Cauliflower gratin does not need dairy to taste cheesy. This version is dairy-free, oil-free, and gluten-free: steamed cauliflower baked in a creamy coconut milk sauce with onion and garlic, topped with chickpea crumbs and fresh thyme, and ready in about 45 minutes.
Key Takeaways
- This cauliflower gratin is dairy-free, oil-free, and gluten-free, and it serves 3 to 5 as a Thanksgiving side dish or as a weeknight dinner with a big green salad.
- The sauce is light coconut milk thickened with tapioca starch over onions and garlic cooked down in vegetable broth, and the seasonings give it a cheesy taste.
- Steam the cauliflower florets for 10 to 15 minutes, until fork tender, before they go into the sauce.
- Add the coconut milk very little at a time while whisking so no lumps form, because the sauce thickens quickly once the tapioca starch is in.
- Make the chickpea crumbs ahead of time and let them dry and cool completely, so the top stays crispy.
- Bake at 375°F for 12 to 15 minutes, broil for 1 to 2 minutes for a crispier top, and let the gratin cool 5 to 15 minutes before serving.
Last year, right before Thanksgiving, I shared my Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin. This year I wanted to make a gratin with cauliflower.
A traditional gratin is baked in a creamy sauce with butter, cream, and plenty of cheese, then finished under the broiler until the top turns golden.
This one has none of that.
The sauce is made with light coconut milk, onions and garlic cooked down in vegetable broth, and a few spices that give it a cheesy taste. The crispy top comes from chickpea crumbs and fresh thyme leaves. There is no oil in this recipe, no dairy, and no gluten.
You can serve it as a Thanksgiving side dish, or with a big green salad as dinner on a regular weeknight.
Why cauliflower?
So many women with thyroid problems have been told to stay away from cauliflower. I hear this all the time.
Through Medical Medium® Information, I learned just how supportive cauliflower can be for the thyroid. That is one of the reasons I want my clients eating more of it, not less.
Healing ingredients in this cauliflower gratin
Cauliflower
Many people avoid cauliflower because of the so-called goitrogens it contains. In reality, it helps the thyroid and the whole endocrine system fight off the viruses, like Epstein-Barr virus, that are behind thyroid problems.
“Cauliflower contains the trace mineral boron, which helps the endocrine system. And yet cauliflower gets more attention for the so-called goitrogens it contains. Cauliflower does the very opposite of what the hype says—it helps the thyroid and the rest of the endocrine system (including the hypothalamus and adrenal glands) to stave off the pathogens like Epstein-Barr virus that are truly behind issues such as thyroiditis.” – Anthony William, Blog
Cauliflower gives the most benefit raw or steamed, so the florets in this recipe are steamed until tender before they go into the oven.
Garlic
Garlic is one of the oldest medicines in the world! It is rich in vitamin C and B6, along with selenium, calcium, and iron.
It is very good for the digestive tract and has a strong ability to eliminate toxic matter from the lymphatic system. Garlic can also help eliminate lead and other heavy metals from the body.
“Garlic also contains very strong antibiotic, anti-fungal, anti-cancer, and anti-viral properties.” – Anthony William, Blog
Red Onion
The red onion is cooked slowly in vegetable broth until it caramelizes, which gives the sauce its sweetness and depth.
Onions are high in vitamin C, folate, biotin, chromium, and calcium. They are the richest food source of quercetin, a potent antioxidant. The sulfur compounds in onions strengthen the immune system, the brain, and the nervous system, and they help remove heavy metals like mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and lead from the body.
“They can also help to stabilize blood sugar levels and provide relief to the liver when processing glucose and insulin.”” – Anthony William, Blog
Thyme
Fresh thyme leaves are scattered over the top of the gratin before it bakes.
Thyme is antiviral, antibacterial, and antiseptic. It contains carvacrol, a compound that calms and tones the whole nervous system. Thyme is also a purifying herb for the digestive tract, and it aids in the digestion of rich or fatty foods.
