Spiriteds, can we just take a moment to talk about cauliflower rice? Have you tried it? Do you love it? Do you not love it? I must confess a complete and total bias here. I. LOVE. IT. I love it like I love softly falling snow or gentle rain in spring or crunchy leaves in fall.
I am firmly planted on that bandwagon of people who think cauliflower anything is the next greatest invention.
And, today, Spiriteds, we are spooning up a dish of this over-the-top delicious CREAMY AVOCADO CAULIFLOWER RICE, which happens to be paleo and vegan, which also means it’s dairy-free, grain-free, soy-free, and gluten-free. But, fear not, it is still full of robust flavor and all the things in the world that are good and kind and scrumptious.
If you love grains but know you need more vegetables, then this is your dish. If you find yourself wondering why some foods never seem to be as healthy as they are comforting, then this is your dish. If you find yourself thinking a recipe that’s filling without being heavy would be desirable, then this is your dish.
Among the many reasons Creamy Avocado Cauliflower Rice is so amazing is that while the cauliflower provides a light, healthy base, the avocado provides a filling but healthy complement. It’s a win-win situation. Not to mention, lime, cilantro, garlic, and a dash of cracked pepper mean this recipe is out-of-this-world tantalizing.
As for making it, well, the process really isn’t difficult. I used to think cooking with cauliflower would be super stressful. It isn’t. When I make this, I chop the cauliflower florets into pieces that resemble rice. DO NOT OVER-CHOP. If you have a few stubborn florets that refuse to chop (this happens to me every round), remove them from the batch, set them aside, finish with the current batch, and add the stubborn pieces to the next handful of florets. I typically err on the side of larger, rather than smaller, pieces.
I then sauté the chopped cauliflower for about 5-10 minutes in coconut oil and a dash of sea salt. This wide range of sautéing time allows you to taste-test along the way, deciding what kind of consistency you prefer your cauliflower rice to be. The longer you sauté, the softer, even mushier, the pieces will be. But much of it comes down to personal preference.
While the cauliflower is sautéing, I combine all of the creamy avocado ingredients in my blender and go. It’s a wise idea to chop your cilantro into small pieces so it doesn’t clog your blender. Once the ingredients are mixed well in the blender, I pour the mixture over the sautéed rice and gently stir everything together.
Simple. As. That.
And while I totally just said this is a super easy recipe to make, I will say the first time you make it, pick a night that isn’t also super crazy. A night where you have a little breathing room. A night in which you’ll be able to think your thoughts, listen to your tastebuds, and decide for yourself how you want your cauliflower rice to be. A night when you can sit down on the couch with a bowl of this and SAVOR.
Then once you have your cauliflower opinions ON LOCK, you can make this any night of the week you want. But that first time? Your palate and this recipe need your undivided attention. Because Creamy Avocado Cauliflower Rice is so freaking yummy, it (and you) deserves nothing less.
Creamy Avocado Cauliflower Rice
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt, divided (1/2 and 1/4)
- 2 avocados
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- Cracked pepper for garnish
Instructions
- Chop cauliflower florets into pieces resembling rice (do not over-chop).
- Sauté cauliflower rice in a large sauté pan with coconut oil and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, stirring frequently for about 5-10 minutes, or until desired consistency is reached. Remove from heat.
- In a high-speed blender, combine avocados, olive oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, cilantro, lime juice, and pressed garlic and blend until smooth.
- Pour creamy avocado mixture over the cauliflower rice and stir gently.
- Top with pepper and serve immediately.
Hi, loved this recipe. Only problem is I used to cloves of garlic and it ended up tasting so much like garlic that it almost overpowered all the other flavours. I still have another batch to eat, so do you have any advice on how to reduce the garlic flavour so I can eat the rest? Thank you!
It seems our original comments disappeared! So let me just say, absolutely! If that ever happens to me, I add more cauliflower. This will keep for about a day, so if you can’t add more right away, there is still time. In future recipes, you can also reduce the number of cloves used or pick the smallest in the bulb to have more control over the flavor.