Recipe for Cauliflower “Fried Rice”
Looking for that perfect dish for busy weeknights? Have certain dietary restrictions, or want to keep it low-calorie, low-carb? Look no further…. Cauliflower Fried Rice is here!
This Cauliflower Fried Rice recipe is ~DAIRY-FREE~GLUTEN-FREE~GRAIN-FREE~NUT-FREE~PALEO~WHOLE30~VEGETARIAN
Cauliflower itself is a very versatile vegetable (try saying that 5 times, fast as you can!!) – it can be used in so many creative ways. You can turn it into mashed potatoes, sandwiches, soup, pizza crust, breadsticks, hummus and more. So much more! Even rice…. or fried rice! Who knew?! It is an excellent substitute for grains or pasta when you’re looking to lighten up your meals, or you want to incorporate extra veggies into your diet. We all know we need more veggies, am I right?!
Cauliflower Fried Rice is a simple, quick and healthy Asian-inspired dinner made with cauliflower, onion, carrot, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, eggs, cilantro, garlic paste, green onion, and avocado oil! My version of this fried rice is the perfect option for anyone looking for a healthier version of the delicious Chinese stir-fry, simultaneously using healthy ingredients without compromising flavor.
Perhaps you are a flexitarian, or have different dietary needs… you will be happy to learn that this recipe is grain-free, Paleo, keto, vegetarian and vegan. All this zest, freshness and health in one simple and delicious bowl of cauliflower fried rice. Like I said, look no further!
How to make fried cauliflower rice?
Making cauliflower rice is straightforward and very simple. First, wash a head of cauliflower, then remove the florets from the stem (make sure to cut in small pieces). Transfer the florets into the food processor (don’t put too much, because it will be hard to process it) and pulse until you have small, rice-like pieces. It only takes about 30-45 seconds! Make sure not to over-process, because you can turn the cauliflower into a mash! We don’t want that!
Shortcut: you can also find already pre-cut and bagged cauliflower in the produce and frozen sections of most supermarkets.
Options: if you don’t have a food processor, you can chop the florets into grain-sized pieces with a large chef’s knife!
One medium head of cauliflower will make about 4-5 cups of cauliflower rice. You can store it, uncooked, in the fridge for two days, or you can put in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To make this cauliflower fried rice recipe, you will need:
- Cauliflower
- Red onion
- Carrots
- Avocado oil: you can find this in your health food store or order on Amazon. The oil needs to be mild, without too much flavor. Refined coconut oil will also work, as it doesn’t have much flavor
- Ginger, garlic and garlic paste – for extra flavor
- Eggs – add great flavor, texture, and protein
- Gluten-free soy sauce
- Green onions and cilantro – for garnish. You can also add black sesame seeds
Have all the ingredients ready – mise en place, as the French say – before you start to cook; this will make your process super easy and quick.
- Put cauliflower into your food processor and pulse until it resembles rice.
- Heat the avocado oil over medium heat, and sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the carrots and cook for another 5 min, then add cauliflower rice and garlic paste. Stir-fry for 10 minutes, until cauliflower is soft.
- Add beaten eggs and mix well until they set (you can skip eggs if you have allergies).
- Add soy sauce. You can use coconut aminos if you are allergic to soy – works just as well!. Top with green onions and sesame seeds (again, optional, but recommended!), just before serving.
Variations
You can get creative and add any veggies and protein you like – really any vegetables you have on hand! I like to use salmon or shrimp. You can also add beef, chicken, tofu or tempeh. I also like to add medicinal mushrooms such as shitake or lion’s mane. They have amazing health benefits and add lots of flavor to the dish.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It is easy to reheat in a skillet or frying pan.
I don’t recommend freezing it…. it gets mushy if you freeze/thaw, since it absorbs the sauce. Uncooked cauliflower rice is fine to freeze, however.
Serve with a Turkey Meatballs or Beef Bourguinon!
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #thetastesoflife
Ingredients
- 1
Cauliflower
medium-sized stems removed, cut into florets
- 2 cups
Carrot
diced
- 2 tbsp
Avocado oil
divided - 1 Onion
red, diced
- 2 cloves
garlic cloves
minced
- 1 tsp
ginger
minced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2
eggs
lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup
cilantro
chopped
- 3 tbsp
soy sauce
gluten-free or coconut aminos
salt and pepper
freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 4
green onions
sliced lengthwise, for topping
- 1 tbsp
black sesame seeds
optional for topping - 1/2 cup
cilantro
for topping
Instructions
- Pulse the cauliflower in a food processor (in batches) until it resembles small grains of rice.
- Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat.Sauté the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook, constantly stirring, for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add carrots and cook for another 5 min. Add cauliflower rice and cook for 10 minutes, until soft, then add garlic paste and stir. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Make sure that the cauliflower is not mushy.
- Beat 2 eggs in a bowl and pour over the cauliflower, stirring until the eggs are set.
- Remove from heat and stir in the gluten-free soy sauce.Top with cilantro, sliced green onions and black sesame seeds (if using). Serve immediately.
