Cauliflower grits with spicy shrimp is a healthier version of southern comfort food! Sauteed shrimp with bacon, creamy cauliflower grits, and fresh greens.
Are you looking for a healthier way to enjoy some of your favorite comfort food dishes? Today I’m sharing with you a healthy twist on a classic shrimp and grits recipe.
Instead of using grits made from stone-ground cornmeal, I’ve taken cauliflower and turned it into a fresh vegetable loaded side dish that still has the creamy texture you crave. You won’t believe how easy it is to substitute more nutritious ingredients into your meal with just a little creativity. This cauliflower grits recipe served with spicy shrimp will leave you satisfied and nourished.
In the last few years, I’ve completely embraced the versatility of adding cauliflower to various recipes. With just a single head of this cruciferous vegetable, you can make cauliflower rice grains and add creaminess to soups and purees. Some of my favorite ways to use cauliflower are in my shrimp fried rice and cauliflower corn chowder.
How to Make Cauliflower Grits
- Break it Down– For this recipe, I created the cauliflower rice with a simple cheese grater (big holes), or you can quickly process it in a food processor.
- Size- You want them to be about the size of uncooked rice or corn kernels at the biggest.
- Cook- The cauliflower is sautéed until softened and they recreate the smooth and creamy grits texture.
- Texture- I used an immersion blender to quickly pulse some of the cooked cauliflower. I kept some of the rice grains intact, so it gives the slightly rough grit texture. A little bit of cashew milk or dairy milk makes the grits even more flavorful. The cheese is completely optional, just make sure to taste and season the cauliflower grits.
For some classic new southern flavors, the shrimp is tossed in smoky spices and cayenne pepper for a little kick of heat. The shrimp are sautéed with red bell pepper and onion, then hit with a generous amount of lemon juice to brighten the dish.
The last component to make this comforting meal even more healthy is some greens. I choose to use Swiss chard because I like the hint of bitterness and they are in season and gorgeous at our local market. You can substitute kale or other greens of your choice. It only needs a few minutes to cook down.
Now to bring it all together! Each guest gets a generous helping of cheesy grits topped with sautéed greens and spicy shrimp. This shrimp and cauliflower grits recipe is sure to delight without making you feel weighed down. There are always ways to take your most heartwarming dishes and make them more nutritious!
More shrimp recipes
Recipe Science
How do you know when shrimp is cooked?
If you want to prevent tough and rubbery shrimp the best tools you have are your senses. The appearance of raw shrimp is typically translucent with a whitish gray colored flesh. As you apply heat, the protein in the shrimp turns to a faint whitish pink color and looks opaque. Shrimp cook extremely fast, you only need a few minutes on each side to form a loose letter “C” shape when properly prepared. A tightly curled shrimp is nearing being overcooked and will toughen in texture the longer it is exposed to heat.
Cauliflower Grits with Spicy Shrimp
Ingredients
Cauliflower Grits
- 1 head cauliflower, about 1 pound, yield 4 cups grated
- 1 cup unsweeted cashew milk, or coconut milk or whole dairy milk
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, or ghee
- ¼ cup unsalted chicken stock, or vegetable stock
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Shrimp
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, 16/20 count
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
- 4 slices bacon, thick-cut, chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic, about 4 cloves
- ¼ cup yellow onion, diced into ¼-inch cubes
- ¼ cup red bell pepper, diced into ¼-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, to substitute bacon grease if desired
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup green onions, thinly sliced
Greens
- 8 ounces swiss chard, sliced into 1-inch strips
Instructions
Cauliflower Grits
- Grate or add cauliflower florets to a food processor. You want the cauliflower to be about the size of rice grains.
- Add cauliflower to a medium-sized saute pan and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, constantly stirring to release some moisture from the vegetable.
- Add one tablespoon of butter, ¼ cup of cashew milk, ¼ cup of chicken stock, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir and cook until moisture gets absorbed and cauliflower cooks through, about 5 minutes.
- Using an immersion hand blender or blender, pulse cauliflower mixture until it resembles the texture of grits (smooth yet still grainy). You don’t want the mixture to be completely smooth.
- Transfer back to the pan. Turn heat to medium and add in ¼ cup grated cheese, stir until melted. Slowly add about ½ to ¾ cup more cashew milk until the grits are smooth and creamy. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as desired. Keep warm over very low heat while making the shrimp.
Spicy Shrimp
- In a medium-sized bowl combine shrimp, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, and ⅛ teaspoon paprika. Set aside. You can add more cayenne pepper if you like it really spicy.
- Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add diced bacon and cook until crispy, frequently stirring, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel and drain. Keep 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pan, or you can remove and use 2 tablespoons of olive oil instead.
- Heat pan to medium and add garlic and onion, stir and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add in the bell peppers and cook 1 minute.
- Turn heat to medium-high and add shrimp. Cook for 2 minutes on one side, and 1 minute on the other until pink. Add in 4 teaspoons of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons green onions and cooked bacon. Stir to combine, cook about 1 minute. Transfer shrimp to a warm bowl.
Greens
- In the same pan add the swiss chard. Cook on medium-high heat until wilted and tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Recipe Video
Notes
- To Serve: Stir and reheat grits if needed. Divide grits, greens and shrimp evenly amoung serving bowls.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Zoy Kocian says
Lots of flavor in this recipe. The cauliflower had a nice sweetness and the shrimp had a tangy savoriness to it. Nice contrast of flavors and textures. I cooked kale since that’s what I had. Also added extra cheese and pepper.
Jessica Gavin says
Great to hear that you enjoyed the cauliflower version of grits!
Lucia says
Can I make this without the cheese?
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, you can omit the cheese.
P says
What if I don’t do the immersion blender step?
Jessica Gavin says
Do you have a food processor? If not, I would mash the cooked cauliflower. You could also chop the cauliflower more fine, but it won’t be smooth.
Susan Hawthorne says
The nutrition info says 12grams per serving, but I don’t see how many servings. Did I miss that somewhere?
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Susan! It’s 4 servings. The info is at the top of the recipe card.
Jess says
So delicious! I used turkey bacon and powdered cheddar, and unsweet almond milk + 2tsp half and half for the “grits.” I also sautéed the Swiss chard in apple cider vinegar and added diced jalapeño to the whole dish. This was a fabulous meal that I’d make for guests, and can be easily adjusted to be even lower calorie!
Jessica Gavin says
Wow, I love your modifications. They sound delicious!
Amy Mackenzie says
An awesome low carb mea idea. So yummy!
Sharon says
I just came across your website today and made the shrimp and cauliflower grits. It was outstanding! I’ll be sure to come back for more inspiration and recipes.
Jessica Gavin says
Happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe Sharon!
Oana says
Love this recipe! I make it often and everyone always loves it! Thanks for adding some flavour to cauliflower, the only way my husband and kids will eat it.
Marisela says
I made this recipe tonight and we loved it!! Everyone said it’s their favorite low carb meal that I’ve made. I definitely will be making this again! Thank you! ?
Yoly says
Just made this recipe for dinner. Several folks on my feed made grits last week and it left me green with envy. But the way my Keto diet is set up, I can’t have real grits. So I went to google and found this recipe and made faux Shrimp and grits for dinner! Aldi didn’t have the greens so swapped it for Spinach. Also, added some Old Bay Seasoning because I was out of Paprika.
My husband and daughter LOVED IT and I adored how easy it was to make. Can’t wait to make it again.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback and ingredient swap suggestions!
Stacy Oberman says
I made this tonight and it was outstanding! I substituted heavy cream for cashew milk in the grits and it was perfect and ancho chili powder for cayenne in the shrimp. Will definitely make this again!
Juliane Duarte says
Made this recipe several times. Just perfect for date night in.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback Juliane! Sounds romantic 🙂
Raina W says
I used cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes on my Shepard’s pie! It was to die for. I cooked all of my main ingredients in a cast iron skillet, added all of the yummy seasonings I wanted and tomatoes to create a sauce, then topped the skillet with cheesy cauliflower and baked until golden on top. It makes enough for a day or two of leftovers and the flavors just get better. The kids and hubby ate up.
Ivory Rios says
I followed this recipe to the T and it was soooooo yummy. I went back for seconds but my hubby beat me to it. This recipe will definitely be in heavy rotation in my home.
Jessica Gavin says
Whoo hoo! Thank you for making the recipe Ivory. Might have to double it next time 🙂
Meghan says
This was actually so good! I subbed the milk for more broth and a little heavy cream! Of course it’s not gonna taste exactly like grits but it’s a very tasty , healthy alternative. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you Meghan! I appreciate your feedback and love learning about the substitutions.
Kristi Block says
I just made this! It was delicious! My almond milk is the unsweetened vanilla kind, so I omitted it and just used a cup of veggie broth and 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream. It worked just fine. I topped it with a fried egg, sauteed kale, and some tofu fried up with liquid smoke and tamari. It fed 2 as a vegetarian Keto main dish. Yum!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your substitutions and extra tasty ingredients Kristi! I love that you made it keto 🙂
Sherry says
Can I use the frozen riced cauliflower now available in most stores instead of shredding my own? It would save some time for a weeknight meal!
