How to Make Cheddar Cauliflower Souffle
Cheddar cauliflower is a light, creamy and cheesy recipe that can be served both as a main course and a side dish, alongside meat, chicken and fish.
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Bake time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 1 quart soufflé dish
Utensils: Oven, saucepan, bowls, soufflé dish, wooden spatula, stand mixer, hand whisk, cutting board, sharp knife.
Ingredients:
Cauliflower florets (Very finely chopped): 3/4 cups
Flat leaf Italian parsley (chopped): A few tbsp
Butter: 2 ½ tbsp (plus more for buttering your dish)
Flour: 2 generous tbsp
Milk (not non-fat, but 2% or whole will both work): 3/4 cup
Shredded sharp cheddar: 3-4 tbsp
Salt and pepper: 1/4 tsp. each
Eggs (the yolks separated from the whites): 3
Instructions
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1
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and grease your soufflé dish with a small amount of melted butter. To make sure your soufflé does not stick to the pan, you can also dust the greased dish with flour.
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2
Finely chop cauliflower and parsley and put them together in a medium sized bowl.
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3
Put 2 ½ tablespoons of plain butter in a saucepan and heat it over medium high heat until it melts. Continue to cook the melted butter on medium heat for another couple of minutes until it turns brown and starts smelling nutty.
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4
At this stage add flour to the saucepan and whisk it quickly until the mixture is smooth.
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5
Cook the flour for a couple of minutes and then add the milk spoon by spoon, while stirring the mixture constantly, otherwise you may end up with lumps of flour.
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6
Add enough milk to make a smooth sauce. Keep whisking and cooking this sauce for two to three minutes until it gets nice and thick.
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7
Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the cheese, three egg yolks and salt and pepper. Whisk the sauce thoroughly and then pour it over chopped cauliflower and parsley and toss to combine well.
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8
Beat the three egg whites in the stand mixer until they form stiff peaks but are still a bit moist.
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9
Add two tablespoons of the whipped egg whites to the cauliflower and parsley mixture and combine well.
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10
Now fold the rest of the egg whites into the cauliflower mix using a wooden or plastic spatula until they combine (do not stir or whisk).
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11
Transfer the soufflé batter to the prepared dish and place it in the oven, preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until your cauliflower soufflé puffs up and a deep golden brown crust forms at the top.
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12
Remove the soufflé from the oven and serve immediately with salad and bread, if serving as a main course dish. You can also serve it as a side dish with mixed vegetable salad and meat or fish.