Recipe: Coconut Cauliflower Rice (Vegan and GF)

Simple gourmet recipes to make at home, inspired by the Wanderlust Kitchen.

For more delicious recipes, visit Play With Your Food and From The Wanderlust Kitchen, located on Wanderlust TV


Finding a healthy side dish can be a challenge.

Don’t get us wrong—we won’t say no to a solid salad—but every now and then it’s nice to pair your proteins with something warm and creamy. If you’re still looking for plant-based foods but need a break from leafy greens, consider the cauliflower.

Cauliflower rice totally rocks as an alternative to grains, but what if we could kick it up a notch? Maybe even gave it a little Indian/Thai flavor so that is pairs perfectly with curried chicken and veggies? The answer lies below—and it’s delicious.

In addition to being a super low-carb version of a pantry staple, cauliflower is packed with fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, and vitamin B-6. Even though coconut milk and coconut oil are high in fat, they’re the best kind of fats out there. Also, coconut has a plethora of health and beauty benefits, as it can help lead to shinier hair, and clear, luminous skin. One more bonus? The cardamom in this dish has detoxifying and anti-inflammatory properties. (The knockout flavor doesn’t hurt, either!)

Coconut Cauliflower Rice

Serves 2

1 medium cauliflower
1 finely diced shallot
1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
3/4 cup lite coconut milk
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

INGREDIENTS

Chop the cauliflower into florets. Add to food processor/Vitamix and pulse until cauliflower looks like rice, or about 10-15 seconds of pulsing.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the coconut oil, melt, then add the onion. Sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the cardamom and stir with a wooden spoon until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the cauliflower and coconut milk, stirring to combine. Sauté the cauliflower for about 10-12 minutes and until the coconut milk is absorbed.

Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Bonus: Serve with lemon ginger chicken for a complete and comforting meal.

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Michaela is a certified holistic health + lifestyle coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, and a registered yoga teacher. She lives in Los Angeles, CA, where she works as a part of Wanderlust Media. In addition to her dedicated yoga practice, Michaela loves music, travel, cooking + eating healthy food (of course), and spending time with her family and friends.