stuffing.

Health Benefits of Cauliflower

According to Healthline, the nutrition profile of cauliflower is quite impressive.

Cauliflower is very low in calories yet high in vitamins. In fact, cauliflower contains almost every vitamin and mineral that you need.

The Nutrients in 1 Cup of Raw Cauliflower:

• Calories: 25
• Fiber: 3 grams
• Vitamin C: 77% of the RDI, Vitamin K: 20% of the RDI, Vitamin B6: 11% of the RDI
• Folate: 14% of the RDI
• Pantothenic acid: 7% of the RDI
• Potassium: 9% of the RDI
• Manganese: 8% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 4% of the RDI
• Phosphorus: 4% of the RDI

Plus, cauliflower contains unique antioxidants that may reduce inflammation and protect against several diseases, such as cancer and heart disease.

Stuffing Ingredients

• Cauliflower: Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable naturally high in fiber and B vitamins. It provides antioxidants and phytonutrients that can protect against cancer. It also contains fiber to enhance weight loss and digestion, choline essential for learning and memory, and many other vital nutrients.
• Mushrooms: Mushrooms are a rich, low-calorie source of fiber, protein, and antioxidants. They may also mitigate the risk of developing severe health conditions, such as Alzheimer's, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. They're also excellent sources of Selenium.
• White Onion: White onions tend to have a sharper and more pungent flavor than yellow onions. They also tend to be more tender and have thinner, more papery skin.
• Celery: Celery is rich in vitamins and minerals with a low glycemic index. You'll enjoy vitamins A, K, and C, plus minerals like potassium and folate when you eat celery. It's also low in sodium. Plus, it's low on the glycemic index, meaning it has a slow, steady effect on your blood sugar.
• Thyme: Thyme has an earthy, minty, slightly lemony flavor.
• Sage: Sage has long, grey-green leaves with a slightly furry surface. Its aroma is intense and has a strong, somewhat minty, musky taste.
• Rosemary: Rosemary has a flavor that is variously described as piney, resinous, astringent, peppery, lemony, and woodsy. It features notes of evergreen, citrus, lavender, sage, and mint.
• Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast has a unique savory flavor that resembles cheese, making it an excellent alternative for adding flavor without salt, sugar, or fat. Some people say it adds a nutty flavor to foods.
• Dried Cranberries: Dried cranberries are a deep burgundy color and offer a characteristic tart flavor. They go through the same drying process that grapes undergo to become raisins, which enhances their bitter taste. I used dried cranberries with oil.
• Poultry Seasoning: poultry seasoning contains thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper, and nutmeg. Other blends may contain celery seed, celery salt, and occasionally ground cloves. Poultry seasoning is vegan.
• Salt/Pepper: Salt and pepper to taste. Both salt and pepper bring out the flavors in the cauliflower stuffing.
• Garlic Power: Garlic powder is made from garlic cloves that have been dehydrated and ground into fine particles. The flavor is garlicky but vastly different than fresh-chopped garlic. It tastes sweeter and much less assertive than fresh garlic, but it is also without the undertones you get from roasted or sautéd garlic.
• Vegetable Broth: I buy vegetable broth in bulk from Costco, because I used it so often.
• Carrots: I chose heirloom organic carrots, which are of different colors; yellow, orange, and purple with an orange center. They add so much color to the cauliflower stuffing recipe.

Stuffing Ingredient Substitutions

• Broccoli or any root vegetable often substitutes for cauliflower in recipes.
• Eggplant can be substituted for mushrooms. Or any variety of mushrooms works well.
• Choose yellow onion if the white onion isn't available.
• A general rule of thumb for the dried-to-fresh herb ratio: Use one-third the amount of dried herb for the fresh herb called for in the recipe. For example, it converts any fresh herb to dried herb in a recipe that calls for 1 Tablespoon of fresh herbs; use 1 teaspoon of dried herbs instead.
• Soy sauce, yellow miso paste, Tamari, or liquid amino acids replace nutritional yeast in recipes.
• You can replace the dried cranberries with dried currants which are also high in vitamin C and easily found in most grocery stores. Or try black raisins, dried cherries, or dried dates.
• For the best poultry seasoning substitute, swap 1 Tablespoon of poultry seasoning for 2 teaspoons of sage and 1 teaspoon of either dried thyme or marjoram. You can swap in any number of dried or fresh herbs you have on hand, plus mix and match spices. An essential blend of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme will do the trick.
• Use 1 medium garlic clove to substitute for ¼ teaspoon garlic powder.
• Try chopped parsnips if carrots aren't available.

Making the Stuffing

Begin by sauteing the diced onion, celery, and heirloom carrots until the onions are translucent. Add a little vegetable broth if the onion mixture starts to stick to the bottom of the dutch oven or pan.

Then, add the seasonings, herbs, and mushrooms. Once the mushrooms start to brown, add the cauliflower and the remaining ingredients.

Turn the heat up and bring the ingredients to a boil.

Stir, cover, and reduce the heat to simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes until the cauliflower softens.

Stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Make ahead of time and reheat when ready to eat, or eat immediately.

Serving Suggestions

Although I love cauliflower stuffing as a vegan bowl during the week, it is also a perfect side dish for the holidays.

Serve it with a vegetable strudel or mushroom Wellington. This cauliflower recipe also is an excellent side dish for vegan meatloaf.

For more convenience, make the cauliflower stuffing recipe up t 4 days ahead of time, and reheat it in a 350-degree oven for 20-30 minutes.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Use small amounts of water or vegetable broth if vegetables stick to avoid using oil or vegan butter.
• Make cauliflower stuffing up to 4 days ahead of time and reheat when serving.
• To reheat, preheat an oven to 350 degrees and cook covered for 20-30 minutes.
• Poultry seasoning is vegan despite its name.
• Store your leftover cauliflower stuffing in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
• I do not recommend freezing cauliflower stuffing because it changes its texture and tends to get soggy.

Try cauliflower stuffing for a different and fantastic alternative to traditional bread stuffing!

Great Side Dishes for Holiday Meals

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