This low carb cauliflower risotto recipe is a healthier alternative made in just 30 minutes or less! Each spoonful is packed with fresh garden vegetables.
Risotto is my food therapy. Usually, it requires taking the time to cook slowly and stir the arborio rice, resulting in the creamiest Italian comfort dish. Even though this yields a highly addicting meal, I don’t always have a ton of time to make risotto on the weekday.
Until now! I’m tackling two obstacles in one dish just for you. A healthier low carb risotto recipe that’s cooked in 20 minutes or less. Yep, you heard me right! Skinny risotto made in almost half the time. If you’ve never made cauliflower “rice” before keep reading, it’s a game changer.
Have you been noticing the plethora of cauliflower rice recipes out there on the lovely internet? It’s a great way to add more cruciferous vegetables in your diet while cutting down on higher calorie carbohydrates like rice.
To make cauliflower rice, I used a simple large holed boxed grater to cut down the florets into little bit sized pieces that resemble grains of rice. Cauliflower is a very stable vegetable. It doesn’t turn to complete mush when cooked for longer periods of time. This is perfect for making your risotto.
Here it is friends! I used a very similar technique as making a traditional risotto. Since the cauliflower takes only about 10 minutes to cook through, the dish is ready in a much shorter time. I wanted to pack this risotto with all of my favorite springtime vegetables. Asparagus, peas, zucchini, and mushrooms are the vegetable superstars.
Are you ready to give this cauliflower recipe a try? For a low carb option, it’s appetizing and easy to make. Of course, it’s hard not to enjoy the arborio rice version, but this is a delicious vegetable packed swap. If you’ve nailed this recipe, give my shrimp fried rice a try too. Other readers have been raving about it, and I’ve love to hear what you think about cauliflower rice.
How do I make cauliflower rice?
There are two basic methods to create cauliflower “rice” grains. The process to make the rice starts by removing just the florets from the head of cauliflower. I found that one large or two small yields about 4 cups of rice. Wash the florets and make sure they are nice and dry. From here you can either grate the florets like you would a block of cheese, using the widest hole option. The second and faster method is to work in batches to break down the florets into small pieces using a food processor. Now you are ready to saute or steam the cauliflower rice for any of your dishes. Cauliflower rice has become so popular that you can also buy bags of pre-cut “rice” at grocery stores like Albertsons or Trader Joe’s. Keep an eye out if, it’s a real time saver!
Low Carb Cauliflower Risotto
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced, (4 ounces)
- 1/2 cup yellow onions, diced, ¼ inch
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups cauliflower, grated or finely chopped, (about 1 large head)
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup asparagus, chopped, cut into ¼ inch coins
- 1 cup zucchini, grated
- 1/2 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup milk, (dairy, cashew or almond)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 Italian parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup basil leaves, thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or wide deep sauté pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.
- Add mushrooms and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and reserve.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Add the onion and garlic, and cook until they are soft and translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the cauliflower and stir thoroughly to make sure it is coated with the olive oil and onions.
- Cook the cauliflower rice for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine, stirring and scraping the pan until the wine has evaporated, about 2 minutes.
- Add the asparagus, zucchini and peas, stir to combine. Turn heat up to medium-high.
- Add the broth and milk, frequently stirring so the vegetable cook and the liquid begins to evaporate.
- Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender and just a small amount of the liquid is left on the bottom of the pan.
- Turn off heat and add cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Add cooked mushrooms and lemon zest, stir to combine.
- Taste the risotto and add more salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve and garnish with parsley, basil and more cheese on top if desired.
I’m trying this soon! Will let you know what I think.
I can’t wait to hear your feedback Ginger!
This looks delicious!
Thank you Damaris!
I was wondering if you can make this recipe vegan by substituting the Parmesan cheese for the vegan version. Has anyone tried it? How did it turn out?
Yes! I think you can definitely use vegan cheese for this recipe.
This looks amazing! I’m obsessed with cauliflower rice and eat it pretty much every week, but I’ve never thought to make risotto with it. I’m definitely going to give this recipe a try! Thanks!
Wow! What other ways do you make cauliflower rice Krista? I can’t wait to hear what you think about this recipe!
I made this for 3 of my girlfriends last night and it was a huge hit! I used Trader Joe’s frozen cauliflower rice for the first time, which made me a little nervous, but it turned out beautifully and saved some time. The flavors were absolutely delicious and well balanced. This is a definite keeper!
Thank you for the feedback Barb! I didn’t know TJ had frozen cauliflower rice, I’ll have to try that next time! I’m so happy everyone enjoyed the recipe 🙂
I made this last night for dinner and it was delicious! The milk and cheese really made the “risotto” creamy, and all the vegetables and herbs brought so much flavor to the dish. I didn’t have any lemon or mushrooms, but had everything else and it was still great. I added a few drops of truffle oil on top at the end since I didn’t have lemon and that was SO good. Thanks for the recipe Jessica!
Thank you so much for the feedback Bessie! I’m glad to hear the recipe still tasted yummy without the mushrooms, and you still got the “risotto” vibe with the cauliflour rice 🙂 I LOVE the idea of adding truffle oil, you can never go wrong with that!
This was awesome! I made it for dinner last night and loved every bite of it! Unfortunately my husband and kids didn’t care for it – they all turn their nose up at cauliflower. Oh well, more for me.
Thank you for your feedback Heather! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I know, hubby and kids can be a tough crowd 🙂
Made this yesterday and I find the lemon flavour is far too strong – gives the dish a soapy flavour. I didn’t have fresh herbs, so likely the balance was off since I used dried ones instead. Might try again without the lemon since I love the vegetables.
Appreciate the feedback Julie! Let me know how it turns out next time 🙂
How do i substitute the white wine out? What is a good replacement?
Hi Jill- Great question! I would recommend making a mixture of 1/2 cup white grape juice and 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice. Then add 1/4 cup of that mixture to the dish.
I made this tonight, and it’s so so good!!! I was in heaven eating it, thank you for sharing this recipe!
Whoo hoo! Thank you so much for your feedback, made my day 🙂
I made my own version of this — more like a paella, with saffron, dried tomatoes, mushrooms, lemon…. So creamy and good, thank you!!!!
I LOVE it Becca! I’ll have to try your version 🙂
I made your recipe tonight. I added an entire Boursin garlic and herb cream cheese, because I had some that needed to get used. Didn’t have zucchini, so added extra asparagus and fresh peas. Ended up not adding the mushrooms, which we ate with the steak accompanying the risotto. Delicious! And a bit decadent. I really like “Becca’s” idea of making this with saffron. Next time! Thanks.
Hello
My first ever time using cauliflower like this.
Do you leave the sauted veggies and cauliflower In The pan while you deglaze?
Thanks
Hi Dianne- Great question! Yes, leave the garlic, onion, and cauliflower in the pan when you deglaze with the wine.
I made this with roasted chicken thighs. It was delicious! Thank you for sharing a healthier version of one of my favs foods.
Yummy excellent easy recipe even the kids loved it thank you