Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice
This cauliflower rice recipe features fresh Mediterranean flavors, including toasted almonds, lemon and parsley. It's the perfect light side dish! It's low carb, vegan and gluten free, too.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 9, 2024
To be honest, I was skeptical of cauliflower rice. How could blitzed raw cauliflower, warmed in a skillet, taste anywhere near as satisfying as fluffy, steaming rice? It can’t. The inevitable truth is that cauliflower rice needs some help from other flavors to send me back for seconds.
This is cauliflower rice kicked up several notches by some of my favorite Mediterranean ingredients. Fresh parsley, lemon, garlic, toasted almonds and red pepper flakes make this cauliflower rice an irresistible side dish. It tastes like rice pilaf crossed with tabbouleh, if you will. It is delicious.
I first made this cauliflower rice as a side dish for some leftovers, but it turned into dinner when I couldn’t stop going back for more. To be certain that the recipe was blog-worthy, I made the rice again for my skeptical taste testers.
Their response? “You know, this is really good. Like, really good. Why is this so good?” That’s when I threw my fists in the air and started making slow victory laps around the kitchen island.
You could make this low-carb cauliflower rice to round out a light meal, or to lighten up an otherwise heavy dinner. It will go well with any recipe that is loosely Mediterranean in flavor, especially with dishes that contain lemon and fresh herbs. Serve this recipe when a green salad won’t cut it!
Watch How to Make This Cauliflower Rice
How to Make Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice
You’ll find the simple recipe below, but here’s the gist:
- If using fresh cauliflower, turn it into rice in a food processor or with a cheese grater. Again, full details are below.
- Toast the almonds in a skillet until they’re lightly golden and fragrant. Transfer them to a bowl, then return the warm skillet to the heat.
- Warm the olive oil and cook the garlic briefly. We just want to take the edge off the garlic, not let it change colors. It will continue cooking with the rice.
- Add the cauliflower rice. Stir only every minute or so until it’s warmed through and takes on a bit of color on the edges.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the toasted almonds, fresh parsley and lemon juice. Stir it together, and enjoy.
More Light and Fresh Side Dishes to Enjoy
Here are a few more of my favorites:
- Orange Orzo Salad with Almonds, Feta and Olives,
- Perfect Roasted Asparagus
- The Best Quinoa Salad
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Tabbouleh Salad
As always, please let me know how you like this recipe in the comments section. If you’re a cauliflower rice connoisseur, please share your tips with me, too!
Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice
This cauliflower rice recipe features fresh Mediterranean flavors, including toasted almonds, lemon and parsley. It’s the perfect light side dish! It’s low carb, vegan and gluten free, too. Recipe yields 4 modest side servings.
Ingredients
- 1 medium-to-large head cauliflower or 16 ounces store-bought cauliflower rice
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (omit if sensitive to spice)
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- If you’re working with a head of cauliflower, cut it into medium chunks (see photo) and discard the core. Working in batches, pulse the chunks in a food processor with the S-blade until they’re broken into tiny pieces, just bigger than couscous. (See recipe notes if you don’t have a food processor.)
- Wrap the cauliflower rice in a clean tea towel or paper towels, twist, and squeeze as much water as possible from the rice—you might be surprised by how much water you can wring out.
- Toast the almonds in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently (careful, or they’ll burn), until they’re fragrant and starting to turn golden on the edges, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the toasted almonds to a bowl to cool.
- Return the skillet to the heat and add the olive oil and garlic. Cook while stirring until the garlic is fragrant, about 10 to 20 seconds. Add the cauliflower rice, red pepper flakes and salt, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring just every minute or so, until the cauliflower rice is hot and turning golden in places, about 6 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the toasted almonds, parsley and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve warm.
Notes
Make it nut free: Substitute raw sunflower seeds for the almonds.
If you don’t have a food processor: Slice the cauliflower into even quarters and grate the cauliflower on the medium holes of a cheese grater. Grate one quarter at a time until you’re done.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This was absolutely incredible! Thank you for sharing this. It tasted just a rice pilaf without the heaviness of rice. And super healthy!
You’re welcome, Rosemarie!
I absolutely love this! I tried various recipes before but this one makes me the happiest. I make it all the time from fresh cauliflower ( mess included)and I’ve sent the recipe link to all my friends, cauliflower lovers or not.
Thank you for bringing this to my life
My husband and I absolutely loved this rice alternative. Looking forward to sharing this with friends and family.
This recipe has changed my life! Lol it’s absolutely delicious! I did substitute the almonds for pumpkin seeds, that’s what I had. I’ll definitely use almonds next time! Thank you for sharing…
You’re welcome, T! Thank you for sharing your experience.
