Vegan Cauliflower Cheese

5 from 7 votes

A cute and vegan twist on the classic cauliflower cheese. Made with a romanesco cauliflower for a fun and festive side dish

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: christmas side, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, british, Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 208kcal

Author: Louise-Claire Cayzer

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower or romanesco cauliflower either is fine!
35 g plain flour
60 ml sunflower oil or olive oil
500 ml plant milk unsweetened oat or soya is best
1 tablespoon miso
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Salt and pepper to taste

For the crunchy topping

2 tablespoon grated vegan cheese
50 g panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon smoked paprika- optional. or any other spice you fancy. Chilli powder, baharat.

Metric - American

Instructions

Prepare the cauliflower

Cut the cauliflower into large florets. Trim the stalk and chop too
1 head cauliflower
Spray with a little oil and air fry at 180°C /356 °F for 5 minutes.
ALTERNATIVELY- Heat a large wok or frying pan, add the cauliflower florets and cook until they just catch.
Put a large lid on over the florets and let their natural water content steam them for 3-5 minutes until softened

Make the cheese sauce

In a pan, gently heat the oil and add the flour
60 ml sunflower oil, 35 g plain flour
Stir the flour until it starts to colour a soft brown. This prevents the sauce tasting 'floury'
Add the plant milk bit by bit, whisking all the time to prevent lumps forming
500 ml plant milk
Once a smooth sauce is achieved, whisk in the miso, nutritional yeast and mustard
1 tablespoon miso, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, Salt and pepper to taste
Taste and add more of the flavourings if you want a stronger taste

To make the crunchy topping

Mix together the panko, a little olive oil and seasonings. Mix to cover all the panko in a little oil. This ensures it browns nicely.
2 tablespoon grated vegan cheese, 50 g panko breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika- optional.

To assemble the cauliflower cheese

In an oven proof dish, arrange the cauliflower florets and stems. Use the stems to lift up some florets so they point up further than others for a cute 'mountain' effect
Gently pour over the cheese sauce
Sprinkle over the panko mixture and the vegan cheese if using.
Bake in a moderate (180°C/Gas Mark 4/350°F) oven for 15-20 minutes until bubbling and golden.
Serve immediately

Notes

TOP TIPS:

The vegan bechamel sauce for this Cauliflower Cheese recipe can be used in lasagnes or anywhere you want to use bechamel sauce!

Avoid soggy cauliflower cheese by air-frying or dry wok-frying your cauliflower. You can also oven-bake it too, but this takes longer. Steamed or boiled cauliflower is too wet and makes the whole thing unappetizing.

To Air fry- simply pop in the air fryer for 5 minutes. See this method for full details.
To Wok-fry- Heat the wok, pop the cauliflower florets into the wok and put a lid on. This will char the outer edges while ensuring that the cauliflower cooks through.

Nutrition