A grain-free alternative to restaurant-style cilantro lime rice, this sautéed Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice recipe is the perfect soy-free, gluten-free side to any meal, and it’s super easy to make!

Stop the presses, hold the phone. We have a vegetable, and a tasty one, at that. You know that phrase necessity breeds invention? It was never truer than it is now. Our family would absolutely eat at Chipotle every day, every snack, every meal if we could. I’d probably just camp out or move in, but for loitering laws. Aside from the fact that I love everything there I also happen to love their cilantro lime rice.

There can never be too much lime. Or cilantro (best herb ever), or rice, or whatever else they add in for the delectable goodness that is their amazing creation.

And, so, since we love their food but also have to watch our grain intake, I decided to put together a Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice recipe that we could enjoy all the days. Who needs to worry about loitering laws now?

But, oh, would it work?

Would it live up to expectation?

Oh, yes, yes it would. It did, it ca, and it has.

We will be eating this for all the meals until forever.

And…guess who else LOVES it?

Toodle.

That’s right. The sixer is all over this recipe. She has told me she could eat it 100 times. This right here is your proof that Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice is worth the effort of trying a vegetable in place of a grain.

I bought pre-cut cauliflower, broke the florets into smaller pieces, and then added them to a little vegetable chopper. I chopped until the cauliflower florets looked like rice, or about ten pulses. Inevitably, with each batch I chopped, a few florets refused to cooperate. Instead of over-chopping, I pulled out the two or three offending pieces, poured the rest in a big mixing bowl, and added those remaining two or three florets to the next batch. Worked like a charm.

I didn’t chop the cilantro. If you’ve been following along on this blog for any length of time, you know I abhor chopping, slicing, and dicing. While dating K-Hubs, I learned he doesn’t mind these culinary tasks. And so I declared to myself right then and there, “I must marry that man.” You can certainly be more of an adult about your herbs than I am and take the extra time to pull apart or dice your cilantro. But, honestly, if you don’t want to, I don’t think it will hurt the recipe. Who needs pretty when you want your cilantro lime cauliflower rice five minutes ago? Also, it isn’t the same consistency of avocado pesto, where you definitely want to chop the cilantro. Take the easy way wherever possible.

I did slice the green onions, however. Green onions? Scallions? What shall we call them? Mom and The Gram always called them scallions. I call them green onions. Whatever. Add them. They make the dish come alive.

And speaking of this dish coming alive, it is super healthy, nicely fulfilling, and easy to make. I expected it to be difficult so I stressed the whole time I made it. “K-Hubs, please take the kids outside to play, for I need to think my culinary thoughts.” I needn’t have been so precious. please do not skimp on the coconut oil or butter or whatever amazingness you will plan to use. Be kind to yourself, and celebrate the fact that you are willingly eating a vegetable. Or is that just me? Because this is another of those tasty recipes in which the vegetable doesn’t taste like dirt, or sadness, or maturity. Nope, instead it tastes like pure, wholesome guilty pleasure.

Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice is a delicious grain-free alternative to restaurant-style rice! | spiritedandthensome.com

An earlier iteration of this recipe!

Also, if those loitering laws ever do get changes, I think I’ll still be making this, oh, probably only just every day.

Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

1 head cauliflower
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp lime juice

Instructions

Break cauliflower into florets, add to a vegetable chopper, and pulsate until florets resemble rice. Do not over-chop.
In a deep saucepan, combine cauliflower pieces and coconut oil. Sauté on medium heat, evenly coating cauliflower. Add more coconut oil, if desired.
Add sea salt and stir.
Mix in green onions and continue sautéing.
Just as you reach the desired cauliflower rice consistency, add the cilantro and lime juice. Sauté just long enough to coat cilantro and evenly blend lime juice.
Serve immediately or store up to 24 hours in the fridge.