Mashed cauliflower is the go-to mashed potato replacement for people on ketogenic diets. Sometimes, however, mashed cauliflower can get a little boring. This recipe turns down-home mashed cauliflower into a gourmet side dish. The cauliflower is steamed and then mashed with butter, salt, and pepper. A handful of Parmesan cheese adds interest and a nutty flavor, but the crown jewel of the dish is black truffle oil.
Black truffle oil provides a deep, earthy flavor and complex aroma. It is a finishing oil, meant to be added at the end of cooking because heat will damage the delicate flavor. The oil is quite pungent, so don’t over use it. Just a drizzle provides big flavor.
Traditionally, truffle oil is made by slowly aging olive oil with black truffles, then filtering the oil. Today, much of it is made by infusing olive oil with artificial or natural flavorings. While it is a bit pricey, it’s used sparingly, so a tiny bottle will go a long way. I store mine in the refrigerator to help protect the fragile flavor. Refrigerating can make the olive oil base partially solidify, so be sure to bring it to room temperature before using.
This alluring side dish matches perfectly with a simple main course, such as steak or roast chicken. Uncomplicated flavors will allow the truffle oil to shine and not be dominated by another dish.
While this mashed cauliflower recipe tastes complicated, it comes together in a flash. With the help of a food processor, it takes less than 15 minutes to make this extravagant side dish that will upgrade an entire dinner.
Yields 6 servings of Mashed Cauliflower with Truffle Oil and Parmesan
The Preparation
- 1 pound cauliflower, cut into small florets or riced
- ½ teaspoon salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon truffle oil
- 1 tablespoon parsley leaves, packed full
- Optional: additional grated Parmesan cheese and parsley for garnish
The Execution
1. Bring water to a boil in the lower part of a steamer. Place cauliflower in the upper part and salt with ¼ teaspoon salt, reserving the rest of the salt for later. Steam cauliflower until tender, about 7-10 minutes if using riced or 10-13 minutes if using small florets.
2. Transfer steamed cauliflower to a food processor. Add remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, butter, parmesan cheese and black pepper. Process until smooth.
3. Add truffle oil and parsley to the food processor. Pulse a few times to chop and mix in the parsley leaves and incorporate the truffle oil.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
5. Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with addition Parmesan cheese and parsley, if desired.
This makes a total of 6 servings Mashed Cauliflower with Parmesan Cheese and Truffle Oil. Each serving comes out to be 111.83 Calories, 8.09g Fats, 2.77g Net Carbs, and 6.14g Protein.
| Mashed Cauliflower with Parmesan Cheese and Truffle Oil | Calories | Fats(g) | Carbs(g) | Fiber(g) | Net Carbs(g) | Protein(g) |
| 1 pound cauliflower | 113 | 1.27 | 22.54 | 9.1 | 13.44 | 6.16 |
| 2 tablespoons butter | 204 | 23.04 | 0.02 | 0 | 0.02 | 0.24 |
| 1 cup Parmesan cheese | 332 | 21.87 | 2.73 | 0 | 2.73 | 30.29 |
| ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper | 1 | 0.02 | 0.37 | 0.1 | 0.27 | 0.06 |
| ½ teaspoon truffle oil | 20 | 2.32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 tablespoon parsley leaves | 1 | 0.03 | 0.24 | 0.1 | 0.14 | 0.11 |
| Totals | 671 | 48.55 | 25.9 | 9.3 | 16.6 | 36.86 |
| Per Serving(/6) | 111.83 | 8.09 | 4.32 | 1.55 | 2.77 | 6.14 |
This makes a total of 6 servings Mashed Cauliflower with Parmesan Cheese and Truffle Oil. Each serving comes out to be 111.83 Calories, 8.09g Fats, 2.77g Net Carbs, and 6.14g Protein.
The Preparation
- 1 pound cauliflower, cut into small florets or riced
- ½ teaspoon salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon truffle oil
- 1 tablespoon parsley leaves, packed full
- Optional: additional grated Parmesan cheese and parsley for garnish
The Execution
- Bring water to a boil in the lower part of a steamer. Place cauliflower in the upper part and salt with ¼ teaspoon salt, reserving the rest of the salt for later. Steam cauliflower until tender, about 7-10 minutes if using riced or 10-13 minutes if using small florets.
- Transfer steamed cauliflower to a food processor. Add remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, butter, Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Process until smooth.
- Add truffle oil and parsley to the food processor. Pulse a few times to chop and mix in the parsley leaves and incorporate the truffle oil
- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with addition Parmesan cheese and parsley, if desired.
