As someone who doesn’t always do great with dairy, cream sauces are often off the table.

The truth is that they’re quite easy to make dairy-free – from coconut milk to root vegetables, there are lots of ingredients that can make a sauce super creamy and satisfying.

The base of this secret vegan cream sauce, surprisingly, is cauliflower.

Yep, the kinda plain, really versatile cruciferous vegetable popping up on health-centric menus everywhere.

The cauliflower purée at Hu Kitchen feels indulgent and is ridiculously delicious, yet totally dairy-free and gluten-free.

Cauliflower is one of my favorite options for making vegan cream sauce, because it takes on the flavor of whatever you add to it.

The health benefits of cauliflower are abundant:

• Cauliflower has glucosinolates, which are sulfur-containing compounds that help with detoxification.
• It’s high in potassium, which regulates hydration and heart rate.
• Just 1 cup of cauliflower has 52 mg of vitamin C, a vital antioxidant that increases nutrient absorption, improves brain health, and much more.
• Cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower may lower the risk of cancer, thanks to their high amounts of phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

This vegan cream sauce can be spiced up with whatever you like – or whatever you have on hand.

In this version I went for a smoky flavor using fresh sage and chipotle pepper – perfect for freezing cold winter days in New York City.

Let’s get into the recipe for my secret vegan cream sauce…

Secret Vegan Cream Sauce

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower
5 cloves garlic
1 medium white onion
1/4-1/2 cup fresh sage leaves
1 small-medium roasted chipotle pepper
1/4 cup toasted cashews
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk*
1/4 cup vegetable stock
Smoked Maldon sea salt and white pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil

*It’s important to use unsweetened coconut milk in this dish, since you don’t want to compromise the savory flavor.

Method

Steam or parboil cauliflower until fork-tender.

Caramelize onions and garlic in olive oil.

Add cauliflower and vegetable stock, sautée until tender.

Add sage, chopped chipotle pepper, salt, pepper.

Cook for a few more minutes.

Transfer vegetable mixture to high-speed blender or food processor.

Add toasted cashews and unsweetened coconut milk.

Purée until smooth, adding more coconut milk, vegetable stock, or water, if needed.

Serve over pasta, or rice and vegetables.

Do you have a question about this vegan cream sauce recipe?

Post it in the comments below and I’ll help you out.

With love,
Lula Brown

Photo: Yogitrition