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    Home » Recipe » Vegetarian » Cauliflower Mushrooms And Wild Mushroom Gratin

    Cauliflower Mushrooms And Wild Mushroom Gratin

    Published: Nov 2, 2018 · Modified: Feb 24, 2022 by Sabrina Currie · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This cauliflower mushroom recipe is luxurious and rich, the perfect way to make the best of these uncommon and delicious wild mushrooms. Wild mushroom gratin has a creamy, spinach laced inside with a crisp, garlic and herb crumb topping. Easy and fast to put together with just a few simple ingredients!

    Wild cauliflower mushroom gratin with green topping has been scooped onto plate with a piece each of orange colored roast chicken and squash.

    What is a cauliflower mushroom?

    While out mushrooming recently, my husband found a real treasure, a cauliflower mushroom.  We have found them before but it's been awhile. Cauliflower mushrooms are not as prolific as many of the other wild mushrooms around here but the fun thing about them is that they can get HUGE. They can vary from 1-10 pounds and sometimes even larger!

    A cauliflower mushroom that has been torn into pieces ready to cook. The mushroom is a warm, light cream color and there is some Italian parsley and a glass of white wine in the picture.

    For more ways to use cauliflower mushrooms, try them in my Wild Mushroom Lentil Stew, West Coast Wild Mushroom Soup or Vegetarian Mushroom Sandwich. They are excellent in all three of these recipes.

    Closeup of wild cauliflower mushroom. It is creamy white in color with slightly darker frilly looking edges.
    Foraged Wild Cauliflower Mushroom

    The cauliflower mushroom we got was about twice the size of an adult head. I'd estimate it weighed about 2 pounds and it was a beauty. Fresh and relatively clean, it smelled wonderful, woodsy and mushroomy-we were so excited!

    How to cook cauliflower mushrooms

    We cooked up a pan full of this choice wild mushroom right away with a little butter, garlic and parsley, then spooned the pieces onto little toasts topped with a little parmesan. We were in heaven, yum! These are easy to fry or saute, in fact you can use the same recipe I use for my Fried Oyster Mushrooms for a simple and reliable result. Cauliflower mushrooms can be torn apart into bite size pieces just like oyster mushrooms. They do hold mush more water than oyster mushrooms though, so they will need to cook a little longer.

    Next up we needed a mushroom casserole and that's how why I created this cauliflower mushroom gratin recipe.

    Wild Cauliflower Mushroom Toast
    Wild Cauliflower Mushroom Toast

    Taste, smell and appearance

    Cauliflower mushrooms are easy to identify with no really close look-a-likes and they are definitely a choice mushroom.  They smell and taste amazing with a clean herbaceous mushroom aroma and a nice firm texture despite their delicate and frilly appearance.  Creamy white, the texture looks very delicate but is actually firmer and sturdier than you might think.

    How to clean cauliflower mushrooms

    You need to clean them carefully because there are a lot of spots dirt and bugs can hide but I found tearing it into large chunks as I went made it easy.  I cleaned mine with some running water which worked well, the mushroom didn't seem to absorb much water and as I cleaned each chunk I laid them on a clean tea towel to dry a bit before cooking.

    If your mushroom is particularly dirty or has small bugs, try immersing it in a bowl of cold salt water and then gently cleaning it there before rinsing with clean water.

    Small piece of creamy white colored curly looking cauliflower mushroom on tea towel.

    More ways to use this mushroom

    After we finished our mushroom toasts, I made a pasta with both cauliflower and chanterelle mushrooms, Italian sausage, tomato, chili flakes, and a little cream.  (Have I mentioned that mushrooms are one of my favourite foods? #givemeallthemushrooms)

    Wild Mushroom Pasta
    Wild Mushroom Pasta

    What to serve with mushroom gratin

    Creamy and garlicky with a crispy topping of parsley, cheese and bread crumbs this is my ultimate comfort food. Serve it with some fresh veggies and something with protein.

    Try it with some hearty fresh bread (Fast and Easy Rosemary No Knead Bread) and my Rocket and Pear Salad with blue cheese and nuts for a great vegetarian fall dinner. 

    Another lovely menu would be Apple Walnut Salad and some fresh pasta to serve under the gratin.

    Last fall we paired with with a roast chicken and squash cooked in our little cabin oven. It made a soul-warming dinner on a dark and cold fall evening.

    Easy Vegetarian Cauliflower Mushroom Gratin
    Easy Vegetarian Cauliflower Mushroom Gratin

    Step by step instructions


    Preheat oven to 350'F

    Wash or brush clean your cauliflower mushroom and tear into large bite sized pieces. Remember they will shrink as they cook so make them at least double the size you'd like them to end up.

