Cauliflower Fried Rice

Cauliflower Fried Rice has all the flavor of regular fried rice, very similar texture and is lighter with MUCH lower carbs and calories.  I was curious just how much lower, so I Googled it. One cup of cauliflower has 5 grams of carbs and 27 calories, one cup of cooked white rice has 45 grams of carbs and 199 calories!  Cauliflower is the clear winner if you are watching your carbs and calories. Fortunately it is also a blank canvas for flavor like rice is. It just soaks up whatever seasonings you add to it.  So even if you don’t care about the carbs and calories, you’ll still appreciate the flavor of this dish;-)

Rice Your Cauliflower

To get your cauliflower to look like grains of rice, you will need to cut a head of cauliflower into chunks that will fit in your food processor.  Then just pulse it a few times until it is chopped into very small pieces. Many grocery stores now sell cauliflower that is already “riced” in the produce area.  I recently found a large bag of it in the freezer section in Costco as well. That makes Cauliflower Fried Rice even faster to make on a weeknight!

Who's Up First?

When it comes to cooking several vegetables in the same pan, I always start with who will take the longest to cook.  In this case, it’s the carrots. So I heat the oil, put the carrots in first then follow with the onion. Give the onion enough time to soften, then add the garlic. Once it becomes fragrant, add in the cauliflower, chicken (optional) and the soy sauce mixture. The peas go in last because it only takes them a minute to heat through. Once they are all heated through, it is ready to serve.

More Riced Cauliflower

Another tasty way to use riced cauliflower is in Veggie Tacos with Coconut Lime Slaw.  Or try heating plain riced cauliflower with a little oil in a frying pan or in a bowl in the microwave, serve it with Perfect Thyme Chicken all topped with a little Basil Awesome Sauce on it.  Seriously yummy!

Cauliflower Fried Rice

5 from 1 vote

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Servings: 6 servings

Calories:

Ingredients  

2x3x4x

• 1 large head cauliflower - cut into chunks and riced in a food processor
• ¼ cup sesame oil - plus more for pan
• ⅔ cup gluten free soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 3 large carrots - peeled and diced
• 1 medium red onion - diced
• 1 tablespoon garlic - finely chopped
• 3 cups cooked, sliced chicken - Optional
• 2 cups frozen peas
• ¼ cup cilantro - rinsed and finely chopped

Instructions

• In a small bowl, combine sesame oil, soy sauce and ginger.
• Heat a little sesame oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add carrots and warm through about 1-2 minutes. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant 1-2 minutes.
• Add the cauliflower, chicken (if using) and sesame oil mixture. Stir it well to combine and let some of the liquid soak in. Taste and adjust seasonings/add salt and pepper if needed. Add the peas and stir to combine. Turn off the heat, sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve.