Author: It's finally here, my Vegan Butter Cauliflower recipe! This is my version of butter chicken... but without the butter and without the chicken. This recipe took a lot of testing to make it oh so perfect, and I am so excited to finally share it with you.
Not only was I looking for excellent vegan replacements for both butter and chicken, but after discovering that a lot of traditional butter chicken recipes required an entire cup (!) of butter and additional cups of whipping cream, I cringed, and knew I wanted to make this one a little healthier too.
So I present you my (mostly) guilt-free Vegan Butter Cauliflower. Tah dah!
This recipe happens to be super easy too, in true fuss-free vegan style. Just add raw cashews, tomato paste, and a bunch of spices to a blender, and you've just made your sauce. Then add two tablespoons of vegan butter (I still wanted a bit of that butter taste, but reduced it by a whopping 14 tablespoons), saute up some onion and garlic in a pan, pour in the sauce, add the cauliflower florets, and simmer until tender. Yep, it's that easy peasy!
And oh man does it taste fantastic!! I've been eating this pretty much every day for a week because I'm madly in love. Creamy tomato-y goodness, packed full of spices, just so much deliciousness in a bowl it's difficult to comprehend.
Serve it up with some rice, naan bread, and a little cilantro, and be prepared for comfort food heaven.
To make Vegan Butter Cauliflower: add all of the ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
If you do not have a high-powered blender, you may want to soften the cashews first by boiling them in water for 10 minutes, draining, and then adding to the blender with all of the remaining ingredients. This will ensure a smooth sauce.
For the butter cauliflower, melt the vegan butter in a large pan or pot. When melted add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion turns translucent and just begins to brown.
Pour in the prepared sauce and stir in the cauliflower florets. Cover and bring to a simmer. Stir the cauliflower often so the sauce doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan.
Cook until the cauliflower is fork tender, about 10 minutes. Serve over rice with a side of naan and a garnish of cilantro.
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Vegan Butter Cauliflower
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Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 2 ¾ cups water
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1 156ml can tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon powdered ginger
For the butter cauliflower:
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 yellow onion,, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic,, minced
- ½ head cauliflower,, cut into florets (about 6 cups)
For serving:
- cooked rice
- naan bread
- 1 handful cilantro,, roughly chopped
Instructions
- For the sauce, add all of the ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy. If you do not have a high-powered blender, you may want to soften the cashews first by boiling them in water for 10 minutes, draining, and then adding to the blender with all of the remaining ingredients. This will ensure a smooth sauce.
- For the butter cauliflower, melt the vegan butter in a large pan or pot. When melted add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion turns translucent and just begins to brown. Pour in the prepared sauce, and stir in the cauliflower florets. Cover and bring to a simmer. Stir the cauliflower often so the sauce doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the cauliflower is fork tender, about 10 minutes. Serve over rice with a side of naan and a garnish of cilantro.
Susan Fordham says
This is likely the best tasting cauliflower I have had. We used curry in place of masala.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So glad you enjoyed it Susan! Curry sounds like a delicious swap 😊
Tiffany says
this is a delicious dish me and my partner have in rotation. it's easy and fast. the only difference we do is sub the califlower for tofu.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Tiffany, oh that's so wonderful! Tofu is a great sub here! So happy you enjoy it 🙂
Judy M says
This looks great, but I need to watch carbs. This is 12 net carbs per serving, which is very high for me.
Are you including the rice in the nutritional information?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Judy, the nutrition is for 1 serving of the butter cauliflower (not including the rice or naan). It looks like the majority of the carbs come from the tomato paste, cauliflower, and cashews. I hope that helps!
Judy M says
Thank you for your kind reply, Sam! It is so hard for me to stay away from dairy and gluten, and still limit my carbs. (Diabetes killed my father) so I avoid grains, rice, potatoes…. You are right about the tomato paste.
I drool over your recipes, but have to be careful. Glad that I can eat many of your recipes, though. You’re awesome!!!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Aww thank you so much Judy!
Evelyn says
with 6g protein, not sufficient as main dish. I will make it with tofu or soy curls.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Evelyn, yes you can definitely add tofu or soy curls if you like, enjoy!
Christina says
Great easy recipe. I made it with crispy tofu and it was a hit. (I also made a version with Queso Fresco for a friend that doesn't eat meat but will eat cheese- they loved it.) I will try with roasted potatoes and chickpeas next.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
Jovita says
Very nice dish, I've made it already several times. Easy recepy and delicious! It's one of our favourites at home. 🙂
Sarah says
The best!!
Robin says
I will probably not make this again. It went together easily, and cooked up quickly. I just didn’t like the flavor. It needed a lot of spices to make it enjoyable.
Hoda Linda says
This recipe is outstanding! Absolutely delicious!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
We're so glad you enjoyed it!
CathyH says
This is a simple and delicious recipe I return to often. The sauce is so delicious it makes my non vegan spouse happy to forget that meat is missing from this meal. I add chickpeas and fresh kale for some extra protein and variety. This recipe is a winner!
Simone King says
One to make again and again. I’ve also used the sauce with chicken for the meat eaters in the family. And low calorie!!! I don’t leave a lot of reviews on recipes but this one is soooo deserving! Thanks Sam!
Courtney Moses says
One of my favorite dishes to make when I’m craving some Indian flair. Such a great flavor. My non vegan boyfriend enjoyed it as well!
Jodie says
Ok seriously this is one of my favourite Sam recipes!
So easy and the flavour is exactly what I was craving. This is a go to for our house.
Joan Wheaton says
- this recipe is just scrumptious! I’ve made it many times, and it remains a top favorite - it is both easy and delicious, which is a hallmark of the wonderful recipes on this site - thank you, Sam