Cauliflower puree - how to preserve the benefits and taste of vegetables: recipe with photos

Home Vegetables

Cauliflower puree is a storehouse of nutrients, with healing and immune-enriching properties. Ascorbic acid, magnesium, phosphorus and much more are found in cauliflower. You won’t find bright colors and rainbow hues on your plate, but you will find huge health benefits.

The taste of cabbage is ordinary, not noticeable and unremarkable, but there is a huge field for creativity - cauliflower is put in soup, in salad, in vegetable smoothies, and baked with meat.

In ancient times, cauliflower was enjoyed as a side dish, baked, or fried in boiling oil. It was expensive just to admire it: on the dinner table, cauliflower looks like a lush, just picked bouquet of flowers, which, by the way, is why they gave it that name.

Cauliflower puree - how to prepare 15 varieties

Classic cauliflower puree recipe
Steamed cauliflower puree
Cauliflower milk puree
Bounty cauliflower side dish
Cauliflower puree with plant milk
Roasted cauliflower puree
How to make cauliflower puree in a slow cooker
Creamy cauliflower puree
Side dish of cauliflower with hard cheese and cream
Cauliflower and broccoli puree
Summer side dish - raw cauliflower puree
Cauliflower, zucchini and sweet pepper puree
Cauliflower puree for babies
Cauliflower puree with chopped herbs
Cauliflower puree with potatoes and nut sauce

What beneficial qualities does cauliflower have?

Vegetables in a baby's diet should form the main part of the diet. And since cauliflower is a storehouse of useful vitamins and microelements, it is imperative to prepare it and include it in children’s diets.

Contents of useful components:

proteins;
alimentary fiber;
calcium, sodium, iron, copper, potassium and phosphorus;
vitamins of group B, as well as A, U, E, PP, D, K, C;
citric, folic, tartronic, malic and Omega-3 acids;
biotin;
cellulose;
starch;
and in terms of ascorbic acid content it surpasses even the white type of vegetable.

The benefits of a rich vitamin composition are as follows:

Complementary feeding with cauliflower has a beneficial effect on the baby's digestion, promotes the development of beneficial microflora in the intestines, and restores the mucous membrane.
This healthy vegetable helps remove toxins from the small body and improves intestinal motility.
Cauliflower complementary foods help strengthen blood vessels and improve the functioning of the cardiac system.
Promotes normal development of the infant's nervous system.
Due to its iron content, cauliflower is a good prevention of iron deficiency.
Cabbage complementary foods are an excellent prevention of cancer and inflammatory processes.
Strengthens the immune system.
Promotes cell regeneration.

Like broccoli, cauliflower is easily digested by the baby’s body and does not cause colic, bloating or flatulence. After feeding cabbage, the baby remains calm, cheerful, and well-fed. Allergic reactions from cauliflower are rare. Therefore, it is quite safe to include this vegetable in a child’s diet. But it is still worth considering some of the negative sides of cauliflower.

Classic cauliflower puree recipe

For cooking, choose fresh or freshly frozen cabbage; its surface should be free of dents and stains, from white to cream in color with a uniform tint.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower – 1 head
Milk – 200 ml.
Ghee butter – 40 grams

Preparation:

We will need one medium-sized head of cauliflower, we will peel it from the leaves and stalk, cut it into medium-sized pieces and fill it with cold water. A little salt won't hurt. Cook until done for 25 minutes. Cool and puree using a blender. Add the warmed milk and a slice of butter to the cabbage and mix.

Reheat cooled cauliflower puree in the microwave or oven.

Recipes for children

Cauliflower goes well with many vegetables, so the children's menu can be easily varied with tasty and healthy dishes. Below are some popular recipes.

Cauliflower soup for baby (from 10 months)

To prepare the first dish you will need 2-3 inflorescences, a small potato, 20 grams of carrots, 20 grams of onions, 200 ml of water.

All ingredients must be thoroughly washed, peeled and cut. Bring a saucepan with water and potatoes to a boil on the stove, reduce heat and simmer for 7 minutes. Then add the remaining vegetables and cook for another 10 minutes. Pour the broth into a separate bowl, and mash the prepared soup ingredients with a masher or blender until smooth. Pour the broth into the puree, put it on the stove and boil.

