Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Cauliflower Sauce
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Looking for squeeze in more vegetables for yourself or your kids this year? This creamy vegan cauliflower pasta sauce not only makes your sauce creamy but packs the added nutritional punch without taking away from the tomato flavor. Made with wholesome ingredients like cauliflower, nutritional yeast, and sun-dried tomatoes, it’s a velvety alternative to traditional past sauce that everyone will love. Perfect for busy weeknights or a cozy plant-based dinner, for more options be sure to checkout my latest round up of plant-based recipes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rich and Creamy: Thanks to boiled cauliflower and almond milk, this sauce has an irresistibly smooth texture without needing heavy cream.
- Vegan & Dairy-Free: Completely plant-based and allergy-friendly.
- Healthy & Nourishing: Low in calories, packed with nutrients, and made with simple, clean ingredients.
- Customizable: Adjust the seasoning to your taste or toss in your favorite veggies for a nutrient boost.
🛒 Ingredients to Grab
Here’s everything you need to make this easy vegan cauliflower pasta sauce:
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 32 fl oz of veggie broth
- 2 tablespoons Earth Balance plant-based butter (or your preferred vegan butter)
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp salt and pepper (to taste)
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional, for a bit of heat)
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (for that cheesy flavor)
- 1 cup almond milk
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (to thin the sauce as needed)
Let’s walk through it step by step!
Don’t like reading? Prefer to watch? Skip to the recipe for a step by step video!
- Prep the Cauliflower: Start by cutting up the head of cauliflower into manageable florets.
- Boil Until Soft: Place the cauliflower in a pot with water and boil for 5–10 minutes until soft.
- Flavor Infusion: While the cauliflower is cooking, melt the vegan butter in a small saucepan. Stir in garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes, letting the flavors bloom for 1–2 minutes.
- Blend to Perfection: Add the cooked cauliflower, butter mixture, sun-dried tomatoes, nutritional yeast, and almond milk to a blender. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. If the sauce feels too thick, drizzle in olive oil to reach your desired consistency.
- Serve and Enjoy: Toss the velvety sauce with your favorite pasta, garnish with fresh herbs, and serve warm.
⏰ Time Saver Tips
In a pinch? or like to meal prep? Here are a few tricks for making this already easy recipe easier for those weeknight meals.
- Steam Bag Veggies: Grab a bag of frozen cauliflower florets, pop them in the microwave as directed and skip straight to the blender! This is a huge time saver and reduces the clean up!
- Meal Prep
- Pre-cook your pasta for the week
- Make this sauce ahead, store in the fridge and reheat in a breeze!
Time Saving Ingredients & Tools
📕 Nutritional Benefits of this sauce
Im happy to see more people caring about the food we’re putting our bodies. I too have become more and more interested in learning the nutritional benefits of various foods and how I can use them for whatever my health goals may be. Here are a few nutritional benefits of this sauce.
- Cauliflower: A low-carb, vitamin-rich vegetable that’s naturally creamy when blended.
- Nutritional Yeast: Packed with B vitamins and offers a cheesy umami flavor.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Adds depth and a slightly tangy sweetness.
Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Cauliflower Sauce
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Sneak in those vegetables during the week with this quick and easy plant-based cauliflower sauce with sun-dried tomatoes. Grab your blender and let’s get cooking!
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 32 fl oz of veggie broth
- 2 tablespoons Earth Balance plant-based butter (or your preferred vegan butter)
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp salt and pepper (to taste)
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional, for a bit of heat)
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (for that cheesy flavor)
- 1 cup almond milk
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (to thin the sauce as needed)
Instructions
Prep the Cauliflower: Start by cutting up the head of cauliflower into manageable florets.
Boil Until Soft: Place the cauliflower in a pot with water and boil for 5–10 minutes until soft.
Flavor Infusion: While the cauliflower is cooking, melt the vegan butter in a small saucepan. Stir in garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes, letting the flavors bloom for 1–2 minutes.
Blend to Perfection: Add the cooked cauliflower, butter mixture, sun-dried tomatoes, nutritional yeast, and almond milk to a blender. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. If the sauce feels too thick, drizzle in olive oil to reach your desired consistency.
Serve and Enjoy: Toss the velvety sauce with your favorite pasta, garnish with fresh herbs, and serve warm.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner
