Cauliflower rice. Have you all tried this yet? Cauliflower is just little Miss Popularity these days. Call it a trend, call it a shift towards healthier eating, call it whatever you want. How long it takes: 25 minutes (cooked) Equipment you’ll need: food processor, large skillet Servings: 4 I’m always looking for ways to incorporate more veggies into my meal plans and cauliflower is a nutritious low-carb option that’s very low in calories, to boot. I love my cauliflower alfredo sauce and Instant Pot cauliflower potato soup. Both recipes are super creamy due to puréed cauliflower slyly standing in for heavy cream.
About This Recipe
There are two parts to this recipe. The first part is learning how to make cauliflower rice, i.e. turn the head of cauliflower into “rice”. You can convert this uncooked cauliflower rice into lots of recipes, from pizza crusts to tortillas. It can be added to soups or salads. To save time, freeze the raw cauliflower rice so it’s handy. You don’t even have to thaw it before using it in a recipe. The second part of this recipe is cooking the rice to serve with stir fries or other meals where you would usually enjoy rice, or turning it into a tasty side dish seasoned with garlic, onions, and butter.
What You’ll Need
Cauliflower: Look for a firm unblemished white head with compact florets. The outer leaves should be green and fairly fresh looking. The larger the cauliflower, the more rice you’ll get. Garlic: Just one clove is enough to gently season the rice. Onion: An onion is optional but it does add flavor and a nice texture. Butter: A tablespoon of butter gives the cauliflower good flavor. Olive Oil: Just a bit of heart-healthy olive oil is added to the butter for sautéing. If you prefer, you can omit the butter and use all olive oil, or another oil of your choice. Salt and Pepper: Simple seasoning that enhances the flavor of the “rice”. You can add other seasonings that you like. Herbs are really good, too.
How To Make Cauliflower Rice
First of all, you need to turn that big ol’ head of cauliflower into something that has the texture of white rice (or couscous, if that’s how you prefer to think of it). Begin by cutting the cauliflower into florets. Use as much of the stems as you want, except for the really woody part right at the bottom. Rinse the cauliflower and drain it well. I usually give it a spin in my salad spinner to remove the excess water. Put the cauliflower florets in your food processor with the S-blade. They won’t all fit at once so you’ll have to do it in batches. It’s better not to stuff it super full. Pulse/process until the cauliflower resembles rice. Note: When you see that most of the cauliflower in the processor has the right texture but there are still a few large pieces, stop. Remove the larger pieces, scrape the rice out of the processor into a large bowl, and put the large pieces into the next batch. Don’t over process the cauliflower into teensy-weensy bits (i.e., mush). At this point, the cauliflower can be used in a variety of ways or frozen raw for later use. Check out “10 Awesome Uses for Cauliflower Rice” by Academy of Culinary Nutrition for recipes for pizza crust, sushi, stuffed peppers, fried rice, and more. If you would like to serve the cauliflower rice as a side dish, continue with the recipe. Sauté the onions and garlic in a olive oil/butter mixture and add the cauliflower rice. Cover and cook for a few minutes, then uncover and cook for a few more minutes. It becomes tender quickly and is ready to serve in about 10 minutes.
Make It Your Own
Don’t have a food processor? Use a box grater to turn the florets into “rice”. It will take a bit longer to accomplish, be a bit messier, and please watch out for your fingers. Leave the florets as large as possible so you have something to hang onto. When cooking the rice as a side dish, feel free to season it any way you like. Just like white rice, you can make a pilaf, season it with southwestern spices, or add pretty much whatever you like. Not a fan of cauliflower or looking for more low-carb alternatives? Try roasted radishes. Radishes that are roasted are mellow in flavor and can stand in for potatoes in many recipes.
Make-Ahead Ideas
It’s easy to turn a whole head of cauliflower into “rice” but it makes a lot! The good news is you can freeze the raw cauliflower rice in labeled freezer bags. It will keep for up to six months. There’s no need to thaw frozen cauliflower rice before cooking it. You may need to add a bit more cooking time
Storage & Reheating Tips
Cooked cauliflower rice will keep in the refrigerator for up to four days. To reheat, warm it up in a skillet or individual portions in the microwave.
More Cauliflower Recipes
Roasted Cauliflower Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Cheddar Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites Vegetarian Curry with Cauliflower & Chickpeas Pickled Cauliflower (refrigerator pickles) Cauliflower, Cheddar and Potato Bake The Best Cauliflower Nachos Vegetarian Tacos with Cauliflower