You can add 5 grams of butter or 1/4 chicken yolk to the soup.

Cauliflower soup (from 12 months)

You will need 2-3 inflorescences, potatoes, 300 ml of water, 20 grams of carrots, 2 tbsp. spoons of sour cream, 5 grams of butter.

Peel, rinse and cut the vegetables into small pieces. Cook the potatoes for about 7 minutes. Add cabbage, carrots and cook for 10 minutes. Pour a small amount of broth into a separate bowl. Chop the prepared vegetables, add sour cream and butter. If the soup is too thick, you can dilute it with broth. Place on the stove and bring to a boil.

Milk soup for children (from 1.5 years old)

You will need the following ingredients: 2 cauliflower florets and the same amount of broccoli, potatoes, 100 ml of milk, 5 grams of butter, 200 ml of water, salt to taste.

Wash the vegetables, peel and chop finely. Boil the potatoes for 7 minutes, then add the cabbage. Pour in milk, add salt, boil and cook for 10 minutes. Add oil at the end. If the baby knows how to chew, then there is no need to puree the dish.

Cauliflower casserole (from 1.5 years)

To prepare you need 3-5 inflorescences, a tomato, a chicken egg, 100 grams of cheese, 50 ml of milk, butter, salt to taste.

Wash the cabbage, divide into small florets and throw into boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Next, pour into a colander to completely drain the water. Cut the inflorescences into pieces, place on the bottom of a baking dish, greased with butter, and place tomato cubes on top. Pour the eggs beaten with milk over the vegetables, add salt and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake for 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 degrees.

Steamed cauliflower puree

Steamed vegetables are different from boiled vegetables. They turn out much softer, but retain their taste and aroma.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1 head
Butter – 40 grams
Salt – 4 grams
Water – 500 milliliters

Preparation:

To steam cabbage, you need a double boiler or a multicooker with the “Steamer” mode. Wash the cabbage and divide it into florets of a size convenient for you, the main thing is that they fit in the steamer bowl. Fill with water and turn on the steamer. The cabbage will become soft in just 20-25 minutes. The wonderful aroma will quickly notify you of this. After stopping the cooking process, let the cabbage cool.

Place the cabbage in a convenient bowl and use an immersion blender to puree the cabbage. While chopping the cabbage, add the remaining ingredients: butter, salt. A smooth, creamy consistency means the dish is ready.

Which puree is better: store-bought or homemade?

Modern baby food manufacturers offer a wide range of purees. There are broccoli purees, cauliflower purees, as well as all kinds of vegetable mixes. But is it true that store-bought purees are better? Not always.

Often, the manufacturer, in addition to the required vegetables and water, adds foreign ingredients to the product.

Hipp, Fleur Alpine, Nutrica, Bebivita foods contain rice flour.
Hipp and Bebivita purees also contain rice starch, which can cause allergies in some children.
Some manufacturers add salt to food to make it tastier. But for babies under one year old, you should not add salt to food.

In addition, buying ready-made baby food is not always profitable. The price range for brands ranges from 35 to 55 rubles. For example:

Baby puree with cauliflower from the Hipp brand costs about 44 rubles;
The manufacturer Gerber offers the product for 53 rubles;
"Frutonyanya" is one of the cheapest analogues. The price of one jar is 32-35 rubles;
“Babushkino Basket” costs 39-42 rubles.

Cauliflower milk puree

Milk puree is one of the many classic cooking options; you can replace milk in the recipe with a vegetable milk drink, for example, add coconut milk and unsweetened coconut oil.

Ingredients:

Peeled cauliflower – 500 grams
Milk 2.5% fat - 200 ml.
Salt – 3 grams
Butter – 50 grams

Preparation:

Place the cauliflower, broken or finely chopped, into boiling water over medium heat. Add half a teaspoon of salt. Turn down the heat. Cook the cabbage until softened, no more than 30 minutes. Place the cooked cabbage in a colander.

Vegetable broth can be used in other dishes; if this is not possible, then simply freeze it in tight bags. Heat milk on the stove, dissolve butter in warm milk. Add cabbage to the pan with milk and mix with a blender. Delicious puree on your table.

How to choose cauliflower

Homemade purees or ready-made food from the store should be of the highest quality. Vegetable complementary foods from trusted manufacturers are guaranteed to be prepared taking into account strict requirements for raw materials and adherence to technology. When purchasing vegetables in a store or market, you cannot say with certainty that they have not been treated with chemicals. If you grow cauliflower and have no doubt about the quality, you can safely use it in baby food.

When choosing inflorescences, pay attention to signs of freshness and quality of the vegetable:

White or slightly yellowish inflorescences without spots
Bright green leaves
Elasticity and dense planting of inflorescences
No damage

When deciding whether store-bought or homemade purees are better, consider the price-quality-time ratio. Out of season and when you are short on time, it is advisable to stick to baby food in jars.

Criteria for choosing ready-made complementary foods:

Glass or aluminum packaging
Information about the age of children for whom the food is intended
Best before date
The composition should not contain preservatives, dyes, flavors, or thickeners.

Choose small jars designed for one day - opened puree cannot be stored in the refrigerator for longer.

Bounty cauliflower side dish

Extravagant dishes on your dinner table, why not? Coconut flakes perfectly complement the taste of cauliflower, you will get a savory dish between a dessert and a side dish.

Ingredients:

Curry ground spices – 3 grams
Turmeric – 3 grams
Cauliflower without stems – 600 grams
Salt – 5 grams
Coconut milk – 100 ml.
Water – 50 ml.
Coconut flakes – 20 grams

Preparation:

Add coconut milk to a small saucepan and bring boiling water to a boil, stirring. Place pre-prepared and chopped cabbage into the pan. Add salt. Cook until cabbage is done. After turning off the stove, add spices and grind the cabbage into a puree. Through a sieve using a silicone spatula or a blender. Stir coconut into puree.

Cauliflower puree with plant milk

You can also use dry vegetable milk or dry cream for the recipe.

Ingredients:

Soy milk – 150 ml.
Cauliflower (frozen) – 500 grams
Salt – 3 grams
Olive oil – 2 tbsp.

Preparation:

Heat soy milk on the stove in a thick-walled saucepan, add finely chopped cabbage, simmer for 20 minutes. Salt and add olive oil. Mash with a fork to a puree consistency and stir.

Recipes with cauliflower for babies

Casserole

Cauliflower – 0.5 kg;
Milk – 1 glass;
Eggs – 2 pieces;
Grated cheese – 100 g;
Greens and salt to taste.

Prepare and cook the cabbage. Beat the eggs and pour in the milk, stir, add salt if necessary. Pour the resulting mixture over the cabbage, sprinkle cheese on top and bake until golden brown at two hundred degrees. Decorate the finished casserole with chopped herbs. If desired, you can add tomatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces, to the recipe.

Cutlets

Cauliflower – 0.5 kg;
Flour – ¼ cup;
Egg – 1 pc.;
Chopped parsley – 1 tbsp. spoon.

Boil and chop the cabbage, break the egg, add flour and parsley. Mix well and form into small patties or meatballs. Fry in vegetable oil until tender or steam. These cutlets are good served with buckwheat, pasta or rice, or mashed potatoes.

Vegetable puree soup

Cauliflower – 250 grams;
Broccoli – 250 grams;
Carrots – 1 pc.;
Potatoes – 2 tubers;
Greens to taste.

Prepare and boil the vegetables separately, cut and grind in a blender. Add finely chopped greens, pour in the broth after the cabbage and stir. For babies older than eight months, you can add chopped meat or fish to the soup. Products must be prepared separately, since meat and fish broths are not recommended for small children. When cooked, meat and fish release extractive substances that negatively affect digestion.

Vegetable stew with chicken

Chicken fillet – 100 g;
Cauliflower – 300 gr;
Onion – ½ piece;
Carrots – 1 pc.;
Zucchini – 1 medium fruit;
Tomatoes – 2 pieces;
Green peas – 150 gr.;
Low-fat sour cream - 4 tablespoons. spoons.

