If you're looking for a light, nourishing side that’s easy to prep and family-approved, this quinoa cauliflower rice might just be your new go-to. It’s veggie-forward, packed with plant-based protein and comes together in minutes - especially if you’ve got frozen cauliflower rice on hand. For something a little heartier, you might also enjoy my fluffy quinoa rice blend, which is a simple half-and-half mix of quinoa and basmati rice.
Cauliflower rice has been a trend for a couple of years now and continues to be gaining popularity. It is a great way to sneak more vegetables into your diet. I love to make it with store-bought frozen riced cauliflower but you could certainly buy fresh or make your own cauliflower rice in your food processor. I find the already prepared and frozen one best so that I always have it on hand and can enjoy without any effort (no cleaning, chopping or kitchen tools needed).
Lately, I have been combining the riced cauliflower with fluffy cooked quinoa. I love the texture combination and it gives the side dish a bit more oomph. The quinoa adds a chewy texture and, of course, plant-based protein. Together, this easy side dish provides a vegetable and a protein all in one shot.
In addition to being a complete protein with all nine essential amino acids, quinoa also provides fiber and is a good source of folate, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and many phytochemicals. It also offers important minerals such as calcium, potassium, copper and zinc.
I make a large batch of quinoa once a week as part of my meal prep so that I can enjoy it throughout the week. If you haven't already, definitely check out my secret to perfectly cooked quinoa!
I kept the recipe below simple so that it can pair with almost anything. But you can certainly add fresh garlic or other spices to match your main dish. My entire family loves this dish. It is so easy that it almost doesn't warrant a recipe.
I always find using a high-quality olive oil yields the best results. Here, I used extra virgin olive oil by my favorite specialty olive oil brand, Pomora. Pomora is committed to supporting small, independent growers. Their farmers have generations of experience behind them and use traditional and sustainable farming methods. They respect the land which supports them and they take care of their employees. The coolest part about their company is that you actually foster or adopt an olive tree from one of two farmers. You will receive quarterly shipments of premium quality olive oil from your very own adopted tree.
Each quarterly shipment of olive oil contains 3 x 250ml tins of oil. Typically, these are:
- Winter: olio nuovo – young/fresh oil;
- Spring: flavored oils (e.g. 1 x lemon, 1 x chili and 1 x rosemary);
- Summer: classic extra virgin olive oil;
- Autumn: flavored oils (e.g. 1 x basil, 1 x garlic and 1 x white truffle).
You can even adopt a tree as a gift which would make the perfect holiday gift for that foodie/cook in your life. And be sure to use discount code: “EBE25” – which gives 25% off the cost of the first quarter of an Adoption.
This faux rice side-dish is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, refined sugar-free and nut-free. If you give this recipe a try, please snap a pic and tag @eatingbyelaine so I can see you enjoying your "rice!"
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Quinoa Cauliflower "Rice"
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 4
Description
This easy, gluten-free side pairs well with most entrees. It is a great way to sneak in a vegetable and plant-based protein. I kept the recipe simple but feel free to add additional seasonings to pair with your entree.
Ingredients
- 3 cups frozen riced cauliflower*
- 3 cups cooked quinoa (How to Make Perfectly Cooked Quinoa)
- 2-4 tablespoons Pomora extra virgin olive oil**
- ¾-1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (or more to taste)
- fresh Italian leaf parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the riced cauliflower, cooked quinoa, olive oil, salt and pepper and sauté uncovered for 30-35 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- When the frozen riced cauliflower is cooked through, adjust your seasonings. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
- This dish can be stored for 3-5 days in a sealed container in your refrigerator. I have not tried freezing it yet but it should freeze well and last two to three months in a sealed container in your freezer.
Notes
*If you use fresh riced cauliflower the cooking time will be slightly less so watch closely at the end. To make your own riced cauliflower pulse cauliflower florets in your food processor until it looks like white rice. Be careful not to over-process. It is best made in small batches at a time so the rice pieces are evenly sized. Otherwise, you might end up with some large chunks.
**I recommend starting with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and increasing up to 4 tablespoons as you go or as needed. For a more "fried" rice taste use the full 4 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: Side Dish
This post is sponsored by Pomora. As always, all opinions expressed in this blog post are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that I work with and love!
Jennifer Bliss says
That's some great looking cauliflower rice!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Jennifer! 🙂
Jamie says
This tastes delicious thank you!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Jamie!