No bread, no problem! Incredibly flavorful and veggie-forward Cauliflower Stuffing with buttery mushrooms, tart apples, and pecans is always a hit on our Thanksgiving table. Enjoy it as a lower carb, gluten free option or as an impressive side dish any night of the week!
Stuffing without bread? Blasphemy. Bread is quite possibly my favorite food, as evidenced by the vegetarian Spinach Mushroom Stuffing and Pomegranate Za'atar Stuffing I make every year (drenched in my Vegan Mushroom Gravy).
But what about a gluten free stuffing to pacify Aunt Sally? A low carb dressing for cousin Bob? A little something for your keto cousin Karen?
Cauliflower couldn't be more different from bread, I get it! But this stuffing is so insanely delicious in its own right. Have I ever led your tastebuds astray?
Rather than thinking of this as a replacement for the bread stuffing we all know and love, consider this a fun addition to the Thanksgiving recipe collection. You can have your bread stuffing and it it, too.
The low down on key ingredients
Don't be intimidated by the lengthy ingredient list--it's mostly just veggies and spices! You can also add cooked crumbled sausage (regular or vegan) if you're looking for the flavors of sausage stuffing.
- Cauliflower: I developed this recipe with fresh (not frozen) cauliflower florets as a heart main stand in for bread.
- Veggies: In recipe testing, I loved the sweet pop and color carrot adds. Rainbow carrots would be gorgeous here. I think celery is a must for stuffing but if you're celery averse, you can omit! Roasted mushrooms add major meatiness to this dish. I don't recommend skipping them! I buy them sliced to lessen prep time, no shame.
- Butter: It may seem like a lot of butter but the fat is what makes this reminiscent of stuffing. It was clear it testing that this adds SO much flavor! Olive oil can be substituted for dairy free.
- Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce: I wanted extra umami since there's no broth in this recipe. Tamari can be used for gluten free!
- Egg: I liked this recipe best when I tested it with egg--it adds a little more richness. This stuffing still doesn't bind together like traditional stuffing, so it can easily be omitted for vegan or egg free stuffing.
- Sage and thyme: The spices that give our stuffing the token cozy herby flavor, don't be tempted to change them!
- Apple: I love the sweet tart bite of apple here for contrast. Granny Smith will add all tartness, so if you want more sweetness, use Honeycrisp or Golden Delicious. You want a crisp apple that's not too sweet.
- Pecans: Pecans add so much dimension, flavor and needed texture. I really don't think any other nut will have the same effect! I'd suggest walnuts if you absolutely cannot get pecans. I would not recommend almonds.
Let's make it!
What's healthier than a stuffing made of 100% veggies? As a Dietitian, you know I love seeing veggies playing a key role on the turkey table!
She is beauty, she is grace!
How to store
Store leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
Make ahead: Up to three days in advance, make recipe as directed through step 5. Before serving, continue with step 6.
To reheat, you can warm individual servings in the microwave or warm more leftovers in the oven at 350F for 10-15 minutes, or until hot.
Print
Healthy Cauliflower Stuffing with Apples and Sage (no bread!)
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Incredibly flavorful and veggie-forward Cauliflower Stuffing with buttery mushrooms, tart apples, and pecans. Enjoy it as a lower carb, gluten free option for Thanksgiving or as a healthy side dish any night of the week!
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower, chopped into small florets
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 medium carrots, chopped (1 cup)
- 2 medium stalks celery, finely chopped (½ cup)
- 8 oz sliced cremini or Baby Bella mushrooms
- 1 large apple, unpeeled, cored and chopped (Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious or Granny Smith)
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter (can sub olive oil)
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ tsp soy sauce (sub tamari for gluten free)
- 1 ¼ tsp dried sage
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp fine sea salt + lots of freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup raw pecans, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Melt butter in a small bowl. Set aside to cool while you chop the veggies.
- In your largest mixing bowl, combine cauliflower, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, mushrooms and apple.
- To the bowl with cooled butter, whisk in egg, soy sauce, sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour mixture over vegetables. Toss well to combine until everything is coated.
- Divide mixture evenly between baking sheets so veggies are in an even layer. Roast for 20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway (so the top pan is now on the bottom rack). No need to stir.
- Carefully remove pans from oven and sprinkle pecans evenly onto baking sheets, tossing with a spatula to combine. Roast for another 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a serving dish if desired. Garnish with parley and serve!
Notes
VEGAN: Use olive oil instead of butter and omit the egg.
Chris Crofton says
As a celiac and a host that notices people steer away from bread and potatoes - I wouldn't if I could! Anyway I doubled this, added slivers of dates. I am not a stuffing fan - gf or otherwise but this is a general keeper as a veggie side..
Thank you
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
SO glad you liked it, Chris!
Li Oppen says
We added small a cubed sweet potato and sprinkled some pomegranate seeds on top after baking. The recipe was a big hit at our dinner which was composed of vegetarians, pescatarians, and omnivores.
Alexis Joseph says
How delish to add pomegranate, thanks for letting me know Li!
Robin says
Alexis, I just made this and it is absolutely delish !!!! I sampled it and note sure there will be any left for thanksgiving ..... back to the store I go 🙂
Alexis Joseph says
Amazing, so happy this is going to make the spread Robin!!
Alexis Joseph says
SO glad you loved it, Hannah!