“Thyme has a powerful ability to kill off bacteria and viruses and should be taken at first signs of a cold or illness.” – Anthony William, Blog
Turmeric
Turmeric gives the sauce its golden color. It is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiseptic. Turmeric also helps purify the blood, improve liver function, and support the circulatory system.
“Turmeric also helps the body to digest proteins and fats as well as to regulate blood sugar for diabetics.” – Anthony William, Blog
Creamy cauliflower gratin (dairy-free, oil-free, and gluten-free)
Equipment
- Steamer basket
- Large pan
- whisk
- Baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 medium to large head organic cauliflower cut into small florets
- 1 organic red onion finely chopped
- 6 to 8 cloves organic garlic mashed
- 2 tbsp tapioca starch
- 4 to 6 tbsp organic vegetable broth
- ½ can light coconut milk
- ¼ tsp organic ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp organic garlic powder
- 1 tsp organic onion powder
- 1 tsp organic smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp organic turmeric powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup chickpea crumbs see Notes
- 2 tsp fresh organic thyme leaves
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Steam the cauliflower florets for 10 to 15 minutes, until fork tender.
- In a pan, sauté the onions and garlic in vegetable broth. Add only 1 tbsp of broth at a time and let the onions brown and caramelize. Be careful not to let them burn.
- Add the tapioca starch and whisk quickly for about a minute on low heat.
- Add the coconut milk very little at a time, whisking as you go so no lumps form. Keep adding until all the milk is in and the sauce is slightly thickened.
- Keep stirring, and as soon as the sauce is ready, take it off the heat.
- Stir in the seasonings until they are evenly mixed. The texture should be cheesy.
- Add the steamed cauliflower to the sauce and mix.
- Pour everything into a baking dish.
- Sprinkle the chickpea crumbs over the top and scatter the fresh thyme leaves.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
- For a crispier top, turn the oven to broil for 1 to 2 minutes. Watch it carefully so it does not burn.
- Let it cool for 5 to 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
More cauliflower recipes you might enjoy:
Final thoughts
My family is honest with me. If a healing dish doesn’t taste good, it stays on the plate. So I wanted this sauce to have that familiar cheesy flavor, even though there isn’t any cheese in it.
If you made my potatoes au gratin last year, you can put both on the same table this Thanksgiving.
If you love cauliflower as much as I do, my Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce and my Cauliflower Pizza Crust are two more ways to bring it to your table.
If you make this gratin, leave me a comment and let me know how it went. You can also tag me on Facebook or Instagram. I love seeing your pizzas!
To your health & happiness
Muneeza
3 Day Clean Eating Reboot
It’s the tastiest cleanse you’ll enjoy all year!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this cauliflower gratin vegan?
Yes. Every ingredient comes from plants: cauliflower, red onion, garlic, tapioca starch, vegetable broth, light coconut milk, seasonings, chickpea crumbs, and fresh thyme. It is a vegan cauliflower gratin made without vegan cheese or butter substitutes, because the sauce is built from coconut milk and tapioca starch instead.
What gives this dairy-free cauliflower gratin a cheesy taste?
The seasonings stirred into the sauce after it comes off the heat: garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, turmeric, ground nutmeg, and black pepper. The caramelized onion and garlic underneath add sweetness and depth. Stir the seasonings in until they are evenly mixed, and the texture should be cheesy.
How do I keep the chickpea crumb topping crispy?
Make the chickpea crumbs ahead of time and let them dry completely and cool before they go on the gratin. Completely dry, cool crumbs keep the top crispy. For an even crispier top, broil the gratin for 1 to 2 minutes at the end and watch it closely so it does not burn.
Is cauliflower gratin the same as creamy cauliflower casserole?
They overlap. A traditional gratin is baked in a creamy sauce and finished under the broiler until the top turns golden, while a casserole is any dish baked together in one pan. This creamy cauliflower casserole follows the gratin idea, with a dairy-free coconut milk sauce, a chickpea and thyme topping, and a short broil at the end.
