I don’t say it much, but cauliflower “couscous” or “rice” is incredible. No hyperbole. It has a fluffy, airy feel. It is made in five minutes.
Any recipe, whether hot or cold, a side dish or otherwise, can use in place of rice or couscous. A food crush, indeed.
If you like couscous, then you should try our “Vegan Couscous Recipes“.
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Cauliflower Couscous Recipe
A low-carb, gluten-free substitute for regular wheat couscous that you may eat with your favorite North African dishes.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
- 2 dried rose buds
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon ground paprika
- 1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Directions to Make
- Preheat a big skillet on medium heat. Add the cumin and coriander seeds; simmer, mixing regularly, for about a minute, or until fragrantly toasted
- Add Coriander and cumin seeds to a mortar and pestle. Add rose buds and powder them. With a spoon, combine red pepper flakes and paprika
- Put the cauliflower in the food processor and process until it resembles rice-sized grains
- In the skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-low heat. For about 5 minutes, cook and toss onion until it turns fine. About 3 minutes later, add the riced cauliflower and stir until heated through
- Stir the cumin mixture before evenly spreading it over the cauliflower. Take the “couscous” off the heat, cover it, and let it steam for five minutes
- Add couscous to the coriander. Add extra virgin olive oil and fluff with a fork
Other Cauliflower Couscous Recipes
Spice Merchant Cauliflower Couscous
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower (about 1 ½ pounds of cauliflower florets)
- 5 ounces raw cashew nuts
- 3 ounces sultanas (gold raisins)
- 5 tbsps olive oil
- 4 tbsps lemon juice
- 2 tbsps minced parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon za’atar
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions to Make
- Put the sultanas in a basin and cover them with warm water. To make the sultanas plump, leave them for about 15 minutes. Remove the water and discard it
- Heat a cast iron skillet on a medium flame. The cashew nuts should be toasted for about 8 minutes, until they are softly brown and faintly charred, on medium-low heat
- To prevent the burning of the cashew nuts, stir often. The cashew nuts should cool. Smaller chunks of the cashew nut half should be cut (or crushed with your hands)
- Break the cauliflower head into florets while reserving the bulk of the stem. Reduce the florets’ size using a knife. Batch-process the cauliflower in the food processor until it reaches couscous and is finely diced. Be careful not to process too much
- Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cauliflower couscous should be added to the pan and cooked for 7 minutes while mixing constantly
- Take off the couscous from the fire and allow it to cool. Add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil, the sultanas, cashews, za’atar, cumin, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste
- Allow the flavors to meld with the couscous for about 15 minutes. At room temperature, serve
Harissa Roasted Cauliflower Couscous
Couscous made of spicy grains and roasted cauliflower with harissa makes a delicious main dish for vegans.
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, leaves removed, bottom stem trimmed
- 1/4 cup harissa
- 1 tablespoon + 1/3 cup olive oil and more for oiling the pan
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup couscous
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup parsley leaves plus more chopped for serving
- 1 cup cilantro leaves plus more chopped for serving
- 2 tablespoons minced chives plus more for serving
- Juice of 1 lemon
Directions to Make
- Set the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
- Slice the cauliflower into 1/2-inch pieces lengthwise. Any bigger cauliflower pieces should be broken apart
- Mix the harissa, 1 tablespoon olive oil, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Rub the harissa mixture all over the cauliflower before adding it
- Place the cauliflower in a single layer on a baking sheet that has been gently coated with olive oil. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once halfway through, or until browned
- Put the couscous in a big bowl and cook the cauliflower at the same time. Boiling water should be added, covered, and let for 8–10 minutes to soak. Then use a fork to fluff
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the parsley, cilantro, chives, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and the remaining salt and pepper
- Blend the elements until the herbs are well chopped
- Mix herbs with oil before the cauliflower is added. Before serving, spread chopped parsley and cilantro over top
Grain-Free Moroccan Cauliflower Couscous
Grain-free Moroccan cauliflower couscous is healthy, gluten-free, and blasting with flavor! Here, cauliflower covers for couscous along with dried apricots, toasted almonds, and Moroccan spices.
Fresh parsley, mint, and a drizzle of lemon honey round off the dish.
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, about 1 1/4 pounds or 5 cups riced
- 3 tbsps olive oil, divided
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup dried apricots, diced
- juice and zest of a lemon
- 2–3 tbsps apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsps honey (or brown rice syrup, maple syrup, or yacon root syrup)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 – 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, minced
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup almonds, toasted (slivered, sliced, or whole chopped)
Directions to Make
- Cut Cauliflower into 1-inch slices. Pulse the processor until a snowy texture emerges after adding the other half for around one minute the remaining cauliflower should be repeated
- A tablespoon of olive oil, cumin seeds, and shallots is added to a large skillet and sautéed for about 5 minutes at medium heat to toast the seeds and soften the shallots
- Over medium-low heat, whisk in the salt and cauliflower for about 7 minutes. Stir to simply warm the cauliflower
- The cauliflower is just being heated well and allowed to soften; it is not being browned
- Add dried apricots and red bell pepper. Get rid of the heat. Give it around 20 minutes to cool
- Honey, apple cider vinegar (start with 2 tablespoons and add more if necessary), cinnamon, coriander, and smoked paprika should all be mixed in a bowl or measuring cup
- Pour the parsley and mint over the cauliflower. Combine all of them. Add roasted nuts on top
FAQs
When it comes to grains, couscous is really preferable to rice and quinoa since each cup has fewer than 200 calories. This amounts to less than 10% of the recommended daily calorie intake for individuals.
As a result, it’s the ideal alternative for those who want to lose weight mostly by dieting.
Couscous has the most calories of any grain. In comparison to brown rice, which contains 216 calories per cup, cooked couscous has 176 calories. Additionally, couscous has 6 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber per cup. While the amounts for brown rice are 3.5 and 5, respectively.
Conclusion
Couscous with cauliflower? why not Of course, durum wheat couscous that has been perfectly cooked cannot be beaten. However, cauliflower couscous is a pleasant and useful alternative for those of us who resist wheat. In case you’ve never had cauliflower with couscous, give it a try. It won’t dissatisfy you.
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