Whoa, hold your horses, this is NOT a recipe for a cheese made with cauliflower, although it sounds like that, doesn’t it? Cauliflower Cheese, invented and named rather mysteriously by the folks who also invented the language, is a recipe that defies everything you thought you knew about British cooking. Bland? No. Boring? Absolutely not. Boiled? Well, maybe a little bit, but mostly baked and, may I add, mindblowingly delicious. And yes, maybe a noun after the “cheese” would have been helpful, chaps, in letting the rest of the world better decipher what it is you have here. Cauliflower Cheese Gratin, perhaps? Or Cauliflower Cheese Casserole (that one even alliterates)? No? Okay, Cauliflower Cheese it is. And, come to think, it is a bit like Mac ’n’ Cheese, so it’s all beginning to make some sense now. So yes, there is cheese in the original recipe, and cream, but for my vegan version of Cauliflower Cheese, that cheese and cream is replaced by a healthy sauce of beans, cashew nuts, and roasted yellow pepper. The pepper gives it that gorgeous yellow color that cheddar would have added and tons of flavor, while making this recipe way more nutritious than cheddar would have done. Check to get new recipe updates by email.
One more thing I love about this Cauliflower Cheese is the texture of the cauliflower. Mushy cauliflower, in my book, is as bad as it gets, but in this recipe, so long as you follow instructions, the cauliflower will bake up perfectly tender and yet not mushy, with just a slight bite to it that is gorgeous with the creamy sauce and the crunchy breadcrumb-and-nut-and-herb topping. If you have someone at home who loves Mac and Cheese, this could be a great alternative. It makes a complete meal by itself, and is, in fact, healthier than pasta. If you think it’s time I stopped gushing so you can read the recipe…you thought correctly. Enjoy the Vegan Cauliflower Cheese, all, and if you make it, let me know!
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