Jessica Gavin says
Absolutely! You can definitely use the frozen or pre-cut cauliflower. Just make sure it’s about 4 cups of cauliflower rice.
Ashley says
Hi! I was wondering if I could use almond milk instead of cashew or coconut milk? Thanks!
Jessica Gavin says
Yes you can substitute almond milk for cashew and coconut milk 🙂
Stephenie says
We made a dairy-free version tonight. Only other difference is we cooked the shrimp in the shell, which is supposed to add flavor, and used kale cooked with coconut aminos. Daughter with autism loved this! Great way to sneak in healthy, unprocessed, plant-based carbs and fiber.
Stephenie says
EDIT: we used flax milk and nutritional yeast in “grits” to give them cheesy, buttery flavor!
Theresa says
I’m trying this recipe tonight! Looks delicious and healthy. I like how you desribe what the texture of the cauliflower should be. It really helps.
Jessica Gavin says
I can’t wait to hear what you think Theresa! glad the descriptions help you 🙂
Jim Huff says
In the middle of making this dish and the ingredients call for 1/4 cup of cheese, directions call for 1/2 cup!!
Jessica Gavin says
Sorry, use 1/4 cup. I’ll update the recipe asap. thanks!
Julie says
Hi Jessica,
This recipe looks amazing!
I realize when bacon is in a recipe it really ramps up the flavor. Is there a non-meat substitute or would it be just as scrumptious w/out any meat (keeping the shrmp in of course)? THX!
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Julie! You are right, bacon adds so much depth in flavor. I found that a substitute could be sauteed bacon. It naturally has a meaty texture and umami (savory) flavor that you might miss from the bacon, and some extra cheese too. Let me know how it turns out!
Angela Roche says
I was wondering what you are recommending here- sautéed bacon? I’m looking for ideas for flavor but not using bacon. I’m prescatarian
Thanks.
Stephenie says
did she mean mushrooms? We make mushroom “bacon” with shitakes baked with liquid smoke and maple syrup drizzled over.
Susan says
Stumbled on this recipe in the list Jennifer Banz put together and made it last weekend. Mercy, it was delicious! Love shrimp and grits but don’t usually eat them even when I’m not eating low carb because the traditional recipe is so heavy. This, on the other hand, tasted perfect. It was a little labor intensive (I had to get everything ready before cooking (a la cooking show style), so I’ll reserve it for a weekend meal. But I’ll definitely be making it again. Thank you!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you so much Susan! I love how adventurous you are with your cooking 🙂 Thank you for your helpful feedback, glad to hear that you enjoyed the shrimp[ and cauliflower grits recipe!
Jennifer Banz says
Hi! I just wanted to let you know that I featured this recipe in my roundup post 14 delicious low carb recipes using cauliflower! https://jenniferbanz.com/14-delicious-low-carb-recipes-using-cauliflower
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you so much for including me in your round-up Jennifer! I will share on my social media 🙂
Aime gerald says
This was AMAZING! I never thought of using cauliflower instead of grits. But this was soooo much better. I did add fresh spinach at the end of the shrimp cooking. Just wilted it and had it all in one dish. Scrumptious!!!! Had a little Mississippi State Cheddar cheese grated on top for garnish! I will make this again!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you Aime! I’m so happy that you gave it a try and enjoyed the results. Love the idea of adding spinach to the cauliflower. Send over some of that cheese!
Shirley Herbert says
Gotta love that State cheddar. Hail State!!!
Letha says
Oh YUMMY! We made this for dinner tonight! We all licked our plates clean!!! The cauliflower grits were unbelievable! Could have eaten a whole bowl by itself. Shrimp was perfectly spicy, and the bacon and red peppers mmmmm. I have a feeling this will become a regular in our weekly meal plan. Thanks for the fantastic dish!
Jessica Gavin says
YAYAYAYA! I’m so HAPPY to hear that you enjoyed the recipe Letha. Aren’t those cauliflower grits so yummy! Thank you so much for giving it a try 🙂
Judy Caywood says
Jessica,
Ooh Ooh and OOOOH
That sure looks yummy. Isn’t cauliflower amazing. I just bought a fresh head too. I used my last one for the Chicken Pot Pie recipe you have and gosh was that ever tasty.
Judy
Jessica Gavin says
I love cauliflower too Judy! I’m so glad that you tried the pot pie soup! I hope you get to make this dish too 🙂