This recipe is suitable for children over one and a half years old. Cook the chicken separately and cut it. Finely chop the onion and carrots and simmer in vegetable oil. Prepare the zucchini and cabbage, peel the tomato, chop and add to the onions and carrots. Simmer until the tomatoes are soft, then add the peas and add sour cream. Mix the ingredients and simmer for another 5-7 minutes. Instead of chicken, you can use beef, rabbit or turkey.

Cauliflower is also good for a nursing mother.
A safe vegetable can be introduced into the diet in the first week of breastfeeding. Read about the benefits of cauliflower during lactation at the link https://vskormi.ru/mama/cvetnaya-kapusta-pri-grudnom-vskarmlivanii/. Subscribe to our VKontakte group

Roasted cauliflower puree

To make baked cabbage more flavorful, add ground coriander seeds to the oil.

Ingredients:

Cabbage baked in the oven – 600 grams
Garlic – 3 cloves
Butter – 20 grams
Cream 15% fat -100 grams
Salt and spices, vegetable oil

Preparation:

Separate the cabbage with inflorescences from the stalk, grate the garlic, add garlic, a little vegetable oil, salt to the cabbage and grind it with your hands. Place the cabbage on a greased baking sheet and bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Add cream and butter to a saucepan and heat until smooth. Mix cabbage with sauce and chop.

You can replace the cream in the recipe with sour cream.

How to make cauliflower puree in a slow cooker

If your multicooker has advanced functions, cook vegetables in the “Steam” mode. Cauliflower does not take long to cook, 20 minutes is enough.

Ingredients:

Peeled cauliflower – 500 grams
Vegetable broth – 1 liter
Bay leaf – 1 pc.
Salt – 5 grams
Butter – 50 grams

Preparation:

Place the cabbage disassembled into inflorescences into the multicooker bowl, pour in vegetable broth, and add a bay leaf. Set the multicooker to “Soup” mode. After boiling, carefully remove the bay leaf and add salt. Cook cabbage for no more than 30 minutes. Remove the cabbage from the broth and let the water drain. Melt the butter in a water bath, then add to the cabbage. Puree.

How and how much to cook cauliflower for first feeding

Preparing cabbage for complementary feeding is simple. It needs to be washed, dividing it into inflorescences, and then pour cold, salted water for 10 minutes. This will help rid the cabbage of pests and contaminants. Then the vegetable must be rinsed from salt.

You need to cook the inflorescences in enamel or fireproof glass containers. Do not use metal utensils; contact with metal destroys vitamin C.

It is better to place the cabbage immediately in boiling water, so the loss of vitamins will be minimal.

Cooking time is at least 8-10 minutes after boiling, for frozen cabbage - 15-20 minutes.

How to cook in a slow cooker

Cabbage for the first feeding can be steamed in a slow cooker. To do this you need:

disassemble it into inflorescences, as described above;
place them in the multicooker basket;
pour about a liter of water into the body;
place the basket in the device and close the lid;
turn on the “Cooking” mode and cook for 15 minutes.

Creamy cauliflower puree

Cream cheese for the recipe should be chosen with a soft consistency. You can take cheese with any flavor, for example mushrooms, ham, this will make the taste of the cream puree more interesting.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower without stems and leaves – 600 grams
Cream cheese melted in a container – 150 grams
Low-fat milk – 150 ml.
Salt – 5 grams

Preparation:

Boil cabbage in water or steam until extremely soft. Rub through a sieve. Mix milk and cheese in a saucepan, melt until smooth, pour the grated cabbage into the saucepan, stir. Add salt. Simmer over moderate heat for another 10 minutes, stirring. Serve warm or hot.

Selection of vegetables

Cauliflower is sold in stores frozen or fresh. Frozen vegetables lose most of their beneficial microelements, so preference is given to unprocessed foods. During some seasons, it is impossible to find fresh cauliflower. To continue feeding your baby the product in this case, it is recommended to freeze the vegetable yourself.

During the “seasonal” time, it is easy to determine the suitability or unsuitability of cabbage, since it lies open on the counter. You should pay attention to the condition of the leaves and inflorescences (both color and the presence of deformations or pigments).

Reasons to refuse a purchase are:

yellow inflorescences with a loose consistency;
presence of pigments;
torn leaves, mangled inflorescences;
extensive darkened areas;
mold;
signs of plant disease.

