21 Healthy Cauliflower Recipes that are also tasty! (2024)

FAQs

What is the most nutritious way to eat cauliflower? ›

If you're planning to roast the cauliflower whole or slice it into steaks, slice off the thick stem at the base. Drop the whole cauliflower head upside-down into cool, salted water. Let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes to remove dirt, residue and bugs.

Puree cooked cauliflower in a blender until it's smooth. Some people use this as a substitute for cream sauces or add it to smoothies. Boost the nutritional value of mashed potatoes by steaming some cauliflower and mashing it into the potatoes. Or skip the potatoes and go for low-carb mashed cauliflower instead.

If you're not into cauliflower, try it roasted. It'll be on your veggie rotation in no time. Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable responsible for helping to reduce risk of cancer due to it's special antioxidant properties, anti-inflammatory effects, as well as it's high fiber content.

Even better from a health standpoint, enjoy cauliflower and other vegetables from the cruciferous vegetable group 4-5 times per week, and increase your serving size to 2 cups.

Because of its prebiotic fiber content, cauliflower helps feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut. “Having a healthy gut microbiome is crucial for your overall well-being, not to mention reducing your colon cancer risk,” Andrews says. Fiber also promotes healthy digestion and helps you have regular bowel movements.

– Pour warm water in a vessel and add a spoonful of salt. Then put the cauliflower pieces in it and leave it for a while. You will start seeing tiny worms in the water coming up. – Another tip is to mix salt and turmeric powder in lukewarm water and add cauliflowers in it.

Helps retain color: Cauliflower can sometimes turn brown or lose its vibrant white color when cooked. However, the acid in lemon juice can help prevent discoloration and maintain the cauliflower's white appearance.

The separated florets have to be washed properly under a tap. This removes dirt and large parasites such as worms. The next step is cleaning the cauliflower in mildly warm water in which a little salt was dissolved. This process – which should last 10-20 minutes - destroys several microbes and large parasites.

Cauliflower is high in fibre, which is beneficial for digestive health and may help prevent obesity by promoting fullness and reducing overall calorie intake. Cauliflower is also low in calories but high in water content (about 92% of its weight is composed of water), which is associated with weight loss.

Can I use cauliflower to lose weight? ›

Cauliflower has several properties that may help with weight loss. First, it is low in calories with only 27 calories per cup (107 g), so you can eat a lot of it without significantly increasing your calorie intake ( 1 ). It can also serve as a low calorie substitute for high calorie foods, such as rice and flour.

Cauliflower contains enzymes that aid in detoxification. 19 Those enzymes act like internal garbage collectors: They scour your body for toxins and waste products, bind to them, and then escort them out of the body.

Being rich in sulfur, cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower may support gut health and as a result improve your defence against infection. This is because sulfur supports the production of glutathione which is important for maintaining the integrity of the gut lining as well as supporting its regeneration.

Purple. Purple cauliflower is the healthiest option, with numerous advantages. The purple hue is due to the antioxidants called anthocyanins. These are the pigments present in various other plants and plant-based products, including red cabbage and red wine.

Eating raw cauliflower provides maximum vitamin C content, but cooking cauliflower allows your body to absorb more nutrients, such as vitamin K and potassium. Roasting or steaming cauliflower brings out its natural flavors and adds a delightful texture.

Water-boiling and blanching causes the worst loss of minerals and antioxidant compounds in cauliflower because many of the nutrients get leached into the water. Steam or sous vide cauliflower to maintain nutrients.

Cooked is better than raw

Cooked cauliflower is much easier to digest than raw cauliflower.

Cooked cauliflower florets keep their shape best when steamed (5-10 mins) – remember to place them upright in the steamer. It can also be boiled (takes 5-10 mins for florets; around 10 mins for a whole cauliflower). For both cooking methods, test regularly with the tip of a knife to make sure they don't overcook.