Most mashed potato dishes (many made with cream or butter) can be comfort food for your taste buds, but definitely not for your abs.
Fortunately, by making a simple substitution, you can enjoy a similar taste & texture with a much lower calorie price – using cauliflower.
Not only do you end up with less calories, but the benefits include a healthy dose of fiber (over 2.5 grams per 1 cup), vitamins C, B6 and K, folate and manganese. It also contains omega-3 fatty acids. The Greek yogurt included in the recipe provides a small amount of protein and calcium while making the finished product a creamy consistency.
Note: I experimented with sour cream and fat free cream cheese as thickeners, and while these remain reasonable options, I prefer the dish when it is made with Greek yogurt. If you have room in your nutritional plan, try adding some grass fed butter, heavy cream or olive oil for an even smoother, creamier texture and richer taste. (If you are worried about the saturated fat, read my article on saturated fat.)
Don’t be afraid to get creative with additional ingredients, as this dish has a very mild flavor. Roasted garlic goes very well in it, as does caramelized onions.1
Without the roasted garlic or other add-ins, the recipe comes in at around 40-50 calories, depending on the amount of vegetable stock in the finished product. Even with additional ingredients, the calorie count is low and nutrition is high, making this a very physique friendly side dish.
Cauliflower Mashed Potato Nutrition Info
Check out how few calories each ingredient adds, as well as the nutritional content:
Calories | Carbs | Fat | Protein | Sugar | |
Cauliflower – Raw, 1 cup | 25 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Fage – 0% Greek Yogurt Plain, 0.13 cup (227g) | 16 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Emeril’s All Natural – Organic Vegetable Stock, 1 Cup | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Garlic- Rosted With Olive Oil – Roasted Whole Cloves, 1 Cloves | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
61 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
Cauliflower Mashed Potato Recipe Instructions
Ingredients (serves 1)
- 1 C cauliflower, roughly chopped
- 1 C vegetable stock
- 2 Tbsp plain, nonfat Greek Yogurt
- Salt and Pepper (Artisan salts, like truffle salt, work very well in this recipe.)
- Optional: chopped roasted garlic, wasabi paste, fresh or dried spices (parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme)
To roast garlic, cut ¼ – ½ inch off the top of the bulb. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and bake, in a baking dish covered with foil, at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, checking the garlic around 20-25 minutes. It is done when the garlic is soft and the edges are beginning to brown. To use in the recipe, simply squeeze the garlic heads out and chop.
Directions
- Cook the cauliflower with the vegetable stock in a saucepan over medium heat until tender.
- Transfer the cauliflower into a food processor or blender, reserving cooking liquid.
- Add the Greek yogurt and ¼ cup of reserved stock and blend until smooth, scraping down sides and adding more stock as necessary.
- Add option ingredients, if desired.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Reheat if needed. This can be done in the microwave or by returning the cauliflower to the saucepan and stirring over medium-low heat until it reaches your desired temperature.
Hope you enjoy this healthy version of mashed potatoes – let us know if you try it out and what variations you cook up.
Wow, I never thought about substituting cauliflower for mash potatoes. Will definitely give that recipe a try. Thanks for the information Charlie. 🙂
I also make something very similar as a soup base using true almond and steamed cauliflower, just pureed in the Ninja. Nice soup and you can add mushrooms or spinach or other vegetables.
Hey there Charlie
Good recipe, and as you say, much more ab-friendly than some of the other options.
I generallyy see califlower as pretty much a free food for me, I couldn’t eat enough to have a significant effect on my midsection, and I think there are some other good ways to use it too, califlower rice being one of them which works well. Any chance of a recipe article on that? I’ll write it if you like 🙂
As always, some great stuff on the Built Lean site, no BS, just good solid info, appreciate the effort.
Regards
Steve
Guys I know that this comment has nothing to do with the recipe so excuse me for that.I have been a fan for this site for a couple of years and my physique has changed greatly because of that.But for a year now i stopped working out because of school although i am still in good shape.I have a few questions:
1)When are you going to release the second version of the program?I am interested in buying it.
2)In the program are there or will be there foam rolling exercises?I read that they are really beneficial.
3)After finishing the program I am thinking about starting crossfit.Do you think that this would be a disaster?What are your thoughts about it.I know the criticism(injuries,high intensity,poor programming).But i want to achieve a high level of fitness and with a good crossfit coach i think that it’s a good idea.
Thank you so much,i wish the best and excuse me for the lengthy comment.
Hey Dave, I’m pumped to hear you have gotten solid results! Here are the answers to your questions:
1)When are you going to release the second version of the program? I am interested in buying it. – I’m releasing it over the next 2 weeks, but not officially probably for a month.
2) In the program are there or will be there foam rolling exercises? I read that they are really beneficial. – In the new one, Yes, there is a 10 minute video of me going through my 7 favorite foam rolling exercises. I also have a 2 pager which shows images of my foam rolling routine that you can download.
3)After finishing the program I am thinking about starting crossfit. Do you think that this would be a disaster? – I’m also going to be doing a longer write up of CrossFit as I reviewed the CrossFit Training Guide. In sum, I would be very, very careful with olympic exercises. They are dangerous. I would also be sure to complete a Function Movement Screen to identify any imbalances you have, then correct them before doing any crossfit workouts. As I will write about, I really like the CrossFit methodology a lot, where I think things sometimes go wrong is in the application of that methodology with normal people.
Awesome!I will be waiting to purchase the updated version.I will also communicate with you in summer about those imbalances that you mentioned and i need to check.Thanks a lot!