The baby is very sensitive to new complementary foods, and if a harmful microorganism or stale product gets into it, this will lead to serious stomach upset. Therefore, the vegetable should be checked carefully before purchasing.

Side dish of cauliflower with hard cheese and cream

Cheese and cream will enhance the already creamy and delicate taste of cauliflower.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower – 700 grams
Potatoes – 3 pcs.
Cream – 100 ml.
Hard cheese – 150 grams

Preparation:

Wash the vegetables and cut into medium-sized pieces. Potatoes cook more slowly, so take this into account. Pour milk over vegetables and put on fire. Cook for 30 minutes. Grate the cheese on a fine grater. In a saucepan, use an immersion blender to puree the vegetables, adding cream to the desired consistency. Stir in cheese. Add salt.

Selection of vegetables

Reasons to refuse a purchase are:

yellow inflorescences with a loose consistency;
presence of pigments;
torn leaves, mangled inflorescences;
extensive darkened areas;
mold;
signs of plant disease.

Cauliflower and broccoli puree

When choosing frozen broccoli, pay attention to the shelf life and integrity of the packaging. Cabbage in the package should be palpable in individual inflorescences without a thick layer of ice. If the cabbage is wrinkled or there is a lot of ice in the package, it means it was re-frozen or stored incorrectly.

Ingredients:

Broccoli – 500 grams
Cauliflower – 500 grams
Onion – 1 pc.
Butter – 50 grams
Salt – 5 grams
Sugar – 7 grams

Preparation:

Boil broccoli and cauliflower in salted water until tender. Fry the onion in a small amount - 10 grams of butter with added sugar until golden brown. Grind the vegetables in a blender, add oil and onion, mix.

Which is better: frozen or fresh?

Of course, it is better to prepare dishes for children from high-quality, fresh, ripened vegetables, so if it is summer or autumn, it is better to choose fresh cabbage. When frozen, some of the vitamins are lost.

However, the frozen version is suitable for winter, when there are no fresh vegetables, but only imported ones. It’s better to freeze several bags of cauliflower inflorescences from your own garden in the summer than to buy fresh, but imported ones.

Summer side dish - raw cauliflower puree

Raw cauliflower is easy to digest and does not leave you feeling hungry.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower – 650 grams
Water – 50 ml
Fine salt – 3-7 grams

Preparation:

Pour boiling water over the cabbage and cut into any shape. Place in a food processor and add warm water. Grind the cauliflower until soft, adding water. Add some salt.

When is it allowed to be introduced into complementary foods?

Cauliflower is easily accepted by the gastrointestinal tract of both adults and children. It is quickly digested and does not cause bloating, belching or heartburn. This is why nutritionists love her very much. In combination with its rich chemical composition and low calorie content, this vegetable is an indispensable product for the first feeding of infants.

You can introduce it into your baby’s diet immediately after green zucchini, starting at 6-7 months.

This recommendation applies to healthy breastfed or bottle-fed babies whose weight corresponds to the norm - girls at 6-7 months of age weigh on average 6.5-7.5 kg, and boys at the same age are slightly heavier - 7-8 kg. If the child is underweight, suffers from diarrhea and flatulence, and regurgitates heavily, then the issue of introducing cauliflower into complementary foods should be discussed with the pediatrician.

Cauliflower, zucchini and sweet pepper puree

It would be useful to make homemade freezes from zucchini, sweet peppers and cauliflower. Cut raw vegetables, mix and place in portions in a storage container. If necessary, boil and puree. A quick and delicious side dish is ready.

Ingredients:

Peeled cauliflower – 250 grams
Peeled zucchini – 200 grams
Sweet pepper without pulp – 150 grams
Sour cream – 50 ml.
Garlic – 3 cloves
Ground black pepper – 2 grams
Salt – 3 grams

Preparation:

In a deep frying pan, fry chopped garlic in olive oil, add chopped cabbage, zucchini and pepper, fry the vegetables over high heat, stirring vigorously. After 5 minutes, pour in warm water and simmer the vegetables until tender – 25 minutes. Salt and puree the vegetables, for example in a blender.