    Cleaning Cauliflower Mushrooms

    Make the bread crumb mixture by pulsing garlic, parsley and salt in a food processor until the garlic is chopped well, then add the bread and pulse until it is an even fine bread crumb mixture.

    Bread Crumb Parsley and Garlic Topping For Gratin

    Heat the oil in a large pan on medium, once heated, add the mushrooms and saute until they are cooked down and liquid is gone, then add stock and simmer until liquid is reduced by half.

    Cooking Cauliflower Mushrooms

    Add sour cream, ½ cup of the cheese, and spinach if using. Stir gently to incorporate and wilt spinach, then add ½ of the bread crumb mixture and stir in.

    Sour Cream Parsley and Wild Mushrooms

    Season to taste with salt and pepper then scrape mixture into an oven safe 9x7 baking dish.

    The finished gratin with green herb and cheese topping in a 9" x 7" baking dish ready to be put in oven.

    Mix bread crumbs and remaining ½ cup of cheese together and sprinkle evenly over mushroom mixture and bake in oven until browned on top, approximately 20 minutes.

    Wild cauliflower mushroom gratin with green topping has been scooped onto plate with a piece each of orange colored roast chicken and squash.

    Substitutions, Variations and Tips

    • I've used cauliflower mushrooms here because we had found a large, fresh one this year and despite it's delicate appearance, it keeps a nice firm texture once cooked.  This would be wonderful with other wild mushrooms too, like chanterelles or a mixture of soft and firm mushrooms like lobster and oyster. 
    • Cauliflower mushroom gratin is easy and can be assembled ahead of time, then baked just before serving. 
    • I used some spinach in this which I loved but my husband and daughter thought the spinach was too strong so use it or omit it as you feel.
    Easy Vegetarian Cauliflower Mushroom Gratin
    Easy Vegetarian Cauliflower Mushroom Gratin

    Related Recipes

    • 60+ Best Vegan Mushroom Recipes
    • Fried Oyster Mushrooms
    • Vegetarian Mushroom Sandwich
    • Chicken and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

    For more on what I'm cooking up, follow me on Instagram or Facebook. You might also like my FREE printable weekly meal planner.

    Cheers friends! Sabrina

    Cheers to the good things!

    ox Sabrina

    Easy Vegetarian Cauliflower Mushroom Gratin

    Wild Cauliflower Mushroom Gratin

    Simple, delicious and creamy wild mushroom gratin with a crispy herb and garlic topping is the ultimate way to serve cauliflower mushrooms.
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner, Side Dish, Vegetable
    Cuisine: canadian, Mushrooms, PNW, Vegetarian, West Coast, Wild Food
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 382kcal
    Author: Sabrina Currie

    Ingredients

    • 6 c Wild Mushrooms, Washed And Cut Into 1-2 " Pieces
    • 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
    • 1 c Vegetable Stock
    • 1 c Sour Cream (Light is fine but not fat free)
    • 2 c Spinach (Optional)
    • 1 c Grated Old Cheddar, Divided Gruyere is also delicious
    • Salt And Pepper To Taste

    Bread Crumb Mixture

    • 1 ½ c Dry Bread
    • 2 cloves Garlic
    • ½ c Parsley
    • ½ teaspoon Salt

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350'F
    • Make the bread crumb mixture by pulsing garlic, parsley and salt in a food processor until the garlic is chopped well, then add the bread and pulse until it is an even fine bread crumb mixture. 
    • Tear mushrooms apart into extra large bite size pieces. Heat the oil in a large pan on medium, once heated, add the mushrooms and sauté until they are cooked down and liquid is gone, then add stock and simmer until liquid is reduced by half.
    • Add sour cream, ½ cup of the cheese, and spinach if using.  Stir gently to incorporate and wilt spinach, then add ½ of the bread crumb mixture and stir in. Season to taste with salt and pepper then scrape mixture into an oven safe 9x7 baking dish.
    • Mix bread crumbs and remaining ½ cup of cheese together and sprinkle evenly over mushroom mixture and bake in oven until browned on top, approximately 20 minutes. 

    Notes

    I added spinach for the color and vitamins but my husband and daughter both preferred this without spinach so feel free to omit it if you don't love cooked spinach.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 727mg | Potassium: 900mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1870IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 251mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @wckitchengarden or tag #wckitchengarden!
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    « Cardamom Cake
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    About Sabrina Currie

    Classically French trained cook, photographer and food stylist living on beautiful Vancouver Island, BC.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Raquel

      May 23, 2021 at 12:19 pm

      5 stars
      So delicious and easy to make!

      Reply
    2. sarah

      May 23, 2021 at 2:04 pm

      5 stars
      this recipe is truly a delight!

      Reply

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