Cauliflower Parsnip Puree with Roasted Garlic
This delicious side is a healthy bowl of comfort. Cauliflower Parsnip Mash with Roasted Garlic will be as at home on your Thanksgiving table as it would be sharing a plate with last week’s Kyle’s Meatloaf. As a matter of fact, it’s so flavorful and satisfying that you are likely to give your mashed potatoes the Heisman. Sorry, it’s football Sunday as I write this post.
So, as you are considering your holiday menu, I encourage you to either test this recipe or just go ahead and put it on your list. I wouldn’t say that it will trick people into thinking that they are eating mashed potatoes (it has a very different flavor) but it’s an interesting alternative. An added bonus is that it can be made up to three days ahead. That’s right, go on and make the Cauliflower and Parsnip Mash on Tuesday of Thanksgiving week and just reheat in the oven or even the microwave, before serving. Enjoy!
Cauliflower Parsnip Mash with Roasted Garlic
- 5 medium parsnips (1 lb) peeled & chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 1 medium head cauliflower (~2 lbs), broken into pieces (w/cores)
- 2 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
- ½ Tbls fresh lemon juice
- ½ to 1 tsp sea salt (I used 1 teaspoon)
- 1 heaping tsp minced rosemary
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- For the Roasted garlic (use 4 to 5 cloves in the mash; save the remainder for another use)
- 1 head garlic
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut a ¼ to ½-inch slice off the top of the whole head of garlic to expose the cloves and place cut-side up on a sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil and pinches of salt and pepper and wrap in the foil. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden and tender.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and boil the parsnips for 10 to 12 minutes or until fork tender. Scoop into a blender. In the same water, boil the cauliflower for 10 to 12 minutes, or until fork tender, and scoop it into the blender.
- Add 4 to 5 cloves of the roasted garlic to the blender along with the olive oil, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of pepper.
- Blend, stopping occasionally to push down the contents, and blend to a smooth consistency.*
- If necessary, add a bit of water or broth to get the blender moving, but do so sparingly so the puree doesn’t become too thin.
- Taste and add the additional ½ teaspoon of salt, if desired (I did).
- Transfer to a serving bowl and stir in the rosemary while the mash is still warm. Add a drizzle of olive oil, more salt and pepper, if desired, and serve hot.
- See make-ahead/reheating instructions in the notes below.
- *If you have a Vitamix, you are ahead of the game in getting a perfectly whipped puree. Use the baton the push the ingredients down as needed. I used a regular blender on high power and just used a spatula to ensure that I was getting a nice, even whip.
- This recipe reheats very well - the flavors become more integrated and delicious the next day. Store for up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat in the oven or microwave and stir before transferring to a serving dish.