Choose a large head of cauliflower for this recipe. We recommend using a cauliflower head that weighs roughly 1.5 to 2 pounds. After cutting your cauliflower, you should end up with a little over 1 pound of cauliflower pieces.

If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer the cauliflower and remaining stock to a blender and purée until smooth, making sure to remove the center cap piece so that any steam can escape as you blend.

Substitutions. Use chicken or turkey stock in place of vegetable stock if you aren't vegetarian. Use 1 pound frozen cauliflower florets in place of fresh cauliflower if you like (just extend the cook time by 2 minutes for best results).

Equipment. We tested this recipe with a 6-qt. Instant Pot Duo60 and a 6-qt. Instant Pot Lux. Both worked great! This recipe has not been tested with other pressure cooker brands or other Instant Pot models/sizes. If you have a large Instant Pot, we recommend doubling this recipe to ensure you have enough liquid for the appliance to come up to full pressure. As always, please use your best judgment and follow the care instructions for your own equipment.

To freeze this cauliflower cream, let it cool completely and transfer to an airtight container. Freeze and use within 3-4 months for best results. To defrost, let cauli cream thaw overnight in the fridge and then use normally. If the sauce doesn't look as smooth after freezing and defrosting, give it a quick zap with an immersion blender to smooth it back out.

How to use this cauliflower cream. Use this sauce in place of dairy sauces like a béchamel or cream of mushroom soup, or to thicken sauces and soups in lieu of a roux or cornstarch slurry. Be sure to read through this full article for links to our favorite cauliflower cream sauce recipes, including cauliflower mac and cheese and cauliflower fettuccine alfredo.

Adapting recipes to use cauliflower cream. We like to use 3/4 cup of cauli cream for every 1 cup of milk called for in a recipe (while also omitting any thickening agents like a roux or cornstarch slurry). If a recipe calls for a thicker ingredient, like a cream-of-something soup, you can usually swap cauliflower cream in 1:1.