Cauliflower “Risotto” (Grain-Free AND Dairy-Free)
Posted by alisa on October 20, 2009 | 26 Comments
Recently, I stumbled across the idea of Cauliflower “Rice” on a Paleo / Primal Diet blog. Smitten by this idea for incorporating even more veggies into my dinner (and sneaking cauliflower in on my husband, hehe), I went with it. My first attempt was this Cauliflower “Risotto,” which amazingly turned out awesome right out of the shoot!
I have since made it a few times with the nod of approval from my usually cauliflower-hating husband. I have also made some basic cauliflower “rice” to serve as the base under stir-fries. It has worked out well, but my husband agreed that the risotto is just better.
Another Bonus: Surprisingly, a large head of cauliflower only makes about 3 to 4 healthy servings. When grated, the cauliflower seemed much less overwhelming than eating large florets.
Cauliflower “Risotto” with Fresh Basil (Grain-Free AND Dairy-Free)
This recipe is Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Soy-Free, and Sugar-Free.
I like to use just a bit of nutritional yeast, but keep the amounts moderate so that it enhances the meal without creating an overpowering fake cheesy taste. Nutritional yeast can easily be found online and in the bulk bins of some natural food stores. Make sure it is specifically called “nutritional yeast;” brewer’s (which the grocery attendants will try to hand to you) is not the same thing. If you don’t have any on hand, try this recipe without it, I am sure it will still be quite yummy!
- 3 Tablespoons Pine Nuts (about 1 ounce)
- 1-1/2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
- ½ Teaspoon Salt, or to taste
- 1-1/2 to 2 Tablespoons Grapeseed, Olive, or Coconut Oil
- ½ Cup Minced or Diced Onion
- 3 Cups Grated Cauliflower (about ½ medium to large head – if you have a food processor, you are golden; I grated by hand)
- 1 Garlic Clove, minced
- ¼ Cup Broth (chicken or vegetarian)
- Chiffonade 6 to 10 Fresh Basil Leaves
- Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste (optional)
Combine the nuts, nutritional yeast, and salt in your spice grinder, and give it a few pulses. The nuts should grind up, and begin to clump. It is best if it stays a bit powdery and doesn’t turn into a paste, but if it does, no loss. Set aside while you cook the cauliflower.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add the grated cauliflower and continue to sauté / stir-fry for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and suate for 1 minute more. Add the broth, reduce the heat to medium-low, stir, cover and allow it to sit for 2 to 3 minutes. This cooks it to the perfect “al dente” consistency for us, but feel free to cook it to your desired tenderness.
Remove the lid, turn off the heat, and stir in the reserved nut mixture. It may clump a bit, but continuing to stir it in the hot pan will help it to distribute and become creamy. Stir in the basil and fresh ground pepper to taste, if using. Serve.
Yields about 2 side servings
No Onion? I ran out of onion the second time I made this dish, so I skipped the onion sauté, but added ¼ teaspoon of onion powder to the nut mixture. The fresh onion was better, but this was still tasty in a pinch!
To Serve: This versatile dish can be served with a salad or steamed veggies (broccoli or asparagus would be nice) to keep it light and vegetarian. For an omnivorous meal, we found it went quite well with baked chicken, and also made a quick lunch with leftover chopped chicken added.
Lower Fat Option: I haven’t tried this as of yet, but I think this would work with just 2 teaspoons of oil if you were trying to go lower in fat. I would just sauté the onions in the oil, add the cauliflower and sauté for just 1 minute, and then add the broth and cover. Cook until it reaches your desired tenderness. You may need to use a touch more broth. Don’t skip the pine nuts though; they add richness and nutrition!
Blog Events: I am submitting this post to:
- Slightly Indulgent Mondays over at Simply Sugar Gluten-Free
- What Can I Eat That’s Gluten-Free over at Gluten-Free Homemaker
- Real Food Wednesday over at Cheeseslave (ironic!)
