Cauliflower ‘Couscous’

Cauliflower ‘Couscous’

For a long time grated raw cauliflower, or cauli ‘rice’ was my favourite healthy accompaniment. And then I came up with the idea of whizzing the cauli until it turned into little grains… just like couscous!

enough for 2
1/2 small cauliflower
2 tablespoons butter

1. Trim cauli and whizz in a food processor until it looks like grains of couscous.

2. Melt butter in a medium pan. Add cauliflower and cook until just warm. Season. Serve as a side.

Variations

broccoli couscous – replace cauli with broccoli.

spiced – add in a teaspoon of ras el hanout or ground coriander. Chopped red chilli can be nice too.

extra crunch – add in some roasted pine nuts or almonds.

zesty – add in a little lime or lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.

raw / dairy-free – skip the butter and the warming step.

herby – toss in chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, coriander (cilantro), basil, chives, oregano or mint or a combo.

more substantial – serve with a poached or fried egg and some herbs.

Usage Suggestions

couscous alternative – serve with your favourite tajine (like this meatball or this fish one) or stew or anywhere you’d normally serve couscous like Couscous with Tuna & Cherry Tomato OR this soup.

quinoa alternative – use instead of cooked quinoa.

steamed rice alternative – just serve cauli ‘couscous’ with your hot curry or stir fry.

breakfast – with a poached egg and a little mayo and sometimes a sprinkling of nutritional yeast or grated parmesan.

salads – just toss a handful in with your favourite green salad to have a boost in the veg department. A good low-carb / grain-free alternative to salads with rice, quinoa or other cooked grains.

Prepare Ahead?

Absolutely.

Storage Best Practices

Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Will keep in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. The fresher they are the more nutrients will be present so best not to prep too far in advance. Can be frozen but the texture will be soft when defrosted so I usually don’t freeze.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

whole cauli – will keep in a plastic bag in the fridge for weeks. To keep for longer, chop into florettes and pop in the freezer. If you have time, grating the cauli before freezing will make life easier so you can just defrost and serve.

butter – keeps in the fridge for months.