Vegan Italian Cauliflower Rice
I don’t know about you, but I go on a kick with different food concepts and my mind wanders to create countless variations. At this time I’m all about cauliflower rice! a few years ago I had dabbled in cauli rice, but didn’t see what all the fuss was about and just didn’t gravitate towards the concept.
Fast forward to today, my thoughts on cauli rice have done a complete 180 and I find myself now craving it! That being said, anything can be executed wrong and fall flat. If you find that to be your views on various veggie dishes, that could be the explanation.
What I love about cauliflower rice, is everything! It’s quick, easy, affordable, packed with fiber, filling, is reminiscent of rice, and is the perfect blank canvas to create a side dish or even a main dish! While Pinterest is flooded with cauli “fried rice” and a few other varieties, there was no Italian concept and so I hit the ground running. Although not of Italian descent, I love all of their food staples and they make the perfect addition to a cauliflower rice concept.
This dish is packed with fiber, veggies, color, flavor, and is just a game changer! If you love all things sun dried tomatoes and olives, you have to try this Italian Cauliflower Rice!
Why this recipe is great:
Quick
Easy
Flavorful
Veggie Packed
Packs texture
Affordable
Vegan Italian Cauliflower Rice
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 5 cups 1x
Ingredients
Pesto:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 2 handfuls of arugula
- 4tbsp vegan parm
- 1 bunch of basil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt/pepper as desired
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Rice:
- 1 head cauliflower (ground up into rice)
- 1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
- 3 tbsp toasted pine nuts
- 1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives
- 1 tbsp parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Grind the cauliflower florets into rice in a food processor. I recommend chopping the cauliflower into small pieces for an even chop. Don’t over process.
- Combine all of the pesto ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth, set aside.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet (you can add the pine nuts now, cook for 3 minutes until golden brown, set aside) and add the cauliflower rice, cook for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients, the olives, tomatoes, and pesto, and cook for an addition 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat, top with vegan parm and parsley and toasted pine nuts, enjoy!
Notes
If you want more of a rich garlic flavor you can sauté garlic before the cauliflower
If you want more Italian additions you can add chopped artichokes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
Hi! I love your recipes but I’m wondering about the nutrition info…this recipe says that it is 1477 calories. Is that per serving? If not, how could I break it down into servings? Thanks!!