Cauliflower Fried Rice

Shredded cauliflower takes the place of white rice in this lower-carb, lower-calorie Chinese takeout favorite.

Apr 19, 2022

Cauliflower seems to be one of those “love it” or “leave it” vegetables. If you love cauliflower, I think you’ll love this recipe. If you’re in the leave it camp, but you like fried rice, this recipe might surprise you.

Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable and member of the cabbage family. It has a long list of cousins including arugula, broccoli, cabbage, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, chard, collard and mustard greens, kale, radishes, turnips, and watercress.

For years, researchers have been focusing on the cancer-fighting ability of cruciferous vegetables. Although recent studies have shown mixed results on this vegetable group’s potential to battle cancer, there are lots of great reasons to enjoy cauliflower. It provides vitamin C, folate (a B vitamin), and dietary fiber. And, if you’re going lower carb, it’s a perfect white rice substitute.

You can purchase fresh cauliflower rice in a bag. You’ll find it in the produce section of the grocery store.

I made it myself by placing fresh cauliflower florets in a food processor with the “S” blade and giving it about 10 pulses. Working in small batches with the florets will produce a more consistent size of cauliflower rice. A box grater also works. Grate cauliflower on the medium-size holes traditionally used for shredding cheese. With either method you’re looking for pieces of cauliflower about the size of a grain of cooked rice. One medium head of cauliflower (approximately one pound) will yield about 4 cups of riced cauliflower.

Cauliflower rice is also available in the freezer section of most grocery stores. Full confession – I’ve never used frozen cauliflower rice when making this recipe. My concern would be excess moisture when using the frozen option, potentially resulting in mushy fried rice. If you’ve made cauliflower fried rice with frozen cauliflower rice, I hope you’ll use the comment section in this post and share your experience.

To your health,

Darlene

Yield: 6 servings

Serving Size: 2/3 cup

Prep: 15 minutes

Ready: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon peanut oil or vegetable oil, divided
4 cups fresh cauliflower rice (about 1 medium head)
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrot
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh gingerroot
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/3 cup sliced green onion

DIRECTIONS

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil over medium-high heat and sauté cauliflower, onion, and carrots until vegetables are slightly tender; about 3 to 4 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sugar, garlic, gingerroot, and sesame oil. Add soy sauce mixture to vegetables, along with frozen peas and continue to sauté until liquid is absorbed; about 4 to 5 minutes.
In a small frying pan, heat remaining 1 teaspoon peanut oil over medium heat and cook the egg. Rough chop fried egg and add to cauliflower mixture.
Transfer cauliflower fried rice to a serving bowl, garnish with green onion, and serve.

Nutrition Information per Serving

125 Calories, 7 g Total fat, 1 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 29 mg Cholesterol, 368 mg Sodium, 12 g Total carbohydrate, 3 g Dietary fiber, 6 g Total sugars, 1 g Added sugars, 4 g Protein, 0 mcg (0%) Vitamin D, 36 mg (2%) Calcium, 1 mg (6%) Iron, 342 mg (8%) Potassium