Steamed Cauliflower
By Carine Claudepierre
Published on 06/20/2022 - Last updated on 06/23/2023
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This Steamed Cauliflower recipe is an easy 15-minute recipe, perfect as a low-carb keto-friendly side dish or light dinner.
Is Cauliflower Keto?
Cauliflower is a low-carb keto-friendly vegetable perfect to use as a swap to flour in cauliflower pizza crust or as a potato replacement in cauliflower potato salad.
It contains only 1.7 grams of net carbs per 100 grams once cooked which is lower than most vegetables.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Steamed cauliflower is the best low-calories side dish naturally:
- Dairy-Free
- Egg-Free
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Paleo
- Low-Carb
- Keto
How Long Does It Take To Steam Cauliflower?
It only takes 8 minutes to steam cauliflower florets and make the most delicious tender cauliflower bites.
All you need to add flavor to the steamed cauliflower are:
- Olive oil or butter
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic powder
How To Steam Cauliflower
Steaming cauliflower is the most method to cook a head of cauliflower in less than 10 minutes.
First, prepare the cauliflower head, Bring the head of cauliflower up-side-down on a chopping board and remove the stem and green leaves around. Discard these parts.
Next, cut the cauliflower into small florets, It’s better to cut the florets into similar sizes so they steam at the same speed.
Clean the cauliflower florets under cold tap water into a sieve.
You can add a pinch of baking soda to the cauliflower to remove cauliflower impurities and smell.
Steaming Cauliflower In The Microwave
The main reason why I love steaming vegetables in the microwave are:
- It’s faster
- Less cleaning
- You can steam without a steaming basket
Place the cauliflower florets into a large microwave-safe bowl. Add about 3 tablespoons of cold water to the bottom of the bowl and cover the bowl with a microwave same lid or plate.
Microwave on high 900W for 3-4 minutes.
Check if cauliflower is cooked by inserting a knife or fork into the steamed florets. The florets should be soft but still tender.
If too hard, keep microwaving in 1-minute bursts until it reaches your favorite texture.
Steaming Cauliflower In A Steamer Basket
If you have a steamer basket, then warm some water at the bottom of a non-stick saucepan – about 1 liter or enough to cover the bottom of that pan but not too much.
You don’t want the basket to dip in the water.
Place the steamer basket in the saucepan over the boiling water and fill the basket with the cauliflower florets.
Steam for about 7-8 minutes, cover the saucepan with a lid and bring to medium heat.
Check after 6 minutes if the florets are cooked, remove as soon as you are able to insert a toothpick or knife in the center of the florets.
Drain over a sieve and cool down before adding some flavors or use in any recipes calling for steamed cauliflower.
How To Use Steamed Cauliflower
Keto Side Dish
You can eat steamed cauliflower on its own as a low-carb side dish and low-calorie dinner.
The best topping to add to the warm florets are:
- Butter or olive oil
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper
It’s a delicious combo to many meat-based meals like:
Keto Casserole
Steamed cauliflower, without the added butter, is a great base for making keto casserole recipes like:
- Keto Cauliflower Mac and cheese
- Keto Cauliflower casserole
- Low-carb Mashed Potato Puree – steamed cauliflower is the best keto swap for potatoes and makes a low-carb puree. Mash it with butter, garlic salt, and pepper or add a touch of cream cheese for a creamy mock potato puree.
- Cauliflower Potato Salad
- Cauliflower Hummus
Storage
You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container or freeze cauliflower for later.
Freeze for up to 3 months and use frozen in any recipes. You don’t need to thaw the cauliflower to use in a casserole or a dish with sauce.
More Cauliflower Recipes
Below I listed some more cauliflower recipes for you to try:
Have you made this keto cauliflower recipe? Share a comment or review below.
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Steamed Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 head Cauliflower about 1 lb cauliflower florets, 6 cups.
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter or olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Trim the cauliflower stems, remove the leaves, then break them into small bite-size florets about 1.5-inch wide.
- Boil 1 liter of water in a non-stick saucepan or steamer.
- Place the florets into a steamer basket over the boiled water and steam for 8 minutes or until fork-tender.
- Cool down on a colander for a few minutes until completely steamed out, then transfer to a large baking dish.
- Serve immediately with fresh butter or olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Tools
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About The Author
Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, published author of a cookbook and many ebooks, and founder of Sweet As Honey.
I have an Accredited Certificate in Nutrition and Wellness obtained in 2014 from Well College Global (formerly Cadence Health). I'm passionate about sharing all my easy and tasty recipes that are both delicious and healthy. My expertise in the field comes from my background in chemistry and years of following a keto low-carb diet. But I'm also well versed in vegetarian and vegan cooking since my husband is vegan.
I now eat a more balanced diet where I alternate between keto and a Mediterranean Diet
Cooking and Baking is my true passion. In fact, I only share a small portion of my recipes on Sweet As Honey. Most of them are eaten by my husband and my two kids before I have time to take any pictures!
All my recipes are at least triple tested to make sure they work and I take pride in keeping them as accurate as possible.
Browse all my recipes with my Recipe Index.
I hope that you too find the recipes you love on Sweet As Honey!
Disclaimer
The recipes, instructions, and articles on this website should not be taken or used as medical advice. You must consult with your doctor before starting on a keto or low-carb diet. The nutritional data provided on Sweetashoney is to be used as indicative only.
The nutrition data is calculated using WP Recipe Maker. Net Carbs is calculated by removing the fiber and some sweeteners from the total Carbohydrates. As an example, a recipe with 10 grams of Carbs per 100 grams that contains 3 grams of erythritol and 5 grams of fiber will have a net carbs content of 2 grams. Some sweeteners are excluded because they are not metabolized.
You should always calculate the nutritional data yourself instead of relying on Sweetashoney's data. Sweetashoney and its recipes and articles are not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose, or treat any disease. Sweetashoney cannot be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or advice found on the Website.
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