Vegan Cauliflower Casserole with Spinach and Tofu

Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables.

It's easy to turn into all kinds of delicious dishes, and it's also very low in calories, fat, and carbs.

It also provides plenty of fiber, along with important minerals like potassium, zinc, calcium, and iron.

It's wonderfully easy to work with. Use it as the base for casseroles and savory bakes, or keep things simple and roast it in the oven.

For this vegan cauliflower casserole, I added spinach to boost the iron and calcium, plus tofu for extra protein and a creamy, cheese-like texture.

And because I wanted it to look special enough for a celebration, I scattered sliced almonds over the top. The healthy fats they bring along are a nice bonus.

To help the mixture set, I used rice flour, which you can find in the natural foods aisle or at health food stores. You can also use a flour you like: teff, chickpea, lentil, or whole wheat. Choose a gluten-free flour if you need to keep the casserole gluten-free.

How do I serve it?

Try 2 pieces with a big salad and a small serving of a protein-rich food, such as tofu, lentils, or seitan. That makes a great lunch when you're focusing on getting leaner, for example.

Another option: have it for breakfast. Thanks to the fiber, it can help keep you feeling full longer.

Nutrition per 110 g (3.9 oz) piece

70 calories

5 g carbohydrates

4 g protein

3.5 g fat (including 0.5 g saturated fat)

60 mg calcium

1 mg iron

Nutrition calculated by Noam Bachar (an Israeli clinical nutritionist and fitness trainer).

Join Vegans Building Muscle (our Israeli vegan fitness community) on Facebook.

Delicious, easy pea soup

Vegan Cauliflower Casserole

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Yield 20 pieces

Ingredients

• 1 medium head cauliflower
• 3 cups spinach leaves stems removed, washed well
• 1/2 onion
• 2 cloves garlic sliced
• 700 g (24.7 oz) silken tofu 2 packages (I use the blue package)
• 1 tablespoon whole-sesame tahini, straight from the jar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons sliced almonds
• 1 cup rice flour or another flour you like: teff, chickpea, lentil, or whole wheat (whole wheat is not gluten-free)

Instructions

1. Break the cauliflower into florets and wash well.
2. Cook in the microwave or in a pot of boiling water for about 10 minutes, until completely tender.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
4. Process the cooked cauliflower in a food processor until smooth, then transfer to a deep mixing bowl. If the food processor struggles, add a little water, about 2–3 tablespoons, to help it along.
   
5. Cut the onion into thick slices. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the onion until translucent.
6. Add the sliced garlic and cook for about 1 more minute. Keep an eye on it—you don't want the garlic to burn.
7. Add the spinach to the skillet and cook, stirring, until wilted.
   
8. Add the sautéed spinach and onion mixture, tofu, flour, and tahini to the bowl of puréed cauliflower.
   
9. Blend thoroughly with an immersion blender (or in a food processor) until the mixture is smooth and evenly combined.
   
10. Transfer to a baking dish. I used a 30 × 20 cm (about 12 × 8-inch) dish.
11. Scatter the sliced almonds over the top and drizzle with a little (a little!) olive oil.
12. Bake for about 60 minutes.
13. Just showing it off now. Can you blame me?
    
14. * It tastes even better the next day.