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Can you believe we are just one week away from Thanksgiving and one month from Christmas? It’s time to get serious about food and get into the holiday mood!
You guys asked for more sides, so there you go. This cauliflower and parsnips mash is buttery, incredibly smooth, and topped with saucy garlic mushrooms. It’s the ultimate Thanksgiving side dish!
What I love about this purée is that it doesn’t contain any white potatoes but has the same thick and smooth consistency we all adore. I love purée, but I always had trouble digesting white potatoes. The problem is fixed with this recipe! Let’s do it!
The base for this mash is cauliflower and parsnips. I didn’t rely only on parsnips because the flavor would have been too strong and the purée gluey. Adding cauliflower not only gives it a very smooth texture but also makes it lighter.
You start by cooking the cauliflower florets and chopped parsnips in boiling water until fork tender, then drain and purée with some garlic in a food processor until smooth.
Finally, put the purée back into the saucepan, stir in the vegan butter, and heat over medium heat until the butter is melted and the purée gets a thick and smooth consistency. The addition of butter is highly recommended. It gives the purée a richer mouthfeel and a nuttier taste. To sum it up, butter takes the purée from 7 to 10. If you don’t have homemade vegan butter, feel free to use store-bought.
To bring more flavor, I relied on nutmeg, a tiny amount of maple syrup, and sesame oil that complement the sweetness of parsnips.
Next comes the garlic mushrooms! They take no longer than 10 minutes from start to finish. You sautée the mushrooms with some garlic and rosemary. Once your mushrooms are lightly browned, pour over some white wine and soy sauce, plus a little bit of cornstarch to help thicken the juice.
That’s it. You can now transfer the purée to a serving plate and top it with the saucy butter garlic mushrooms.
If you are looking for a rich and delicious side for Thanksgiving (or Christmas!), this cauliflower and parsnip purée will be a hit! I swear you won’t miss the potatoes and will love the subtle parsnip flavor. Adding saucy garlic mushrooms on top takes it to the next level.
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
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Mashed Cauliflower & Parsnips with Butter Mushrooms
Ingredients
Mashed Cauliflower & Parsnips
- 2 large parsnips
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1/3 cup vegan butter or store-bought vegan butter
- 1/4 tsp maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp sesame oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- a pinch of nutmeg
Garlic Butter Mushrooms
- 1 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 6-8 mushrooms sliced (I used cremini mushrooms)
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 2 tbsp white wine
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Mashed Cauliflower & Parsnips
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Start by preparing the vegetables. Wash and peel the parsnips. Cut off the root and leafy ends and discard. Chop the parsnips into 1/2-inch slices. Cut the cauliflower into 2-inch florets and rinse it under cold water.
- Once water is boiling, add parsnips and cauliflower florets and let simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork tender.
- Drain well and transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Add garlic and process until smooth, scraping down the sides from time to time.
- Transfer the purée to a saucepan, stir in the vegan butter, maple syrup, sesame oil, and a pinch of nutmeg. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until the butter is melted and the purée thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt and/or pepper if needed. Cover to keep warm while you prepare the mushrooms.
Garlic Butter Mushrooms
- Heat the vegan butter in non-stick skillet over medium heat. One hot, add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and rosemary sprigs and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft and lightly browned.
- In the meantime: In a small bowl, combine the white wine, water, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved.
- Pour the wine mixture over the mushrooms and cook for another minute, or until the sauce has thickened. If it’s not saucy enough, add 2-3 tbsp water. Remove from heat.
- Transfer the mashed cauliflower and parsnips to a serving plate, top with the garlic butter mushrooms and garnish with chopped chives. Serve immediately. Alternatively, you can serve the purée and mushrooms on different plates.
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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Leave a Comment
omg, this looks so good!!! I will make this for sure 🙂
Thanks x
I just discovered your website and I am impressed. Your recipes are original and all look delicious! I went ahead and found you on Instagram. I am looking forward to following you and your creations! Hugs from Quebec, Canada
Merci Annie ! 🙂 Content d’entendre que les recettes te plaisent !
Merci pour cette recette légère au goût subtil! Délicieux! Avec quoi l’accompagneriez-vous? J’ai pensé à des betteraves rôties et des choux de Bruxelles, mais je cherche quelque chose d’un peu plus consistant.
Content que la recette vous ai plu ! Effectivement ce serait délicieux avec des choux de bruxelles, et peut être un “meatloaf” vegan avec quelques marrons ?
What a phenomenal combination ! The lightness of the parsnip/cauliflower mash goes together perfectly with the rich and ‘meaty’ mushrooms. A sure hit for me!
Thank you Ida 😉
[…] you enjoy this recipe, you might also like this Mashed Cauliflower & Parsnip with Garlic Butter Mushrooms or this Celery Root & Cauliflower […]
Delicious and so easy to make.
Thanks to your recipes I started to cook with nutritious ingredients that I had no idea what to do with, except for one or 2 recipes.
This is the case with parsnips for example and buckwheat (other recipes of yours).
So now, thanks to you – we have a bigger variety of healthy meals. Thank you 🙂
Thanks Sara 🙂 You’re welcome!