Vegan Spanish Cauliflower Rice (One Pot, Low Carb)

 This easy One Pot Vegan Spanish Cauliflower Rice is full of sweet and smoky flavors and super easy to make! A great, healthy low carb alternative to white rice packed with nutrients. Gluten-Free, Paleo, Low Carb, Whole30, and Plant-Based. Jump to Recipe

Looking for a quick and easy vegan side dish that is chock full of healthy veggies and brings back memories of carefree vacations in Spain. This easy One Pot Spanish Cauliflower rice is the perfect low-carb complement to any Spanish or Mexican main dish – but really any south-of-the-border meal.

This meal is also relatively low-calorie. One cup of cooked cauliflower rice has only about 25 calories, and one cup of cooked brown rice has about 218. So there’s that. A great way to keep things lean without compromising on flavor.

Ingredients for making Spanish Cauliflower Rice:

This cauliflower rice comes together with a few simple ingredients:

• grated or shredded cauliflower – gluten-free, high in fiber, and low carb but packed with nutrients.
•  blended tomato and onions form the base of the cooking sauce.
• seasonings: ground cumin, chili powder blend, and smoked paprika to add that typical Spanish flavor
• pickled jalapeno adds a nice kick and some acidity.
• bell pepper for that subtle sweetness and a touch of color! I used a mix of red and green but you can choose any color you want.
• cilantro and lime juice for garnish – you could use parsley instead of cilantro if you’re not a fan.

Tips for making the best fluffy cauliflower rice:

• Cut the cauliflower head into small florets equal in size. Try to make them as even as possible to allow for even “ricing”.
• When making bigger amounts of cauliflower rice, or if you are using a small food processor, start by placing only about half of the cauliflower florets in your food processor.
• Pulse a few times until it resembles coarse “rice” grains. Set aside in a bowl and repeat with remaining florets. Don’t overcrowd the food processor otherwise, the rice grains won’t be even.
• Do not squish or press the grated cauliflower or the cooked cauliflower rice.
• Fluff the cauliflower rice before and after cooking for perfect fluffiness.
• Cook the rice till just about done. Longer cooking time will make mushy cauliflower.
• Depending on the moisture content, you may have to cook the Spanish Cauliflower Rice some time uncovered.
• Cauliflower “rice” can be made 3 days ahead. Chill in a resealable container.

How to make Spanish Cauliflower Rice:

Start by chopping up the cauliflower into florets and discarding the base. Add in softer stem if you want. Cut the florets into equal-sized florets. This will make the pulsing in a food processor so much easier!

Rice the cauliflower florets if you have not already in a food processor by pulsing it a few times. Then blend 1 tomato, onion, Jalapeno and spices until pureed. Add this blended mixture to a skillet over medium heat and cook for 3-4 minutes until the onion does not smell raw

Add the diced bell peppers and the rest of the chopped tomato and cook for a minute.

Add the cauliflower rice and mix and toss well. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes. Let it soften and absorb all that wonderful onion flavor but make sure to not overcook.

Open the cover, add some lime juice. Taste. It should be ready to serve when the rice is softened and the flavor has been evenly distributed. If cauliflower is not cooked to preference then continue to cook for another 2 minutes.  Fluff the rice up and taste and adjust for flavor and cover again for 2-3 minutes for it to steam.

Garnish with Cilantro and Salsa and lime wedges and enjoy hot!

What to serve with Cauliflower Rice?

I love serving this with Vegan Sheet Pan Fajitas, Mushroom Tacos, or my Jackfruit Tacos. It also makes a great base for any Vegan Veggie Bowl or Burrito Bowl– just use it instead of your grain base and you’ve got yourself a healthy filling meal that is low in carbs.

You could probably also use it as a filling for a low carb version of my Vegan Spanish Rice Wrap.

Can I use store-bought riced cauliflower?

Absolutely!! Most stores actually have already riced cauliflower in the produce section. Or you can also buy in the frozen section. This will alter the cooking time a bit, and release more water. So you won’t need as much broth if any at all.

I prefer to pulse my own cauliflower, mainly because a large head of cauliflower produces more rice than I can get in the frozen section. You will most likely need 2 bags of the frozen!

Can cauliflower rice be frozen?

Yes, and it’s so easy.  You can make a whole bunch of cauliflower rice at once. To freeze your pre-riced cauliflower for meal prep, prepare some medium-sized freezer bags and scoop about 2 cups of cauliflower rice into each.

Make sure to press as much air out of your bag as you can and seal them up tightly. Repeat this with the remaining cauliflower. Flatten the freezer bags and stack to freeze them in the back of your freezer.

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