Light and fluffy basic Cauliflower Rice recipe used to make delicious gluten-free and low carb sides, risotto, fried rice, salads, soups, burrito bowls, sushi and more! Step-by-step video guide on how to make cauliflower rice using a box grater plus 16 recipes that include cauliflower rice.
The new year started for me with insane amount of food and a stomach flu, so healthy eating is my top priority at the moment. I’m a proponent of a long-term solution to losing weight and getting fit.
I will take a moment to write about „quick fixes” and why you should NOT do them.
After indulgent eating during holidays (hello Thanksgiving and Christmas!) many of us are thinking about detox, various cleansing programs and restrictive diet.
While it’s tempting to get the result you want in a short period of time, it might be dangerous for your body in the long run. You can’t wash away your dietary sins with a glass of magic detox smoothie. It simply doesn’t work that way.
Don’t get too excited about losing a few pounds after detoxing, because you’ll get them back when you get back to your regular diet.
The reason you might lose a few pounds during detoxing is that you body gets rid of excessive liquid and the overall calorie intake is less than usual. Therefore, the body will learn to store your energy resources (fat) better, when you try to lose weight next time.
Your body will rather lose muscles than fat, making it harder for you every time to stay fit. That is why healthy does not equal weight loss.
You don’t need detox because your body can detox itself. That’s the reason we have liver and kidneys (in addition to lungs and colon). These organs filter harmful substances and unless you have serious poisoning, they can do it pretty efficiently.
Removing certain food groups from your diet can be dangerous for your body. We need fat, we need carbs, we need protein. Just make sure you cut off junk food, sugary drinks, eat less processed foods and more fiber-rich seasonal vegetables and fruits, whole grains, drink plenty of water and do exercise. You’ve heard about this before, didn’t you?
You don’t need diets, cleansing and detoxing programs. You don’t need to be fooled by marketers.
There is no evidence in nutritional science that detoxing is beneficial to your body. There is no evidence that toxins exist either! Otherwise, you could measure the amount of toxins in human body before and after detoxing, proving its effectiveness.
All you need to stay fir is maintain a healthy lifestyle. As easy and obvious as it is. Get enough sleep, be active, drink plenty of water, eat a balanced diet and you’ll see yourself bursting with energy, fit and healthy.
I’m not saying that you can’t have an occasional chocolate bar once in a while. Or that you should not eat your birthday cake. It’s totally fine to indulge yourself from time to time if your overall diet and lifestyle are healthy.
What I found great in following a consistent healthy diet is the idea that it doesn’t have to be bland and unappetizing. If you follow my blog, you know that eating healthy is fun. I like to create delicious recipes using mostly plant-based ingredients. Sometimes you need a few spices and a bunch of herbs to make your recipe shine.
Why Make Cauliflower Rice
Cauliflower rice is a healthier alternative to white rice that tastes great. Moreover, it’s so versatile: use it as a side dish, as a base for cauliflower fried rice, serve it with curry stir fry, as a salad, soup, risotto or even incorporate it into burrito bowls or sushi rolls! You’ll find 16 recipes below to choose from!
Quick dinner side, stand-alone flavorful meal or a base for creative appetizers and salads. The best thing: it’s easy to make and it takes less time to cook than normal rice.
I’m not saying that you should only eat cauliflower rice instead of white (or brown) rice from now on, but once in a while it’s a great substitute to “real” rice.
Cauliflower used to be one of my least favorite vegetables. It turned out, the way you cook it determines how tasty it is. Please, don’t boil it and serve bland.
Silky vegan cauliflower soup, cauliflower risotto with pears and blue cheese, vegan cauliflower stew with broccoli, chick peas and kale made me fall in love with cauliflower and it’s for life.
Cauliflower is one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables out there. It contains high amounts of vitamin C, antioxidants and dietary fiber.
How To Make Cauliflower Rice Without a Food Processor
One way to make cauliflower rice is to use a food processor to chop the cauliflower.
Another way is to use a box grater. It’s a very easy method that also ensures that all the „rice” pieces are the same size.
If you want to protect your hands during grating (or chopping), a great way to do so is to use cut resistant gloves.
Discard the leaves and cut a medium-sized cauliflower head in quarters and grate each of them using a box grater with medium holes.
Heat a lug of olive oil in a large skillet. Sautée minced garlic until golden. Add cauliflower rice, stir and cover with a lid. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add chopped parsley (optional), salt, black pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Enjoy!
Here is a recipe video on how to make the best cauliflower rice and a detailed recipe card, as well as 16 dishes you can incorporate your cauliflower rice into!
How to Make Cauliflower Rice + 16 Cauliflower Rice Recipes
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower washed and dried
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup parsley, chopped (optional)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- a pinch cayenne
Instructions
- Discard the leaves and cut a medium-sized cauliflower head in quarters and grate each of them using a box grater with medium holes. If you want to protect your hands during grating (or chopping), a great way to do so is to use cut resistant gloves.
- Heat a lug of olive oil in a large skillet. Sautée minced garlic until golden. Add cauliflower rice, stir and cover with a lid. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add chopped parsley (optional), salt, black pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Enjoy!
Cauliflower Rice Recipes
1. Vegetarian Red Curry Stir Fry
Easy and wholesome Vegetarian Red Curry Stir Fry Recipe makes for a nutritious weeknight dinner ready in just 30 minutes! It’s also vegan, gluten free and paleo, not to mention flavorful and easy to make!
Recipe by: yours truly
2. Creamy Cauliflower Garlic Rice
This creamy cauliflower garlic rice is simple, healthy, and so surprisingly good.
Recipe by: Pinch of Yum
3. Healthy Cauliflower Fried “Rice”
Healthy makeover of an all-time favorite dinner meal.
Recipe by: Eat Yourself Skinny
4. Cauliflower Risotto with Caramelized Pears, Blue Cheese and Walnuts
Cauliflower Risotto with Caramelized Pears, Blue Cheese and Walnuts: A healthy and gluten-free makeover of a traditional risotto packed with flavor! Easy 30-minute step-by-step recipe.
Recipe by: yours truly
5. Fiesta Cauliflower Rice Salad
A fluffy cauliflower rice salad packed with colorful veggies and tossed in a tangy citrus dressing. Enjoy this as a healthy side dish or light lunch!
Recipe by: Destination Delish
6. Curried Cauliflower Rice Kale Soup {Paleo, Vegan, Whole30}
Curried Cauliflower Rice Kale Soup is one flavorful healthy soup recipe to keep you warm this season. An easy paleo soup recipe for a nutritious meal-in-a-bowl. Roasted curried cauliflower “rice” with kale and even more veggies to fill your bowl! A delicious vegetarian soup to make again again! Vegan and Whole30 friendly.
Recipe by: Cotter Crunch
7. Pesto Cauliflower Rice
Cauliflower rice is flavored with homemade pesto sauce for an easy, delicious, low-carb and gluten free dish. It’s great to eat on it’s own or as a rice substitute for any meal.
Recipe by: Kirbie’s Cravings
8. Mexican Cauliflower Rice Burrito Bowl
This Mexican Cauliflower Rice Burrito Bowl is a healthy, tasty, one bowl dinner or lunch. Cauliflower Rice seasoned with Mexican flavors, and then topped with all your favorites. Vegan & Gluten free.
Recipe by: Apples for CJ
9. The Classic Power Bowl
Find your bliss with The Classic Power Bowl from Blissful Basil. A delightful combination of spicy cauliflower rice, warming & crisp sweet potatoes & creamy, garlicky avocado mash.
Recipe by: A Virtual Vegan
10. Vegan Sushi with Cauliflower Rice
You’ll love this super easy, super healthy Vegan Sushi with Cauliflower Rice. If you haven’t made sushi at home before, don’t worry, we provide step-by-step process photos to make it easy for you to DIY this sushi yourself. Served with a creamy peanut butter sauce, the results are stunning…and delicious!
Recipe by: Namely Marly
11. Low Carb Mexican Cauliflower Rice (Paleo, Vegan, Keto)
Low Carb Mexican Cauliflower Rice is a healthy, paleo friendly, keto friendly, vegan side dish recipe that is bursting with Mexican flavours and ready in 30 minutes!
Recipe by: My Food Story
12. Spanish Cauliflower Rice
Spanish Cauliflower Rice – a grain-free substitute for Spanish rice that’s quick and healthy. Vegan and gluten-free option.
Recipe by: Trial and Eater
13. Low-Carb Cauliflower Bibimbap
This amazing Korean Cauliflower Bibimbap recipe is delicious, low-carb, keto friendly, and easy to make. The perfect quick vegetarian weeknight dinner idea.
Recipe by: Living Sweet Moments
14. Grain-free Spicy Cauliflower Fritters with Chipotle Lime Aioli
These Grain-free Spicy Cauliflower Fritters are an amazing way to embrace the cauliflower love, taking the cauli-rice trend to a whole new level. These versatile patties can be adapted to whatever flavor and spice blend you’d like and served with your favorite sauce, we like Chipotle Lime Aioli.
Recipe by: Tasty Yummies
15. Cauliflower Pizza Crust
A simple cauliflower pizza crust recipe that’s so surprisingly delicious, you’d never guess it could possibly be so healthy!
Recipe by: Chocolate Covered Katie
16. Leek and Mushroom Cauliflower Risotto
Creamy and delicious cauliflower risotto made with leeks and mushrooms. A perfect low carb side dish.
Recipe by: Jennifer Banz
Beautiful selection of recipes & photos – hungry hungry!
It’s not always easy for us to get fresh cauliflower in Singapore. Do you have any thoughts about using frozen cauliflower to make rice?
I would say, go for it! There are a few things I would do differently with the frozen cauliflower though. I would use a blender or a food processor to make rice and not the grinder. I think it would make it easier when you have to deal with smaller florets. Another thing is that frozen cauliflower might contain extra moisture. If it’s the case, just transfer the cauliflower rice from the food processor onto a clean towel and squeeze out the excess liquid. Then you can cook it as described in the post. Hope that helps!
I wanted to make cauliflower rice for a long time already, but never did… I love all the great recipes that you incorporated in this post) will definitely try some of them)
Thank you Veronika! I’m sure you’ll love it and glad my post got you inspired 😉
Oh my goodness, what a great collection. Can’t wait to try these recipes!
Thanks so much Stacey!
Cauliflower rice is so useful – I’m glad you appreciate it as much as I do!
Don’t know how I was living before I got to know it 😀
We love cauliflower so it wouldn’t be a hardship to add more of it during the week. You’ve got some fantastic recipes here and we could all do well in not trying to detox the weight off but to simply eat better.
Thank you Marissa! Appreciate your insight!
Wow, sounds like you are really serious about cauliflower rice! 🙂 Hope the roundup got you inspired!
I don’t think there’s a single week that goes by without me cooking with cauliflower rice as a sub for regular. I love that its simple, healthy, and reheats so well. Great roundup!
I think my family would love the pesto and cauliflower! Thanks for the great tips!
Love it with pesto! Thank you Analida!
YUM! This looks so good. I have never tried cauliflower rice, but I am looking forward to. I love cauliflower! Great idea with the burritos!
Cauliflower rice was truly a fame changer for me! Thank you Kate!
I love your roundup! I would eat each one of these dishes but I think that my favorite is the pizza crust. I love making pizza with it!!! I will be trying all of these delicious recipes as soon as possible!
Thank you Elaine! True that, cauliflower pizza crust is fabulous!
Cauliflower was always one of my favorite vegetables growing up. I love all these ideas for new ways to serve it. When I was visiting a vegan friend, she used cauliflower rice and lentils as the filling for tacos. I’m always eager to find more recipes that call for cauliflower. Thanks for sharing this amazing collection.
Mmmm I should make cauliflower tacos too. I bet it was delicious! Thank you Patti!
I’ve been hearing about cauliflower rice forever and we love cauliflowers. It’s a mystery why we haven’t tried it yet! It’s so easy and looks so delicious. And there are so many ways to do it. Will refer back to this awesome round-up.
Thank you Jolina! I’m sure you’ll love it!
We are cauliflower lovers here. What a great collection of recipes. Cauliflower rice is so easy to make, and a great way to eat it too. It is becoming so popular that they actually sell it in stores.
Seriously? Haha that’s insane 😀 But makes sence. Thank you Gloria!
So much cauliflower rice! I love it. This is such an awesome post with so many ways to use this low carb rice alternative. As a chef I say two thumbs up!
Wow that’s SO nice to hear! Thank you so much for your feedback Matt!
What a lovely idea to combine a how-to with such a great recipe round-up! I personally go for the microwave-option when making mine! So quick and easy. Yours looks incredible and I will definitely try some of those recipes you linked!
Hi Kiki, thanks so much for your feedback! True that, microwave cauli rice is super quick. I use this method whenever I have a microwave at hand 🙂
SO many good recipes in this list – I can’t wait to try some of them. Pinned for later so I can work my way through them. We love cauli rice!
Glad you found the roundup useful Jordan! 🙂
What a great roundup! I love how versatile cauliflower rice can be. A while back I realized that using the grater plate in my food processor made it SO much easier to make cauliflower rice, and now the whole ricing process goes MUCH faster!
Thank you Ashley! What food processor do you use? I don’t have a grater plate but maybe I can buy an attachment?
Lovely round-up of posts. I love the curry type recipes.
I like to use cauli rice to make grain free ‘oatmeal’
https://healthyandpsyched.com/recipes/cauliflower-oatmeal/
Oh wow! I never thought of using cauliflower for sweet recipes. I should give your oatmeal a try for sure! Thank you Rachel 🙂
What a great line up of ideas!
Thank you Kylee!