This hearty, flavor-packed dish is another standout recipe from Rachel Riggs’ new cookbook, In Good Health. With tender, slow-cooked French Onion Beef served over creamy garlic mashed cauliflower, it’s comfort food reimagined – nourishing, low-carb, and deeply satisfying. It’s the perfect way to enjoy a cozy classic while still supporting your wellness goals. Big flavor, zero compromise.

This hearty beef dish, paired with your favorite vegetable mash, is as simple as it is comforting. It fills your home with the warm, inviting aroma of French onion soup and provides essential nutrients that can be lacking if red meat isn’t part of your regular rotation. Low-effort yet high-volume, it’s a meal you can enjoy for several days in a row or freeze for a quick, satisfying dinner down the line.

Savory French Onion Beef

SERVES 10

Ingredients:

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced on a mandoline (see Note)

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced on a mandoline (see Note)

10 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon pink salt

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

4 lbs (1.8 kg) boneless beef chuck roast, twine removed

Chopped chives, for garnish (optional)

Maldon flake salt, for sprinkling

Vegetable mash of choice, to serve

Method:

Combine all ingredients, except chives and flake salt, in a slow cooker in the order listed, with the chuck roast sitting on top. Cover, set it to high, and cook for 3 hours.

Use a pair of tongs to flip over the roast, then cook for another 3 hours.

Using 2 forks, break roast into smaller chunks so it will cook evenly and absorb all the other flavors. Cook for another 2 hours.

This creamy cauliflower mash is a righteous stand-in for mashed potatoes. Simmering the cauliflower in coconut milk – instead of boiling in water and pouring it away – preserves its nutrients.

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

SERVES 6–8

Ingredients:

2 large heads of cauliflower, finely chopped

1 (13.5-oz/400-ml) can full-fat, additive-free coconut milk

3 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped

2 teaspoons pink salt, plus extra to taste

Maldon flake salt, for sprinkling

Chopped chives, for garnish

Method:

In a stockpot, combine cauliflower, coconut milk, garlic, and pink salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 20 minutes, until cauliflower is very tender. Remove from the heat, uncover, and allow it to sit for 10 minutes so the excess moisture can evaporate.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until smooth. (Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender for a denser, silkier purée.) Season to taste with more pink salt.

Transfer to a serving bowl, then sprinkle with flake salt and chives.

Excerpted from In Good Health: Uncomplicated, Allergen-Aware Recipes for a Nourished Life © 2025 by Rachel Riggs. Reproduced with the permission of Figure 1 Publishing.

Photography by Colin Price and styled by Marian Cooper Cairns.