Are you afraid of dishes with lots of fat, vegan butter and olive oil? Well, then look no further, because this dish is full of it!

Silky, cheesy cauliflower puree is plopped and swooshed onto a plate, then topped with roasted and garlic-studded mushrooms with crispy + caramelized onions. Top with microgreens to fancy it up!

You can use any of these components on their own: the cauliflower puree can be used with any dish that loves mashed potatoes. The mushrooms can top any grain-based, pasta, soup or brunch dishes. My favorite part are these caramelized onions: I love how they crisp up when cooled!

Cauliflower Puree with Roasted Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions

Author: erin wysocarski
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hours 5 minutes
Yield: 2 servings (with extra puree for leftovers) 1x

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Ingredients

for the cauliflower puree

1 small head of cauliflower, cut into florets
2 TB vegan butter
1/2 cup of your favorite vegan cheese — see Notes below (more or less to taste)
1/4 cup plain, unsweetened nut milk (plus a bit more to thin out to desired consistency)

for the mushrooms

6 oz. small shiitakes
6 oz. baby bellas
2 TB vegan butter, divided
2 TB olive oil, divided
a few pinches of salt and pepper
3 TB minced garlic, divided

for the caramelized onions

1 large red onion, peeled and sliced thinly on a mandoline
1 TB vegan butter
2 TB olive oil

for garnish

microgreens
finishing salt

Instructions

for the cauliflower puree

Place a metal steamer basket into a saucepan, adding a couple of inches of water to the bottom.
Add the florets to the saucepan, cover and steam for 10 minutes.
Allow the florets to cool, then add to a Vitamix or other hi-speed blender. Add the vegan butter, cheese and 1/4 cup of vegan milk. Puree until silky, adding more milk to thin out if needed. Add more cheese, to taste and reblend.

for the mushrooms

Use one large or two small cast iron pans, distributing the mushrooms so they are in one single layer. Dot the tops with vegan butter and olive oil, then season with the salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 400.
Roast mushrooms on one side for about 20 minutes. Flip and roast for 10 minutes more, or until mushrooms are juicy and browned.
Transfer the pan(s) to a stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the garlic to the pan and saute until the garlic is soft and golden, but not browned. Set aside.

for the caramelized onions

Add the onions, vegan butter and olive oil to a large cast iron pan. Saute over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes, stirring once every several minutes, giving them enough time to caramelize but not burn. The onions are done when deep brown. Set aside and allow to cool. They will crisp up during this time.

to serve

Plop the desired amount of puree onto a circular plate, towards one edge. Swoosh it around once with the back of the spoon.
Place the mushrooms and crispy onions on top of the puree, garnishing with microgreens. Serve immediately.

Notes

I used Violife Vegan Feta here, but any rich + creamy vegan cheese will work here.

Cauliflower Puree with Roasted Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions