Carrot cauliflower rice is such a wonderful recipe. It’s easy and quick to make and budget-friendly yet healthy and packed with flavour. Moreover, what makes carrot cauliflower rice so special is being low in carbs and high in vitamins and fiber. It’s a perfect mid-week lunch or dinner. And because the sausage is only optional, this makes it suitable for vegetarians and vegans too.
We all know rice is packed with carbs. Consequently, it makes our rice dishes look and feel heavy. Cauliflower, on the other hand, is the total opposite of rice. In fact, being low in carbs (9 times less than white rice) and rich in fiber results in something fluffy and light on our plates. Go for cauliflower! Wink.
Moreover, making cauliflower rice is a great way how to introduce more vegetables to your meals. Also, besides carrots and cauliflower, a few more common ingredients as garlic, fresh herbs, toasted nuts and some fresh lime (check out also this pasta recipe topped with lemon zest) make this dish even more flavourful.
How to make cauliflower rice
Making cauliflower rice is very simple. For instance, I used a box grater to create those little rice-looking pieces. It’s the same grater you use to also grate cheese. I think that’s the side with the biggest holes (at least on my kitchen gadget).
The second way to make cauliflower rice is to use a food processor. However, in both cases make sure to obtain rice-sized pieces. If, by grating, you have some larger pieces left, simply chop them with a knife. Also, better be careful not grating your fingers. Wink.
Does cauliflower rice taste like rice?
I believe everyone who hears of cauliflower rice for the first time, has that question on their mind. So, the answer, if cauliflower rice tastes like regular white rice, is no. It does look a bit like rice though.
While rice has this neutral and bland flavour, cauliflower rice turns out to have a mild, slightly bitter and slightly nutty flavour. Therefore, it tastes great just as such. However, it goes great with any dish you would normally have with regular rice.
Additionally, cauliflower is a lovely vegetable. It’s very versatile and can be eaten either raw or cooked. Have you ever tried raw cauliflower florets? No? Then you have to try them. They make such a great crunchy snack.
However, when cooking it, you have so many wonderful possibilities for how to prepare cauliflower. For instance, you can roast it and make a lovely cauliflower salad, cook and mash it and make a stunning cauliflower crust cottage pie, combine it with other vegetables and spices and make a delicious soup or make a rustic cauliflower crust tart.
Ingredients for two portions of carrot cauliflower rice:
- olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves (chopped)
- half of the cauliflower head (grated)
- 3 carrots (grated)
- 100-150 ml vegetable stock
- fresh parsley
- fresh basil
- 1 lime (zest)
- 50 g pine nuts (toasted)
- 4 small/mini sausages (optional)
Start with grating the cauliflower and the carrots. Then, chop the garlic cloves, wash the fresh herbs and also the lime. In a larger frying pan heat some olive oil. Once it gets hot, add the garlic, cauliflower and carrots. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes.
Then, pour in the warm vegetable stock, season and cover with a lid. That’s not much of vegetable stock. Consequently, most of it will evaporate but it will also leave some aromas. Let it simmer for about 8-10 minutes or until the liquids evaporate.
Meanwhile, toast some pine nuts in a small pan until golden brown. Remove the nuts from the pan and put them aside.
For the meat-variation add a sausage
Furthermore, if you can’t say no to meat, using the same pan, prepare the sausages.
Add a drizzle of olive oil and make sure to brown them on all sides. Then, add about 100-150 ml of water or water mixed with wine, cover and let it simmer for about 10 minutes (or depending on the size of the sausages).
At this point, chop the parsley and basil and sprinkle them over the carrot cauliflower rice. In the end, grate the lime zest and add the pine nuts on top as well. Give a quick toss and serve.
As said before, offer this lovely healthy carrot cauliflower rice either with or without sausages. Everyone can enjoy it; vegetarians, vegans and meat-lovers. For the so-called meat-variation, cut the sausages halfway through and lay them on top of the rice. This dish is a great and quick lunch idea. In conclusion, you can eat it cold or warm with the toppings you like most.
Enjoy!
PS
If you like the recipe, if you make the recipe or if you have any new ideas how to improve or change it, let me know in the comments section below or alternatively share your photos and reactions with me on Instagram (@Passionspoon), Facebook or Twitter (@PassionSpoon1). Simply use the hashtag #passionspoonrecipes in your posts. I would love to see them! (wink)
