I hope all of you aren’t getting tired of using cauliflower in your weekly cooking yet because today I have another delicious recipe for you. Simply Cauliflower Rice (and it’s variations) is a simple low carbohydrate alternative to rice, and today I share both a raw and cooked version. This recipe may just become one of your favorites – trust me it’s that amazing! Sometimes I eat this Cauliflower Rice plain, and it’s perfectly satisfying and filling.
Cauliflower is one of my favorite versatile vegetables, as you’ve seen before with Curry Cashew Cauliflower Soup, Cauliflower Pizza Crust, and Spotlight On | Cauliflower. You may be thinking “McKel, cauliflower is not rice. Rice is rice.” And yes you’re correct, but why not play around a little with the natural texture characteristics of cauliflower and use it to your advantage to make a dish a little less calorie dense and more nutrient dense! I’ve posted several lower carbohydrate recipes the past couple of weeks for good reason. The Standard American Diet contains too many carbohydrates in the form of highly processed and refined food products. The recipes I’m sharing today and those that I’ve shared recently are ways to have some fun in the kitchen playing with your vegetables and exploring new textures and recipes you’ve maybe never tried before. Also, it’s a great way to squeeze more vegetables into your diet and everything they have to offer (which is vast!).
Carbohydrates get a lot of negative press in the nutrition and fitness community, and in my opinion, they shouldn’t! I don’t know about you, but I love carbs and so do our bodies. The key is choosing them wisely, focusing on good quality, and timing when you’re eating them (read more about carbohydrates here, here, and here). Rice comes in many varieties, not just the most popular white, but there’s also jasmine, basmati, brown, and wild (which are the two most nutrient dense in my book). Let’s take a look how easy and versatile Simply Cauliflower Rice is to make, along with how simple it is to incorporate this recipe into your eats!
Pictured: Spanish Cauliflower Rice
Variations on Cauliflower Rice (raw or cooked)
- Spanish Cauliflower Rice: add 1 Tbs. red pepper flakes + 1/4 cup your favorite salsa + diced tomatoes + jalapeños + fresh cilantro
- Curry Cauliflower Rice: add 1 Tbs. curry powder seasoning + fresh grated ginger + red chilies + fresh lime juice
- Fried Cauliflower Rice: add scrambled egg + 1 Tbs. sesame seeds + fresh grated ginger + 1 Tbs. soy sauce
- Italian Cauliflower Rice: add 1 Tbs. dried oregano + fresh basil + diced sun-dried tomatoes + diced red onion
- Greek Cauliflower Rice: add 1 Tbs. oregano + 1 Tbs. capers + 1/4 cup diced kalamata olives + 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard + 1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
- Sweet Cauliflower Rice: a dash of cinnamon + stevia to taste + vanilla extract/powder (leave out onions in cooking process)
- Lemon Cauliflower Rice: juice of 1 lemon + 1 tsp. sea salt
- Sushi Cauliflower Rice: 1 Tbs. rice vinegar + 1 tsp. stevia/organic sugar + nori/kelp flakes
- Herbed Cauliflower Rice: a mix of fresh herbs diced finely such as dill, chives, or basil, oregano, rosemary, etc.
- Cheezy Cauliflower Rice: 1-2 Tbs. nutritional yeast + almond milk to create a “sauce” + dash of cayenne
Pictured: Herbed Cauliflower Rice
Add Cauliflower Rice to these additions for an entire meal:
- Curry dishes + Curry Cauliflower Rice
- Beans/lentils/tofu + Curry Cauliflower Rice
- Roasted Vegetables + Simply Cauliflower Rice
- Broccoli/roasted vegetables + Cheezy Cauliflower Rice
- Tempeh/tofu + Fried Cauliflower Rice
- Grilled fish/shrimp + Greek Cauliflower Rice
- Beans + Spanish Cauliflower Rice
- Stir fry + Fried Cauliflower Rice
- Grilled proteins + Lemon Cauliflower Rice
- Almond milk + vanilla + raisins + Sweet Cauliflower Rice
- 1 head organic cauliflower, chopped
- 1 tablespoon organic coconut oil
- 1/2 cup sweet onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Additional seasonings as desired (ex. seasoning mixes)
- RAW version:
- Simply add chopped cauliflower into a food processor and pulse into tiny, fine cauliflower pieces. This should look like “rice”.
- Stir in remaining ingredients.
- Store in refrigerator in an air tight container.
- COOKED version:
- Add chopped cauliflower into a food processor and pulse into tiny, fine cauliflower pieces. This should look like “rice”.
- In a saute pan, coat with 2 Tbs. coconut oil and lightly cook the cauliflower with onion for about 5-7 minutes until softened to your desired texture (about 5-7 minutes).
- Stir in remaining ingredients while in the pan.
- Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.
- Serve with anything you’d enjoy rice with!
- Enjoy!
What’s your take?
Have you tried cauliflower rice before? What’s your favorite way to use it OR how would you use it? Share your thoughts below, I love hearing what you have to say!
Have fun in the kitchen Y’ALL!
xo McKel
p.s.
Love this Simple Cauliflower Rice and want even more healthy recipes and tips to live whole and eat well? Get the Nutrition Stripped Cookbook with almost 100 delicious whole food recipes not on the blog! Get your copy here.
