Cauliflower Rice Stir-Fry

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By FoodfaithfitnessJan 19, 2024Jump to Recipe

This Cauliflower Rice Stir-Fry is a health nut’s dream come true —a low-carb stir-fried mix of vegetables and rice without violating their diet.

Cauliflower Rice Stir-Fry featured image above

Ever go for a walk through the produce section of the grocery store and every time you pass a new vegetable, you nod and say, “Yep!” Then you grab the most luscious one and deposit it into your basket?

I was in one of these moods the other day. All I remember is that everything looked SO tasty and colorful! I headed home with a veritable garden in my car. The question: What do I do with all these veggies???

The answer: A stir-fry!

I picked cauliflower rice because I prefer a lower-carb meals (yes, summer isn’t that far). And besides, I’ve gotten so used to cauliflower rice that even brown rice seems indulgent by comparison.

This meal is ideal for lunch or dinner—a great one-stop dish that requires no sides or appetizers. It has everything you could want. So what are you waiting for? Get fryin’!

How To Make Cauliflower Rice

First, you need to “rice” the cauliflower. You can do this a number of ways. The easiest is with a food processor. Pulse it to prevent it from turning to mush. If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a blender. No blender? You can grate the cauliflower like you would cheese. Last, you can always chop it up with a li’l elbow grease. To cook it, you can microwave for about 5 minutes, depending on how much you have. You can also bake it at 400°F for about 10-15 minutes. Or you can spread out the rice on a pan and roast it on HIGH heat for the same period of time.

Is Cauliflower Rice Stir-Fry Healthy?

Yes, the cauliflower rice is a great low-carb alternative to rice. The rest of the ingredients list are also healthy. I love how this dish can be a part of a vegetarian diet, a vegan diet (replace the honey with agave or maple syrup, or simple syrup), a dairy-free diet, a gluten-free diet (inspect the soy label), a paleo diet (replace the peanut butter with another nut butter, the soy sauce with coconut aminos, and the honey with maple syrup), and a low-carb/keto diet (replace the honey with stevia and remove the green peas and other vegetables you consider high in carbs). In short: I got you covered!

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp coconut oil
8 mushrooms, quartered
1 cup snow peas, halved
1 cup broccoli, chopped
2 cups bok choy, chopped
2 medium zucchini, sliced
½ cup green peas
¼ cup cashew nuts, roasted and salted
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
1–2 green onions, finely sliced

The Sauce:

2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp roasted sesame oil
3 tbsp soy sauce
¼ cup peanut butter
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp crunchy chili sauce
2 tbsp lime juice

INSTRUCTIONS

Whisk

In a bowl whisk together all of the sauce ingredients. If you find it too thick, add a drizzle of water. Set aside.

Sauté

In a skillet over MED-HIGH heat, melt the coconut oil. Add the mushrooms, snow peas, broccoli, bok choy, and zucchini and sauté for 5 minutes. Once the veg is mostly cooked, add in the peas and sauté for another 5 minutes.

Pour

Pour in the sauce. Stir.

Garnish

Serve the stir fry on top of the cauliflower rice. Garnish with the cashew nuts, cilantro, and green onions.

DEVOUR!

Tips & Tricks to Making a Perfect Cauliflower Rice Stir-Fry

Use fresh ingredients. Despite the wide assortment of flavors on show here, a rotten veggie, for instance, will stick out and ruin the dish.
Pulse the cauliflower rice in the food processor. Don’t hold down the button lest you run the risk of turning your rice into mush.
Sauté the cauliflower rice in a pan for a few minutes before serving; this will enhance the texture by drying it out and giving it a slight crispness.
Or you can add the cauliflower rice to the pan with the stir-fry. This crisps up the rice and allows you to mix all the ingredients together fully.

Cauliflower Rice Stir-Fry featured image below

FAQs

can i use frozen cauliflower rice?

Sure, if convenience is a factor. Let it thaw though and absorb the excess moisture.

which proteins do you recommend I add?

Chicken, beef strips, shrimp, tofu, tempeh… like any stir-fry, it can be matched with any number of proteins. Cook them first then add to the stir-fry.

what if i don’t have a food processor?

You can still use a blender. Barring that, you can grate your cauliflower like you would a block of cheese. And if worse comes to worst, there’s always the knife and chopping block.

can i add eggs?

Yes. Eggs are a great vegetarian means of adding protein. Just push the vegetables to one side of the pan then scramble your eggs on the other. Then mix them all together.

what other oils can i use besides coconut oil?

For a stir fry you’ll want to use one with a high smoke point, so look at olive oil, avocado oil, sesame oil, grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, or sunflower oil. Each has its own flavor so bear that in mind when choosing.

How To Prep and Store Cauliflower Rice Stir-Fry

Let the stir fry cool completely then store it in an airtight container. You can then keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you would like to freeze it, you can do so. Just be sure to eat it within 3 months. To reheat, let it thaw completely overnight in the fridge then warm it up on the stove on MED-LOW heat. As you may suspect, the texture of the rice will have changed.

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