This Harissa Cauliflower Rice features riced cauliflower, sautéed onion, garlic and red pepper with warm and spicy harissa seasoning. It’s super flavourful, gluten free, vegetarian, vegan and keto and can be served as a side or light main dish.
Since cauliflower stands in for rice, you can save lots of calories and it will trick you into thinking you’re eating a high-carb rice dish. So if you’re trying to cut back on carbs and calories, then this light vegetarian cauliflower rice dish is for you! It’s a vegetable dish suitable for many types of diets and is even known to convert cauliflower haters! You’ll crave it again and again and you’ll want to eat bowlfuls of it.
I don’t religiously practice gluten free, vegetarian, vegan or keto diets but I like mixing up my meals with dishes like this one that are both nutritious and delicious and happen to cover those diets. And to top it off, I’m a real harissa fan and adding it to this cauliflower rice dish is a perfect match. When it comes to cauliflower rice recipes, this one definitely comes out on top.
Follow this easy recipe and see how simple it is to turn cauliflower into a healthy low-carb side dish. It’s seasoned with harissa giving the dish warmth, subtle smokiness and a spicy kick. As it cooks, the cauliflower soaks up the essence of the ingredients and seasonings delivering a satisfying flavour. Get ready to savour every bite!
What’s so great about this Harissa Cauliflower Rice?
- Super tasty, light, guilt-free, low carb and low calorie
- Suitable for gluten free, vegetarian, vegan and keto diets
- Easy to make and cooks in under 20 minutes
- Light, fluffy, warm and spicy
- Seasoned with warm and spicy harissa a popular North African spice
- Perfect as a side or hearty enough to serve as a main course
Health Benefits of Cauliflower
Cauliflower provides a lot of powerful health benefits. It’s a great source of nutrients containing essential vitamins and minerals. It’s high in fiber which contributes to your overall health and well being by delivering antioxidants that may reduce inflammation and protect against diseases. It’s a tasty and easy vegetable to add to a diet and can replace high-carb foods.
What is Harissa Seasoning?
Harissa Seasoning is a Northern African spice blend with a base of smoked chili peppers and has a complex warm and earthy flavour. It’s sweet, smoky and tangy with a spicy kick that really jazzes up everyday dishes. You can find it in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.
Ingredients Needed to Make Harissa Cauliflower Rice
- Cauliflower – Use fresh cauliflower and blitz it in a food processor to rice-sized granules which mimics the texture of actual rice. Alternatively purchase store-bought pre-chopped cauliflower rice.
- Olive oil – Use extra virgin olive oil to sauté the vegetables.
- Onion, garlic, red bell pepper – The aromatic vegetables that are sautéed to give the dish flavour and a pop of colour.
- Salt, pepper, oregano, harissa seasoning – The flavour enhancers to season and spice up the recipe.
- Parsley – Use flat leaf parsley which adds brightness and freshness to the finished dish.
How to Make Cauliflower Rice
Step 1. Cut the cauliflower into chunks and process it in a food processor to a coarse texture resembling rice or you can use purchased pre-chopped cauliflower rice.
Step 2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, 3 – 4 minutes.
Step 3. Add red pepper and sauté until just tender, about 2 minutes.
Step 4. Add riced cauliflower, season with salt, pepper, oregano and harissa and stir well to combine.
Step 5. Cook cauliflower until it becomes tender for 10 – 12 minutes. You can add 1 tablespoon of water if necessary. The cauliflower should be an al-dente texture. Remove it from the heat and stir in parsley.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Does Cauliflower Rice Taste Like Rice?
Once it’s cooked it doesn’t taste like actual rice but has a similar texture and flavour. Cauliflower is mildly a flavoured vegetable and when it’s sautéed with savoury ingredients like those in this recipe, it absorbs a lot of flavour. It’s light and fluffy and makes a great low-carb substitution for rice and fills your plate with veggies.
Is Harissa Cauliflower Rice Spicy?
This recipe is rated as spicy since there are 2 teaspoons of harissa seasoning in it. Cauliflower pairs well with spice but everyone’s spice sensitivity is different. To make this dish less spicy only use ½ to 1 teaspoon of harissa seasoning. But don’t skip the harissa seasoning altogether as that’s what gives the dish its unique warm flavour.
Do I Need a Food Processor to Make Cauliflower Rice?
Ideally a food processor works best for making cauliflower rice from a head of cauliflower. If you don’t own one then grate the cauliflower on the large holes of a box grater or mince it with a sharp knife. Alternatively, you can purchase packaged pre-chopped cauliflower rice at most grocery stores.
Can I Make Harissa Cauliflower Rice Ahead?
To preserve the al dente texture, serve the dish immediately or within 1 to 2 hours of cooking. If needing to make the dish in advance, the best way to proceed is to prepare all the components of the recipe ahead of time then cook them just before needed.
Storage, Freezing and Reheating Tips
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 – 4 days and can be reheated in the microwave, in a skillet on the stove or even eaten cold. The al-dente texture will change slightly since the cauliflower becomes softer after it has been stored and reheated, but the flavour will still be amazing! It is not recommended for freezing because once frozen, thawed and re-heated it may become soggy, but if need be it can be frozen; just expect different results. It can be frozen but is not recommended because once frozen, thawed and re-heated it may become soggy changing the texture of the dish.
Variations on How to Serve Cauliflower Rice
This versatile vegetarian cauliflower rice dish can be served as a side or main. Here are variations and other ways to serve it:
- Add chopped pistachios or almonds for some crunch
- Add a protein of your choice such as tofu or halloumi
- Makes a great bed for bowl meals
- Pile it in lettuce cups for a perfect hand held food
- Tastes great stuffed in a burrito
- Can be rolled in sushi to replace rice
- Stuff inside peppers, top with tomato sauce and bake
More cauliflower recipes to explore
Recipe
Harissa Cauliflower Rice
A gluten free, vegetarian, vegan and keto rice-like dish featuring riced cauliflower, onion, garlic, red pepper and warm and spicy harissa seasoning. It can be served as a side or light main dish.
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower medium-sized
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cups onion diced (about 1 large onion)
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ cups bell pepper diced (about 1 large pepper)
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 2 teaspoons harissa seasoning or less as desired
- ¼ cup parsley finely minced
Instructions
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Cut cauliflower into chunks. Process cauliflower in a food processor until it is a coarse texture resembling rice, until there are about 6 cups. Set aside. Alternatively purchase packaged pre-chopped cauliflower rice.
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In a large 12” skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is tender, about 3 – 4 minutes.
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Add red pepper and sauté until red pepper is just tender, about 2 minutes.
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Add cauliflower, season with salt, pepper oregano and harissa and stir to combine well.
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Cook cauliflower, uncovered, while stirring constantly, until the cauliflower is tender, about 10 - 12 minutes.The mixture will look dry but moisture will exude from the cauliflower as it cooks. If necessary add 1 tablespoon of water to the mixture. The cauliflower should be an al-dente texture. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.
Recipe Notes
- Ideally use a food processor to process the cauliflower. You can also grate the cauliflower on the large holes of a box grater, or mince it with a sharp knife, or purchase pre-chopped cauliflower rice.
- For best results and to preserve the al dente texture serve the dish immediately after it’s cooked.
- To make this dish less spicy only use ½ to 1 teaspoon of harissa seasoning but don’t skip it altogether as that’s what gives the dish it unique warm flavour.
Joel says
I have been trying to find a good cauliflower rice recipe and this is it for me. I used prechoppped cauliflower rice and avocado oil. I only added in an onion and it still tasted great. Looking forward to rifting on this recipe further with cashews or pistachios. Thank you for sharing!