Chemical composition and calorie content of cauliflower

The head of this vegetable is one large inflorescence of many fleshy peduncles, which are eaten.

Cauliflower is very rich in vitamins: it contains more ascorbic acid than lemon, and also a sufficient amount of vitamins A, group B, E, folic acid, biotin and niacin. Of the micro- and macroelements, it contains a lot of potassium, magnesium, sodium and phosphorus, calcium and zinc. The curly vegetable contains several times more iron than green peas, lettuce and bell pepper. This combination is very important for a growing organism.

It contains the substance indole-3-carbinol, which catalyzes the metabolism of estrogen and prevents the growth of cancer cells in the body. Unique tatronic acid has a dual effect: it reduces appetite and burns excess fat in the body.

The calorie content of the vegetable is very low - only 28 kcal per 100 grams of raw product

Cauliflower puree for babies

For baby puree, it is better to take the ingredients for one serving. There is no need to store or preserve cauliflower puree; it is important that the product retains all its beneficial qualities.

Ingredients:

Fresh or frozen cauliflower – 200 grams
Boiled water – 200 ml.
A pinch of salt - in portions

Preparation:

Cover the cabbage with water and boil until tender. Mash with a fork and add salt. For older children, you can add boiled milk; for very young children, leave the puree without topping.

Darkened cabbage inflorescences are not suitable for cooking.

Serve it original

The harmonious taste of cabbage puree will be emphasized by its original presentation. Vegetable puree can be presented on lettuce leaves. Your guests will be delighted by the “roses” made from puree, squeezed out of a pastry bag with a shaped nozzle. If you place the puree on the table in a large dish, you can decorate it with pomegranate seeds and herbs or draw a design on it with ketchup.

In total, the preparatory stage, preparing and serving cauliflower puree will take you from 40 minutes to an hour. Take this time to please yourself and your loved ones with a real vitamin cocktail - nourishing and tasty, but at the same time, dietary and healthy.

If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl+Enter.

Cauliflower puree with chopped herbs

You can serve this dish as follows: place puree on green salad leaves and garnish with arugula leaves.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower – 1 head
Cilantro – 1 bunch
Dill – 1 bunch
Parsley – 1 bunch
Fresh mint, marjoram - little by little

Preparation:

Disassemble the cabbage into inflorescences, add water and boil until tender. Rinse the greens under running water; it is convenient to rinse the greens in a colander. Dry with paper towels and chop finely. Boil the cauliflower, chop it and add the chopped greens to the puree.

How to freeze for the winter

Let's look at step-by-step instructions on how to prepare cauliflower at home for freezing:

The head of cabbage must be thoroughly washed, divided into inflorescences, filled with cold water and left to soak for half an hour to get rid of possible insects.
After this, the cabbage must be kept for 5 minutes in new cold water, but with the addition of the juice of half a lemon. This will preserve its color, juiciness and most of the nutrients.
Place a pot of water on the stove, bring to a boil and add the inflorescences to it. Cook for 5 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water.
Place the vegetables on a tray and let them dry thoroughly. Place into bags and place in the freezer.

Frozen cauliflower can be stored for no more than 6 months.

Cauliflower puree with potatoes and nut sauce

Making hot sauce out of peanut sauce is a great idea. To do this, add 1/3 teaspoon of ground red pepper, chili or Tabasco.

Ingredients:

Medium size potatoes – 3 pcs.
Frozen cauliflower – 250 grams
Salt – 5 grams
For the sauce:
Butter – 40 grams
Soy sauce – 50 ml.
Peanut butter – 60 grams
Ground peanuts – 50 grams
Salt – 3 grams

Preparation:

Grind the nuts using a coffee grinder, but do not bring them to fine crumbs, there should be small pieces. In a saucepan over a water bath, mix soy sauce and oil, do not bring to a boil. Add peanut butter and mix vigorously until it reaches the consistency of sour cream. Add salt to taste.

Ground peanuts can be poured into the already cooled sauce. To make the puree, rinse the potatoes and cabbage under running water, cut them, put them on the stove and cook until tender. 25-30 minutes. Salt and puree. Pour in milk according to taste and desire, the sauce turns out to be very rich in taste and perfectly complements the mono puree.