Cauliflower Couscous
Cauliflower “couscous” or “rice” is a great side dish in its own right but, as the name suggests, is being served as a healthier, low-carb alternative to pasta or rice.
From the USDA (https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/):
- 1 cup of cauliflower pieces – 5 grams of carbs
- 1 cup of cooked pasta – 36 grams of carbs
- 1 cup of cooked rice – 45 grams of carbs
This dish may be eaten raw but I love the taste of cauliflower that’s been just caramelized, so I decided to saute it with the onion instead
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium sized (6 -7 inch wide) head of cauliflower
- 1 cup diced Roma tomatoes, seeds and membrane removed
- 1 cup of diced red onion
- 1/2 cup of chopped parsley
- 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Preparation:- Remove the main stem and any leaves from the head of cauliflower; wash thoroughly under cold running water.
- Cut into small florets. At this point, if you don’t have access to a food processor continue chopping until you get pieces roughly the size of rice grains. If you do have a food processor, which I highly recommend getting if you don’t, place the cut florets into the bowl and “pulse” chop the cauliflower until you get rice grain-sized pieces. If you choose to do a “continuous chop” in the processor you may end up with pureed cauliflower if you leave it going too long. Set aside.
- Dice your favorite veggies, aromatics, and herbs. In this preparation, I chose Roma tomatoes, red onions, and parsley. Set aside.
Cooking:
- Heat a large skillet on medium-high, add the olive oil, when the oil just starts to smoke add the cauliflower and a pinch or two of kosher salt; stir until the cauliflower just starts to caramelize. Depending on how much moisture is in your head of cauliflower, to begin with, you may need to add extra olive oil at this point.
- Add the onions; continue stirring and cooking for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat; add the tomatoes and parsley.
- Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste
- The cauliflower couscous is ready to serve and may be eaten hot, warm or cold.
ENJOY!
Cauliflower Couscous
whatscookingatrays 
This looks great! I love adding cauliflower to my vegetarian dishes (mainly curries), but I’ve never explored this way of using cauliflower before 🙂
http://www.collegeguycooks.wordpress.com
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Hi and thanks for viewing my blog and commenting. Cauliflower in curries is awesome! I love rice but now only eat brown rice but it takes so long to cook. This recipe can be ready to eat in less than 30 minutes and that is if you cook it; raw takes even less time. Thanks again.
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Hi there! Thanks for visiting my blog and commenting. Apologies for my delay in replying. I just started this blog and it’s new territory for me. College guy? Reminds me of my college days. My college dorm did not allow any kitchen appliances in the rooms but I kept a rice cooker, electric skillet, and an electric wok in my locked closet. Got busted when they found frozen chicken in the shared fridge and traced it back to me!
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Ha! That sucks! We don’t have any appliances either so I have to carry my stuff (induction cooker, pans, etc) back and forth from my room to the common room where I cook. But it’s all worth the trouble, though.
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Excellent
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Hi! Thank you for visiting my blog and your kind comment!
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Looks delish! Gotta try this 😛
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Hi! Thank you for visiting my blog and your comments. I was a little skeptical when I first made it but was a quick convert. It’s a very versatile dish. Endless options! Have a wonderful weekend.
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Thanks, you too! 😊
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