This recipe was so yummy!!! I served it in a bowl by putting a dollop of hummus at the bottom, the riced cauliflower over it, & topped it with some feta cheese! I’ve made this recipe three times within the past two weeks!
Hi – I made the Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice last night and to my surprise, it was really tasty. I have made it before but not this way. Thank you for the recipe!!!!
You’re welcome! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it, Theresa.
Loved this so much! I chose to dry my cauliflower rice in the oven instead of squeezing out the moisture. Other than that I stuck to the recipe. Super yummy!!
Thanks for sharing, Lauri!
What did you do to dry it out, Lauri?
This was just delicious! I’ve been on a search for a perfect cauliflower recipe, and I think this is it. I love that there are minimal sauces in the recipe; the lemon and seasoning really pops. Tastes light and healthy, easy to prepare and I paired it with a tofu. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Bianca!
Oh this was delicious! It was my first time making any type of ‘cauliflower rice’ and I found it relatively easy and very tasty. I served it with beef stroganoff in place of either pasta or steamed rice and felt that it was a wonderfully healthy alternative. I will make this again during cauliflower season.
I’m glad you loved it! Thanks for your review, Bronte.
I made this today. It is very tasty. I didn’t have parsley so I used basil. I topped it off with parmesan cheese. Molto bene!
Next time I will pop it in the oven for a crusty top.
I’m glad you loved it, Danielle!
If I used frozen cauliflower rice, would I thaw before squeezing out moisture?
How and can you reheat leftovers
I used the packaged rice cauliflower and added some roasted veggies from the fridge and feta. Amazing. I cooked the almonds, cauliflower, and veggies separate and tossed together. It was delish! Thank you!
Followed your recipe – it turned out delicious.
I used cilantro instead of parsley and added finely chopped green chillies. Loved it – thank you !
So Easy and delicious!
I made this with stir fried veggies and cubed tofu for my son and friends, who were down from Los Angeles. It is AMAZING!I was stumped as to what to do in place of quinoa, rice, etc. since he is on a Keto geared diet.
Thank you for this delicious recipe that is a healthy, gourmet tasting choice without the guilt!
You’re welcome! I appreciate your review.
I tried this today for the first time and it was delicious. I added some sundried tomatoes and home made pesto to it plus a bit of spicy Italian sausage. Delightful!
This was easy, healthy, and delicious. The almonds were just the right thing to give it a substantial crunch. Thank you for posting this recipe!
Thank you, Teresa!
Surprisingly good! My husband ate it all and didn’t even tell me how “healthy” it tasted (like he usually does with vegetable based recipes). I recommend adding kalamata olives for even more flavor. This recipe has gotten me excited about using cauliflower rice more , thank you! (Beware, eating too much cauliflower can make you feel bloated…)
This was amazing! I had a red pepper and some scallions that needed to be used. I roasted the pepper and sauted the scallions added to the rice mixture. It was delicious!!!
Thank you, LG!
My first experience making cauliflower rice. My husband can’t have garlic so I sautéed red onion and a chopped a portobello mushroom I needed to use. It was fantastic! I’m so happy that the lifestyle changes we are making doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor! Wow!
Hooray! I love that, Rhonda. Thanks so much for your review.
Does this recipe reheat well the next day?
I prefer it right away, but I know others who like it as leftovers.
Absolutely delicious. I wasn’t expecting nothing to be honest but the outcome was fascinating! Thanks
Made this once and didn’t tell my kids what it was. They kept going back to the pan to taste it – there almost wasn’t enough left for dinner. Have made it several times since and it always disappears.
I’m now curious as to where the sodium content comes from. Is it mainly from the salt in the recipe? I’m trying to keep track of and cut sodium, so the 188mg is a significant amount. I didn’t use any salt when I made it, so just trying to figure out how much.
I love that, Vikki! Thanks for sharing. The sodium primarily comes from the salt. Please see my nutrition disclaimer as well. You can always calculate your specific dish as there are variance, noted in my disclaimer. Thanks for your comment!https://sooka.info/nutrition-disclaimer/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Made it tonight! Yum.
I made this recipe to use up a half bag of cauliflower rice. Since I only had a small amount, I added some cooked brown rice to it. I also added a chopped red pepper for some color and a can of chickpeas to bulk it up as a main lunch dish. Yum! Loved the toasted almonds.
I just made it and it was so good!!!
I’m glad you love it!
