Dairy-Free Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

Is it bad to be obsessed? Like maybe it’s an obsession with food so that makes it better? Let’s go with that. Better. Because food. But, honestly, how can one NOT be obsessed with a cauliflower sauce that is reminiscent of traditional Alfredo sauce? Dairy-Free Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce is here today. Right here on this blog for all of us to enjoy. It’s also ridiculously easy to make and encapsulates another personal obsession. Cashew cream.

It’s not possible to not be obsessed. Just simply not possible.

You know how you get into a routine of eating the same three or four foods for every meal, and finally one day you think to yourself, there have to be other foods out there worth trying? Well, with a finicky eater or two in the house, we were totally there.

And then I thought, what if I could create a super simple and terribly delicious sauce to go with…stuff? That’s a technical culinary term. Stuff.

Dairy-Free Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce that tastes like dairy and counts as a vegetable is a sauce I want on ALL OF MY FOODS. K-Hubs isn’t any calmer about this. He’s all, “PLEASE PASS THE CAULIFLOWER SAUCE, DEAREST!” And then he proceeds to glop it on whatever it is he’s eating.

You’re dying to dine with us, aren’t you? Just prepare yourself for a classy meal, complete with manners and upturned pinkies. What do you pair this with? Pasta, vegetables, chicken, seafood, burgers. I’m not totally convinced you couldn’t also use this as a gravy, if you were so inclined. Also, a spoon. Just the spoon, because, Spiriteds, it’s that tasty.

Have I mentioned yet this sauce is a vegetable that doesn’t taste like a vegetable? I did? Good. Because it counts as a vegetable without the sense of guilt, doom, and responsibility that comes with having to remember to eat enough leafy greens and carrots in a day. Not to mention the realization that, no, potato chips don’t count as a vegetable.

But let’s get back to other reason this recipe is so awesome. Cashew cream is where it’s at. Other milk alternatives just aren’t going to be as thick or as dairy-esque.

Here is a link to make your own cashew cream. It’s really quite simple, I promise. I like to use raw, organic (if possible) cashews. And I choose to soak them first, although if you are crunched for time, I think you can get away with not doing that. To create the thick cream, I use a 2:1 ratio of cashews to warm water, which seems to do the trick. Dairy-esque is another culinary technical term. Right up there with stuff. Toodle can’t get enough of this dairy-esque stuff. Cashew cream is her new obsession.

So does Dairy-Free Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce taste exactly like traditional Alfredo sauce? Again, no lies. It does not taste just like traditional Alfredo sauce. It definitely has a cauliflower flair to it. But I think you’ll enjoy it if you do three, maybe four, things:

1. Decide whether you like/love cauliflower. If you decide you do have an affinity for it, then I think you’ll enjoy this.
2. Know that it is going to taste like cauliflower. I began to enjoy many healthier alternatives when I stopped expecting them to taste like the foods they were replacing. You know me. I’m a reluctant 21-century cavewoman. I wouldn’t be eating this way if three out of three family members had health reasons for going paleo and autoimmune protocol. But I do love me some of this sauce. My biggest challenge, however, is finding enough foods to put it on. Because so much yum.
3. Add more cashew cream and seasonings. If you are still unsure, or family members are on the fence, increase the amount of cashew cream you add. Seriously, that concoction is my reason for living. Black pepper and fresh herbs are also a win here.

I’ll just leave this here so you can go off and concoct this dollop of goodness for yourself. Because of Dairy-Free Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce, those four foods you eat for dinner every week just got a whole lot better!

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