Instant Pot Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes”- Making cauliflower mashed “potatoes” in the Instant Pot is one of the easiest side dishes EVER! Only 3 minutes cooking time and a quick blend with an immersion blender or hand mixer and you’ve got smooth creamy “potatoes”. A healthy low-carb dish, perfect for pairing with your everyday or Holiday meals. Only 36 calories/serving (w/o butter). {Clean Eating, Low Carb, Paleo, Vegan}
Cauliflower is just MAGICAL! It’s such a perfect stand in for potatoes. If you’re asking why would I want cauliflower to stand in for potatoes? Here are a few good reasons:
Calories : 1 cup mashed potatoes = 237 calories vs. 1 cup cauliflower mashed potatoes = 36 calories
Carbs: 1 cup mashed potatoes = 36 grams of carbs vs. 1 cup cauliflower mashed potatoes = 3.3 grams of carbs
Instant Pot Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes” = all that creamy smooth goodness you love about regular mashed potatoes with a whole lot less calories and carbs.
What is that alien looking vegetable in the photo up above?
That my friends is the secret ingredient to making insanely good Instant Pot Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes! It’s a celery root, sometimes called celeriac, and it’s readily available in most grocery stores. The “beauty” in the picture up above has leafy green sprouts but many stores sell celery roots without the sprouts, so it’s quite possible you never noticed this strange looking brown lumpy root vegetable hiding out in the produce section before.
Don’t skip the celery root/celeriac! Why it makes a difference in these Instant Pot Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes”
Celery root helps give these cauliflower mashed potatoes the same creamy texture as classic mashed potatoes. Mashed cauliflower all on its own can sometimes be a bit watery. However, when you mix it with the more substantial texture ( and subtle celery taste) of the celery root you get a great low carb side dish that tastes like the deal! It somehow makes the cauliflower taste a little less like cauliflower and a little more like potatoes.
How to prep the celery root
First, clean the celery root with a soft vegetable brush. Then place the celery root on a cutting board and remove both the base and the top of the celery root (so you have a flat surface on the celery root to work with). Place the celery root with the base side down on the cutting board. Use a knife and carefully cut from the top of the root to the bottom, removing the skin. You can also use a potato peeler if you prefer (I think it’s a little harder but it does work). Once the skin is removed from the whole celery root cut it up into ½ pieces.
How to Make Instant Pot Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes”
1.) Add a steamer basket to the bottom of the instant pot (silicone or metal). Add one cup of water to the instant pot. Add cauliflower florets and celery root into the steamer basket.
2.) Close the lid and set the valve to sealing position. Using the MANUAL setting, cook for 3 minutes on high pressure. Do a quick release to release pressure and steam.
3.) Remove steamer basket and cauliflower/celery root from pot. Drain the remaining water from Instant Pot and return cauliflower/celery root back to the Instant Pot. Use an Immersion blender to mix/mash the cauliflower and celery root . If you don’t have an immersion blender you can use a regular hand mixer (move cauliflower to a bowl before using hand blender) or a food processor to mash the cauliflower and celery root.
Fresh or Frozen Cauliflower
For this recipe I prefer fresh cauliflower. The water content of frozen cauliflower is higher and I find it can make the mashed “potatoes” just a little too watery.
To keep things even quicker you can use pre-cut fresh cauliflower florets.
Add- ins and Serving Ideas
Eat these Instant Pot Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes” just as they are or dress them up with some add-ins. So many options! Stir in 1)sour cream and chives 2)butter and cheddar cheese, 3)sage and toasted walnuts 4) garlic and Parmesan cheese 5) Ranch dressing 6) Horseradish and blue cheese just to name a few. Or try this Keto Instant Pot Loaded Cauliflower Mashed Cauliflower ” Potatoes” (butter, sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon and chives).
The possibilities are endless!
- 1 large head cauliflower cut into florets ( about 4 cups)
- 1 small celery root ( also called celeriac) peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Butter, chives, sour cream, cheese or any other topping of your choice
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Add a steamer basket to the bottom of the instant pot (silicone or metal). Add one cup of water to the instant pot. Add cauliflower florets and celery root into the steamer basket.
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Close the lid and set the valve to sealing position. Using the MANUAL setting, cook for 3 minutes on high pressure. Do a quick release to release pressure and steam.
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Remove steamer basket and cauliflower/celery root from pot. Drain the remaining water from Instant Pot and return cauliflower/celery root back to the Instant Pot. Use an Immersion blender to mix/mash the cauliflower and celery root . If you don’t have an immersion blender you can use a regular hand mixer or a food processor mash the cauliflower and celery root.
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