This was a great recipe! I already had a bag or riced cauliflower which made it even faster to prep. I did added some sautéed onions and because I was out of parsley, I used green onions. My kids who normally do not like cauliflower actually loved it!! Thank you for making week night meals simple and tasty!
Didn’t have almonds so used walnuts and hazelnuts, also used grater for cauli, brilliant results, my wife thinks I’m the nuts. Thank you for the recipe
Great way to substitute! Thanks for sharing, Brendan.
Absolutely delish-us!My family loved it! The tip on squeezing the extra liquid out of the “rice” was great and lended the perfect texture!!
Many thanks
Absolutely loved it, as did my family, didn’t have much almonds so used hazelnuts and walnuts, excellent
Super yummy!! I love cauliflower but had a hard time finding a rice cauliflower recipe that had flavor- this one is awesome !! Thanks!!!
This is really easy and tastes great! I was laughing to myself when you were talking about making a mess! Something I’m a pro at. So my solution was to put the bowl in the sink and grate from there. Any mess can just be rinsed down the drain. My aha moment came while making frosting with confectioners sugar. That stuff can fly everywhere. So this idea was very helpful to me. Thanks again for the recipe
It can be messy! I’m glad you found a solution for you, Terry.
I made this last week, almost being super skeptical because I havent had good experience with cauliflower rice but this recipe is amazing!!!! i actually thought i made too much but it didnt make it to day two. my hubby and I devoured it! thank you!
Haven’t made this yet but it sounds delish. Can I make it ahead to bring for Thanksgiving and just reheat when I get there or does it lose its mojo that way?
Thanks,
Nina
This is really best served right away. You could try to reheat over the stove. Let me know how it goes for you!
Thank you for your lovely recipe. I used pinenuts instead of almonds. Just yummy!
Thank you, Linda!
Hello, I really like this recipe but I used frozen organic cauliflower rice. Should I defrost it first?
Yes, you would want it to be defrosted. See notes for other types of cauliflower. Let me know how it works for you!
Came across your recipe searching for a lo/no carb side option for a keto Tikka Masala. I think this will be perfect! The lemon, parsley and almond should compliment beautifully. Thank you! Can’t wait to give it a go :)
What a delicious cauliflower rice! It’s my second time to make it. Those almonds give it a nice crunch.
Made this tonight and we both loved it. Very light and refreshingly flavourful. I used frozen riced cauliflower. I microwaved it according to the package directions, then put it in a colander to drain. I then placed the colander on paper towels to finish draining. The dish tuned out perfectly. Thank you so much for the recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m glad you loved it, Linda.
YES YES!! THIS IS MY FIRST TIME…LIGHT FLUFFY DEELISSHUS ADDED BELL PEPPERS and mediterrean herbs..the ” I don’t like cauliflower” eater still doesn’t know.. loved it!!
I made this for lunch for four friends who usually eat really unhealthy food, they were all suprised how yummy it was. So easy and made a big bowl to feed four people, thanks!
You’re welcome, Nicola!
Simple and yet so good. Your steps are always so to the point and the small hints make a huge difference. Long time fan of yours. Hi to Cookie too
This turned out to be a big hit with my partner who doesn’t like cauliflower. I added raisins and it was a nice counterpoint to the toasty and lemon tastes. Thank you for this recipe.
This recipe is OUTSTANDING!! Thank you for sharing this and the “how to” method for making the rice. I would have gone with the grater method, but at your recommendation I used the S-blade and it was perfect. I made no changes and would have provided a picture, but it is all gone! Delicious!
Loved this recipe. I used frozen cauliflower rice straight from bag and not soggy and delicious. I added scallions to the garlic in oil and let sit in pan for awhile for extra flavor.
I’m glad frozen worked well for you, Deb!
What is the calories per serving for the Mediterranean cauliflower rice recipe
Hi Marisol, the nutrition information is below the notes section of the recipe.
Made this recipe for my husband a few weeks ago to go along with baked trout and it was perfect.Having people over to dinner and will be serving this rice again.Thanks.
Great and easy, u have to try it
I’m glad you loved it, Michelle!
OMG I love this recipe. I substituted spinach sliced Thinly instead of the parsley because I didn’t have any and it was absolutely delicious. Thank you and I will make this again
What a great recipe – the toasted almonds and red pepper flakes are genius. This can be a side or the base recipe to add other things. For example I added cooked English peas and halved grape tomatoes to give more color.
I made this side dish to accompany fish. I used cilantro and slivered almonds instead and it still tasted great!
I made this recipe for dinner to accompany fish. The lemon flavour paired great with the fish! I used a frozen bag of riced cauliflower, cilantro and slivered almonds and the recipe tasted great. Thank you!