This flavorful cauliflower stuffing is made with cauliflower, celery, and portobello mushrooms. Its flavor profile is very close to the real thing!
It's ready in about 50 minutes, and the leftovers are just as good as the freshly baked dish.
I used to make traditional bread stuffing for Thanksgiving that we all loved. When my husband and I transitioned to a low carb diet, I had to find a replacement.
This sausage stuffing is wonderful. But one of our usual Thanksgiving guests doesn't eat pork, so I wanted to find a vegetarian substitute.
This cauliflower stuffing is just what I was looking for. A wonderfully flavorful side dish, reminiscent of traditional stuffing thanks to the thyme-and-sage seasoning, but keto and paleo.
The only downside: it's a lot of work to chop so many vegetables! The cooking itself is a breeze - I make this recipe in the oven. But the prep work is somewhat time-consuming. I do think the end result is worth it, though.
Apart from the cauliflower, I use onions, celery, and chopped portobello mushrooms in this recipe. All of these add wonderful layers of flavor and texture to the stuffing.
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Ingredients
Here's an overview of the ingredients you'll need to make cauliflower stuffing. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below:
Fresh cauliflower: Make sure to cut it into bite-size pieces. I haven't tried making this recipe with frozen cauliflower, but I suspect that fresh is the way to go.
Vegetables: Chopped onion, sliced celery, and chopped portobello mushrooms.
Minced garlic: Mince it yourself or use the stuff that comes in a jar. Freshly minced does taste better.
Melted butter: You can use olive oil instead if you wish - see the discussion below.
Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should use less of it, or the dish could end up too salty.
Spices: Dried thyme and dried sage are wonderful in this stuffing and ensure its flavor profile is very close to traditional stuffing. Do make sure the spices you use are fresh - a stale spice can easily ruin a dish.
Olive oil spray: I use it to spray the dish halfway through roasting. Olive oil is delicious. But if you're unsure about cooking with it, you can use avocado oil instead. It has a higher smoke point.
Chopped parsley: This is mostly for garnish. Without it, the dish isn't very colorful.
Instructions
Apart from the tedious work of chopping the vegetables, this is not a difficult recipe. The detailed instructions for making this cauliflower stuffing are included in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:
Your first step, after prepping the vegetables, is to toss them (except for the mushrooms) with melted butter and spices.
Now, roast them for 15 minutes in a 450°F oven.
Next, add the mushrooms, lightly spray the dish with oil, and roast it for 10-15 more minutes.
The last step before serving is to garnish the dish with parsley, to make it prettier. Sometimes I also sprinkle it with red pepper flakes.
Expert tip
To promote browning, if your pan is broiler-safe, in the second step of roasting (after adding the mushrooms) you can roast the veggies for just 10 minutes, then broil them, 6 inches below the heating element (not directly below), for 2-3 more minutes.
Frequently asked questions
I don't recommend that. For the best results, please use fresh cauliflower. You can make things easier by using bagged pre-washed cauliflower florets.
Yes. You can make it up to 4 days ahead of time, then, on Thanksgiving day, reheat it in a 350-degree oven for 20-30 minutes. If using a glass or ceramic dish, it's best to place it in the cold oven and let it slowly heat as the oven heats. You don't want to shock a cold ceramic dish by putting it in a hot oven.
Yes. You can replace the portobello mushrooms with 10 oz of cremini mushrooms or white mushrooms.
Variations
I use quite a bit of butter in this recipe - 6 tablespoons. It's delicious, of course, and I don't find it excessive for 8 people (that's less than a tablespoon per person). But if you prefer, you could try using just 4 tablespoons.
You can also use olive oil instead of butter. It's very good, although personally, I'm partial to butter.
Serving suggestions
This is obviously a classic Thanksgiving side dish. But it's actually great every day of the year, and I do make it for my family throughout the year.
Try serving a plate of it topped with a couple of fried eggs for a tasty and filling meatless dinner.
Storing leftovers
If you are fortunate enough to have leftovers, they keep just fine for 3-4 days in the fridge, in an airtight container. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, on 50% power.
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Recipe Card
Amazing Cauliflower Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower - cut into bite size pieces (2 lb. whole, 1 lb. after trimming)
- 1 medium onion - chopped (6 oz)
- ½ cup thinly sliced celery
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter - melted
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt - divided (or 1 teaspoon fine salt)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- 2 Portobello mushrooms - chopped (10 oz)
- Olive oil spray
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley - for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with high-heat-resistant parchment paper or nonstick foil.
- In a large bowl, stir together the chopped cauliflower, onion, celery, and garlic. Toss with the melted butter, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper, thyme, and sage.
- Spread the cauliflower mixture on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Add the chopped mushrooms, stirring them into the mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of salt and lightly spray with olive oil.
- Return the pan to the oven and roast until the stuffing is browned, 10-15 more minutes.*
- Garnish the dish with chopped parsley and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Who wants seconds?
This Amazing Cauliflower Stuffing was surprisingly yummy and indeed amazing! My husband is not a big fan of veggies. This is the first veggie-based traditional Thanksgiving dish that he’s actually gone back for seconds!!! He does not usually do that, not even for regular food. This is a perfect blend of veggies and seasonings and we plan to add this to our menu rotation. We even had enough left over to make stuffed zucchini with it for dinner, pairing it with some wild rice and a salad.
Vered DeLeeuw
Yay! I'm so glad this was a success! That stuffed zucchini sounds really good.
Kate
Would adding dried cranberries or raisins after cooking but before serving be good with this?
Vered DeLeeuw
Yes, very good, if you enjoy a sweet-savory flavor combination.
The nutrition info will obviously change.
Jenny Loeb
I plan to make it but use olive oil and not butter so that it is vegan. Do you think it could be made in advance and frozen? I will have a lot of company and a lot to do, and it would help if I could make it in advance! Thanks for your advice and your great recipe!!! I needed gluten-free, keto, and vegan, and here you were with your recipe. Jenny
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Jenny,
Yes, you can freeze this stuffing. When ready to serve, thaw it overnight in the fridge, cover it with a double layer of foil, and reheat in a 325°F oven.
If placing a cold baking dish in the oven, put it in a cold oven and only then turn the oven on.