Tags: chicken, dairy-free, egg-free, food allergy-friendly, gluten-free, milk-free, nut-free, quick & easy, recipe, side dish, soy-free, sugar-free, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian, wheat-free
Filed Under: Alisa's Recipes
Comments (26)
Ohhhhhh man this is right up my alley! I just bought a cauliflower b/c I was in the mood! I’m going to definitely give this a go!
mmm… i love cauliflower and i bought some nutritional yeast but haven’t had the guts to try it yet. this might be a winner…
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This looks great!!
This looks absolutely delicious and I’m sure it could easily be adapted to be ACD-friendly! I love that you heated it up. I’ve made cauliflower “rice” salad (raw) before, and it was good, but I bet I’d LOVE this!
Nice! I love cauli. I mean I eat about 1/3rd of a head per day. Yes, nuts I know but I love it. I steam it, raw it, sprinkle it with nooch, I just dont get sick of it. That, brock, and brussles. I love your recipe and can always modify, thanks for sharing. Hope Tahoe and life is settling in and going great for you!!!!!!!!
what a delicious idea. I’ve added it to my list of things to make. Thanks
This looks so good. I am definitely going to try it next time I have cauliflower that I need to use up. What a healthy alternative to risotto!
I’ve nominated you for a lemonade award. See my blog post at http://allaccesspasstojack.blogspot.com/2009/10/making-lemonade.html where I said that I nominated “One Frugal Foodie for all those delicious recipes that can suit many individual dietary needs.”
What a great idea–I am going to have to try this. It looks delicious!
Hard to see that cauliflowers are a substitute for rice! Wowow, your dish sounds amazing. Great way to make your hubby eats cauliflower.
This looks great! We love the Hellman’s mayo/cauliflower recipe that’s a mashed potato substitute.
Yum! My wife is a little picky with some vegetables, but she loves cauliflower, so I am always trying to find great new recipes to tempt her. Thanks.
This is truly why I started Slightly Indulgent Mondays – I love seeing the creativity that comes when people think about fabulous food made healthier. Thanks so much for linking this. My husband will love it – it’s getting bookmarked.
I think your lower fat option would work too. My take on it, though, is that 2 tablespoons of fat isn’t a lot when you’re making an entire dish. Especially when you’re using such healthy fats.
That looks awesome! I love mashed cauliflower, but I’ve never made risotto from it!
Maybe I could sneak this by my hubby too! I tried making mock mashed potatoes using cauliflower – it didn’t fly!
And I would always leave out the onions!
That looks wonderful! I’ve made cauliflower “mashed potatoes” but never used it in place of rice. I’ll have to try this. Thanks for linking up to “What can I eat that’s gluten free?”
I have made cauli-rice before but never would have thought it could be turned into a risotto! Definitely giving this a try. Looks heavenly.
Thanks so much for all of your kind words on my blog!
ooohh what a neat idea!! I wish I would have had this a few weeks ago when I had too much left!
I’ve never even heard of preparing cauliflower this was before. What a great idea, I’ll have to give it a try. Thanks.
Okay, so this risotto looks very delicious. I have a funny story about risotto….
I was at a restaurant and decided to order the risotto and the server brought me this processed, fried cheese! Then I got to thinking maybe I was all wrong about what risotto really is…..then someone mentioned that perhaps I am mixing up ricotta and risotto. Anyway, I’ve established that the restaurant I ordered it at doesn’t know what risotto is!
Anyway, your’s looks fabulous and I LOVE sneaking in extra veggies!
Sounds absolutely fantastic! I keep reading cauliflower recipes and keep needing to try some. This might end up at the top of the list
This looks amazing and might finally push me over the edge to at last try nutritional yeast.
[...] Front Porch (Canned Biscuit Apple Tart)25. Lisette @ Fancy Frugalista (Uh-Oh Apple Crisp)26. Alisa (Dairy-Free Cauliflower “Risotto”)27. Lauren of Celiac Teen (Turkey Pot [...]
great idea for the grain intolerant!
Can’t wait to give this a try. I live gluten, dairy and rice free. This may be the key that is missing from some of my meals. Thank you for sharing this on Friday Foodie Fix.