Baked Cauliflower with Mashed Potatoes and Vegan Gravy
If you've clicked on this recipe, maybe Christmas is around the corner. Perhaps today is "just" a Sunday when you want to cook a classic, hearty meal. Or maybe it's just Tuesday, and you're
in the mood for this dish. No matter what situation you're in now – we're glad you want to take on a more elaborate project in the kitchen. And don't worry. We're always by your side!
Our star on today's plate today is cauliflower, a good friend at our blog, which we also like to turn into vegan chicken wings or a kind of bolognese sometimes. Today, it functions more as a roast substitute – some would call it "cauliflower steak." There are two ways to prepare cauliflower in this recipe.
1. Prepare the cauliflower as a whole: If you've been to this recipe page before, you'll notice that we've adjusted the recipe a bit. Previously, we baked the cauliflower as a whole. To do this, remove the leaves and the stalk, place it on a lined baking sheet and brush it with half of the marinade. Bake at 180°C/355°F for about 45 minutes – during this time, you should brush the cauliflower with the marinade every 15 minutes so that it doesn't get too dry.
2. Prepare the cauliflower in slices: "Nowadays" we prefer to cut the cauliflower into thick slices before baking. On the one hand, it becomes almost as soft as butter in the oven this way, but on the other hand, it also has more surface for seasoning and is not only coated on the outside with marinade. You will find the exact preparation for this in the recipe below. Of course, you can also opt for the first variant if you love the cauliflower's flavor and only want to cover it up with a manageable amount of marinade.
In both cases, you'll get sweet carrots, creamy mashed potatoes, and a plant-based gravy to go with it. Because we feel you'll have a little more time for gravy today, our "gravy classic" is based on vegetables, which is unbelievably delicious. But if you prefer a quick version, we also have a recipe for a quick brown gravy for you.
PS: If Christmas really is around the corner for you, we have many more vegan recipes for the holidays. From cookies to homemade potato dumplings, a lentil roast, and baked apples with vanilla sauce, you're sure to find the perfect recipe for you here.
Vegan Gravy Made of Veggies
Ingredients
- 1 red onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 carrots
- 3 mushrooms
- 150 g (5.33 oz) leek
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 50 ml (0.25 cup) vegan red wine
- 750 ml (3.25 cups) vegetable broth
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar beet syrup (or agave syrup)
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- vegetable oil for frying
- salt
- pepper
- sugar
Instructions
Peel the onion, garlic, and carrots, clean the mushrooms and remove the outer layers of the leek. Cut the vegetables into rough chunks.
Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat and sauté the vegetables until lightly toasted, about 8-10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar.
Add flour and tomato paste, stir to combine, and sauté for another 1-2 minutes. Deglaze with vegan red wine and pour in the vegetable broth. Stir in mustard, soy sauce, and sugar beet syrup, then add rosemary sprigs and bay leaves to the sauce. Let the sauce simmer for about 5-10 minutes.
Pour the gravy through a fine sieve into a second pot, using the sieve to filter out the vegetables. Return the second pot to the stove and let the vegan gravy simmer until it reaches the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt, pepper, sugar, and mustard.
Baked Cauliflower with Mashed Potatoes and Vegan Gravy
Ingredients
For the cauliflower roast:
- 1 cauliflower
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp mustard
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 6 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp agave syrup
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- salt
- pepper
For the glazed carrots:
- 6 carrots
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 2 tbsp sugar
- salt
- pepper
For the mashed potatoes:
- 800 g (1.75 lbs) floury potatoes
- 100 ml (0.5 cup) plant-based milk
- 3 tbsp vegan butter
- salt
- pepper
- nutmeg
Also:
- fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
First, prepare the gravy according to the recipe on our blog. Then keep it warm while you prepare the remaining parts of the dish.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/355°F (convection heat). Remove the outer leaves of the cauliflower and carefully cut the cauliflower into thick slices – it's best to keep the stalk intact, which will help the florets stick together. Then arrange the slices on a lined baking sheet.
Tip: Don't worry if your cauliflower slices don't hold together. They will also taste great as individual florets!
For the marinade, mix olive oil, mustard, tomato paste, soy sauce, lemon juice, agave syrup, onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Brush the cauliflower slices from both sides with the marinade – you should have plenty of the marinade left.
Bake the cauliflower at 180°C/355°F (convection heat) on the middle oven rack for about 40 minutes. Halfway through the baking time, remove the cauliflower from the oven, brush both sides with the remaining marinade, and place the glazed carrots on the baking sheet (see step 8).
In the meantime, peel the potatoes and cut them into smaller pieces. Add them to a pot, cover with cold water, season with salt and bring to a boil. Then simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
For the glazed carrots, clean the carrots thoroughly, dry them, and cut them in half lengthwise.
Melt vegan butter and stir in the sugar. Heat the mixture until the sugar has melted. Then add the halved carrots to the pot and toss them in the melted butter—season with salt and pepper.
After about 20 minutes of baking, carefully remove the cauliflower from the oven and brush both sides with the remaining marinade. Next, place the carrots next to the cauliflower on the baking sheet, return to the oven and bake for the remaining 20 minutes.
Drain the cooked potatoes, allow them to steam and dry briefly, and mash thoroughly in a bowl. Mix with plant-based milk and vegan butter and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.
Remove the cauliflower from the oven and serve it with mashed potatoes, carrots, and vegan gravy. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley.
