Steaming a whole cauliflower in the Thermomix® works in the Varoma in 35 to 45 minutes. Here is how: add 600 g water and 1 tsp salt to the mixing bowl, place the cleaned whole head (approx. 900 g) in the Varoma and cook on Varoma / speed 1. After 40 minutes, pierce the stalk with a knife. If it goes through without resistance, the head is done. This makes 4 servings at just 56 kcal each.
We steam cauliflower whole whenever it is meant to be a centrepiece rather than disappear into a pan. A whole head looks far better on the table than a pile of florets, and in the Varoma it cooks evenly all the way through without any stirring or turning. Served with a Sauce Hollandaise from the Thermomix®, it becomes a side dish in under an hour that looks as though it took a lot more effort.
Whole Cauliflower Gratin, Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 7 ✓
- 30 g Parmesan
- 600 g water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 head cauliflower
- 30 g Black Forest ham
- 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 20 g butter
Instructions 0 / 3
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1
Add Parmesan in pieces to the mixing bowl, chop 10 seconds / speed 10 and set aside.
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2
Add water and salt to the mixing bowl. Wash the cauliflower, remove the stalk and leaves, place in the Varoma and cook 35 minutes / Varoma / speed 1.
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3
Preheat the oven to 170 °C fan. Place the cauliflower in a baking dish, cut the ham into strips and distribute over the cauliflower. Mix the Parmesan with the breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the cauliflower. Dot with butter flakes and bake on the middle shelf for 15 to 20 minutes until golden.
Nutrition per serving
Whole head instead of florets: why the stalk trick matters
We deliberately leave the cauliflower as a whole head in the Varoma so the thick stalk softens inside while the florets stay wonderfully tender on the outside. For 800 to 1,000 g we allow 35 to 45 minutes at Varoma / speed 1. Florets would be done in 25 minutes, but they break up easily and look like leftovers on the plate.
Our most important step: score the stalk in a cross about 2 cm deep before steaming. This lets the steam reach deep into the dense core so the centre cooks evenly alongside the outer florets. Without this cut the florets are already soft while the stalk is still hard and glassy inside. That is exactly where the Varoma has the edge over a pot: the steam surrounds the whole head from every direction rather than cooking it only from below in water. With 600 g of water in the mixing bowl, a single fill is enough for the full cooking time, so there is no need to top it up.
Anyone who wants to finish the head in the oven can rub it with a paste of 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 garlic clove and 1 tsp cumin before steaming, then roast it for 8 to 10 minutes at 220 °C after the Varoma step. With tahini yoghurt and pomegranate seeds it becomes a modern main course rather than a classic side dish.
Water, salt and cooking time: the three variables for the Varoma
Three values determine whether the head turns out perfectly: the amount of water in the mixing bowl, the salt and the time. We use 600 g water and 1 tsp salt. The salt can go straight into the cooking water, as the rising steam carries some of it along and seasons the cauliflower gently from the inside. Anyone who prefers a stronger flavour can season the finished head again just before serving.
The cooking time depends mainly on the size of the head. Here are our benchmarks from many Sunday dinners:
- Up to 800 g: 35 minutes / Varoma / speed 1
- 800 to 1,000 g: 40 minutes / Varoma / speed 1
- Over 1,000 g: up to 45 minutes / Varoma / speed 1
Do not skip the skewer test: after 40 minutes we pierce the centre of the stalk with a thin knife. If it goes through without resistance, the head is done. If we still feel a firm core, we add 5 more minutes. Better to check once more than risk a soggy outer edge with a raw centre.
The common pitfalls that spoil a beautiful head
The head is soft on the outside but still raw inside
The most common frustration with a whole cauliflower: the florets are already falling off but the stalk still crunches. Our solution: score the stalk in a cross 2 cm deep and place the head stalk-side down in the Varoma. This way the densest part cooks first and everything finishes at the same time.
The steam cannot get through
If the entire base of the Varoma is covered with leaves and stalk offcuts, the steam backs up and the head takes forever. Our solution: remove the wilted outer leaves but leave a few tender inner ones (they look nice and protect the florets). Position the head so that several steam slots remain clear.
The cauliflower turns grey instead of white
Cooking for too long turns cauliflower grey and sulphurous. Our solution: do not go beyond 45 minutes and do the skewer test in good time. A squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of milk in the cooking water keeps the florets a little brighter, but this is cosmetic rather than essential.
Hot steam escapes when you open the Varoma
After 40 minutes of cooking there is a great deal of hot steam inside the Varoma. Our solution: always open the lid away from your body and wait a moment for the first rush of steam to escape. Steam scalds just as quickly as boiling water, and many people underestimate this.
From steaming to a special dish: three ways to go further
The steamed head is the base. We take it in different directions depending on the occasion:
- Classic gratin (our second recipe below): chop 30 g Parmesan in the mixing bowl for 10 seconds / speed 10, mix with 2 tbsp breadcrumbs, scatter over the steamed head along with 30 g Black Forest ham, dot with 20 g butter flakes and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 170 °C fan.
- Brown butter coating: cook 50 g butter in a pan until nutty brown, toast a handful of flaked almonds in it and pour over the finished head. Nutty and no oven needed.
- Vegetarian main course: rub the seasoned head with spices after the Varoma step, roast for 10 minutes at 220 °C and serve with tahini yoghurt, pomegranate and parsley.
Whole or in florets is ultimately a question of occasion. We go for the whole head on Sunday when it needs to look impressive. Quick and suitable for weekdays is the floret version, which we show in detail in Steaming Cauliflower in the Thermomix® Varoma (1 kg in 25 minutes).
Sauces and accompaniments that work with the whole head
A whole steamed cauliflower is mild and needs a bold partner on the plate. We love serving it with a Sauce Hollandaise made in the Thermomix® in just a few minutes, which never splits. Boiled potatoes or a piece of pan-fried meat round it off nicely.
If you enjoy cauliflower, we have more ideas: it turns crispy as a Low-Carb Cauliflower Pizza, filling as Low-Carb Cauliflower Rice, warming as Cauliflower Soup and rich as a Cauliflower Gratin. Anyone who wants to understand the Varoma better can read our Varoma Guide.
How to store steamed cauliflower properly
Once cooked, cauliflower keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge before it breaks up into individual florets. We store it in a sealed container and eat the leftovers cold with a vinaigrette as a salad or warmed up. Reheating takes 2 minutes in the microwave or 10 minutes in the oven at 150 °C covered with foil so it does not dry out.
Goes well with: Ham and mashed potatoes.
Also worth trying: Savoy cabbage steamed in the Thermomix® Varoma.
Freezing works but is not our preferred option: once thawed, the steamed head goes soft and loses its bite. When we cook ahead, we prefer to blanch the cauliflower briefly, freeze it in florets and steam it fresh later. The gratin version should really come straight from the oven anyway, as the crust goes soggy on reheating.
