Cauliflower has become a popular low-carb replacement for foods like pizza crust, but this shape-shifter of a vegetable can even approximate cooked white rice surprisingly well, providing a neutral flavored companion to all sorts of dishes. Perfectly suited to the keto diet, it pairs well with recipes like our Seared Tuna Sushi Bowl (this page) and One-Pan Steak Fajitas (this page). Of course it’s also delicious eaten on its own as a pilaf. To make our cauliflower rice, we found that the key was to blitz the florets in a food processor until transformed into perfect rice-size granules.
We made it foolproof, working in batches so all of the florets broke down evenly. Next, we wanted to boost our cauliflower flavor; a shallot and a small amount of broth did the trick. To ensure that the vegetable was tender but still maintained a rice-like chew, we first steamed the “rice” in a covered pot and finished cooking it uncovered to evaporate any remaining moisture. Our faux rice cooked up pleasantly fluffy. For variety, you can spice it up with cumin and coriander or increase your fat, protein, and fiber by adding almonds to the dish. This recipe can easily be doubled using a Dutch oven in place of the saucepan.
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Instructions :
- Pulse cauliflower in food processor in batches until chopped into ⅛- to ¼-inch pieces, 6 to 8 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add shallot and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in cauliflower, broth, and salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower rice is almost completely dry, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons oil and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- 1 pound cauliflower florets cut into 1-inch pieces
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- ½ shallot minced
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Pulse cauliflower in food processor in batches until chopped into ⅛- to ¼-inch pieces, 6 to 8 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add shallot and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in cauliflower, broth, and salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower rice is almost completely dry, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons oil and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.