Cauliflower Recipe: Cauliflower Thyme Souffles

I will be the first to admit that I don’t like that many vegetables. That can be a pain for the hubby but he does he best to grow what I do like so I am fortunate to be able to freeze romanesco, broccoli and cauliflower. Last year I froze some tomatoes for the first time so I had them for various recipes like Tomato Beef. Broccoli and cauliflower are my favorites and I use them frequently; cauliflower soup appears many times on our dinner table and recently I found a recipe for an easy broccoli stir fry that we both enjoyed very much. This cauliflower recipe is a little more involved but it is well worth the effort.

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Cauliflower Recipe: Cauliflower Thyme Souffles

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cups cauliflower
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard
• dash of cayenne
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

• Preheat the oven to 350°

• Boil the 2 cups of cauliflower in salted water until very soft. Drain and mash with a fork. Set aside.
• Butter 6 small ramekins or souffle dishes (1/2 cup ea)  Alternatively, butter a 1 quart souffle dish 

• Make a 4″ band of aluminum foil 2″ longer than the circumference of the dish, butter 1 side and secure it, butter side in, around the dish.
• Heat butter in a saucepan over low heat until melted. Blend in flour, salt,mustard and red pepper.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat.
• Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.

• Mix the cheese, mashed cauliflower and thyme. Add this mixture to the milk mixture. It will be a bit lumpy so mix with an immersion blender or hand mixer.

• In a separate bowl beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff but not dry. Beat egg yolks until very thick and lemon colored, about 5 minutes; stir into cheese mixture. Add about 3/4 of the egg whites into cheese mixture and gently fold in.
• Fold cheese mixture into remaining egg whites.

• Carefully pour into the souffle dishes. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until they are nice and puffed and start to brown on top.

• Carefully remove the foil and serve immediately.

How Was the Cauliflower Recipe?

These souffles were delightful. They didn’t rise as high as a cheese souffle due to the addition of the mashed vegetable but they were very flavorful. The thyme was a perfect complement to the earthy cauliflower. A mini souffle makes a delightful side dish or you can make the recipe in a full sized souffle dish and serve it with a salad and be all set for a wonderful dinner.

Cauliflower Recipe: Cauliflower Thyme Souffles

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a lovely souffle with the earthy flavor of cauliflower and a hint of thyme

• Author: Patty @bookscookslooks.com
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 3 - 4 1x
• Category: Main Dish
• Method: Baking and Stove Top
• Cuisine: French American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cups cauliflower
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard
• dash of cayenne
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

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Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350
• Boil the 2 cups of cauliflower in salted water until very soft. Drain and mash with a fork. Set aside.
• Butter 6 small ramekins or souffle dishes (1/2 cup ea) and make a band from aluminum foil to surround them. Alternatively, butter a 6 cup souffle dish
• Make a 4″ band of aluminum foil 2″ longer than the circumference of the dish, butter 1 side and secure it, butter side in, around the dish.
• Heat butter in a saucepan over low heat until melted. Blend in flour, salt, mustard and red pepper.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
• Mix the cheese, mashed cauliflower and thyme. Add this mixture to the milk mixture. It will be a bit lumpy so mix with an immersion blender or hand mixer.
• Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff but not dry.
• Beat egg yolks until very thick and lemon colored, about 5 minutes; fold into cheese mixture.
• Stir about 3/4 of the egg whites into cheese mixture.
• Fold cheese mixture into remaining egg whites.
• Carefully pour into the souffle dishes. Bake for  25 – 30 minutes or until they are nice and puffed and start to brown on top.
• Carefully remove the foil and serve immediately.

Keywords: cauliflower recipe, souffle, thyme, cheese