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This Mashed Cauliflower and Spinach is an easy and delicious way to eat your veggies!
We’ve been on a big cauliflower kick lately. It’s a lower carb and lower calorie alternative to potatoes – plus cauliflower cooks up quickly and tastes delicious!
I’m always looking for delicious ways to eat more veggies. A few weeks ago, I was cooking dinner and had planned to make cauliflower purée as a side dish to serve with our herb roasted chicken. We also had a big bag of baby spinach on hand in the refrigerator – and that was the simple inspiration behind today’s Mashed Cauliflower and Spinach.
To make this Mashed Cauliflower and Spinach, you’ll start out by cooking cauliflower florets in salted boiling water until soft and tender. While the cauliflower cooks, we sautéed some diced onion in a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, then added the fresh spinach to the pan to cook until just wilted.
We pulsed the cooked and drained cauliflower in a food processor, then added the onions, spinach, butter, and seasonings – and pulsed again to combine.
We prefer to serve our Mashed Cauliflower and Spinach with a slightly chunky consistency, but you could process everything to more of puréed consistency. Either way – this easy, healthy side dish is delicious!
P.S. If you are on a Whole30, use organic vegetables and clarified butter.
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Mashed Cauliflower and Spinach
Ingredients
- 1 large head organic cauliflower, trimmed down to the florets
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup sweet onion, diced small
- 2 cups organic fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon butter (or clarified butter or ghee for Whole30)
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and add cauliflower. Cook just until tender, about ten minutes.
- While cauliflower is cooking, heat a medium sauté pan over medium high heat and add olive oil.
- Once hot, add onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until completely cooked.
- Add the spinach, toss and remove from heat.
- Drain the cauliflower but retain about a cup of the cooking water.
- Pulse the cauliflower until rice size but not pureed.
- Add the spinach mixture scraping the oil with it, salt, pepper, garlic powder and butter and pulse to combine. Do not over mix.
- If mixture is too thick, spoon a little of the cauliflower water in. We did not need to do that with ours.
- Serve immediately.
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Tracey says
Fantastic. I followed directions exactly and would not change a thing. Thank you so very much!!!!!!
Martha says
You’re welcome Tracey – glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Anita Sloane says
I absolutely love it I find it perfect with one small carrot also done same time as coliflour florets
Martha says
Great suggestion Anita!
Nancy says
Very good recipe. I did the processing in two batches . I dissolved some vegetable soup base in the cauliflower water before adding some back in. I plan to freeze half.
Martha says
Thanks Nancy!
Anastasia says
Can i use frozen cauliflower rice and if yea how?
Martha says
Hi Anastasia – In theory you can, although I’m not sure that the tiny riced pieces will puree as smoothly since the pieces of the vegetable are already so small and could just bounce off the blade. (We’ll have to test it sometime to confirm this – you might be fine!) In terms of quantity…I’m guessing – maybe 4 or 5 cups?
Francy says
I have made this now three or four times and I love it! I have simplified it which works just fine. After I cook the cauliflower I put it back in the same pot and mash it with a fork. Then add the spinach mixture and blend it with my hand blender. When finished I have kept it on the stovetop for awhile and/or even put it a casserole dish and kept for awhile. So it definitely can be made ahead of time. So delicious! Love the recipe!
Martha says
Thanks Francy!
Denise patterson says
About how many ounces is two cups of baby spinach for this recipe?
Martha says
Hi Denise – I don’t have any baby spinach on hand to give you an exact weight measurement, but knowing that a large container is about 10 ounces, I’d say around 2 ounces? Hope that helps
Rupert Ryker says
Was quite wet for me. A little bland.
Martha says
Thanks for the feedback Rupert – you could try draining the cauliflower more the next time, and of course, feel free to adjust the seasonings to suit your tastes.
Chessie says
Oh my, this is delicious! Thanks for the recipe. I like the idea someone had of adding cashew cream to this, but it’s spectacular as is (at least for a major cauliflower fan).
Martha says
Thanks Chessie – so glad you liked the recipe!
Catherine says
This is a great recipe, I sautéed fresh garlic with the onion in place of garlic powder, and substituted cashew cream for butter, I did add a splash of the cauliflower water.
Martha says
Thanks Catherine – Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Pat Marzi says
How much is a serving? 1/2 cup or more
Martha says
Hi Pat – Depending on the size of your cauliflower, I’d say a serving is more like 3/4 of a cup to one cup in size.