Cauliflower Fried Rice Mediterranean Style

Cauliflower Fried Rice Mediterranean Style is a super quick, healthy and delicious dish that can serve as a vegetarian main dish, or as a yummy side dish. You just need 15 minutes and a handful of ingredients, like cauliflower (or riced cauliflower), onions, tomatoes, feta and olives. 

If you’re feeling sluggish after all this Holiday indulgence, you may need this simple and healthy meal on your plate ASAP. It’s very light (very low on calories,  carbs & Keto friendly), tasty (it packs all the Mediterranean flavors) and it takes no time to prep. I mean, really, you need no more than 15 minutes. Serve it as a main dish or a side dish.

If you’re wonder what’s “riced cauliflower”, here’s your simple answer:

Cauliflower rice, or riced cauliflower, is nothing more than simple cauliflower added to the food processor and pulsed few times until the cauliflower is broken down into tiny granules. It’s reminiscent of couscous, in size, but rice in texture. If you don’t have food processor, you can still make riced cauliflower by using a grater.

If you have a whole cauliflower head, then you just need to remove the leaves, cut off the base of the root and chop the cauliflower into florets. Then either add to food processor or grate. From one head of cauliflower you can make about 4 cups of riced cauliflower. You can see how I made it in this recipe for Cauliflower Crust Pizza Bites.

Now you can ask how to make Cauliflower Fried Rice

There are plenty of recipes out there for Cauliflower Fried Rice but most of them are using an Asian fusion ingredients usually found in fried rice. Obviously they feature soy sauce as their primary seasoning. Don’t get me wrong, I think this kind of cauliflower fried rice is delicious and I make it often for myself, but here I wanted to give you a little bit of a different option. One that focuses on tastes and flavors from around the Mediterranean Sea.

My Cauliflower Fried Rice Mediterranean Style is made with:

• Cauliflower;
• Onions;
• Tomatoes,
• Olives;
• Feta; &
• A standard Mediterranean pantry staples and aromatics:
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil;
  • Lemon;
  • Parsley;
  • Salt & pepper

To make this Cauliflower Fried Rice Mediterranean Style, follow these simple steps:

• Sauté some chopped onions, until translucent;
• Add chopped tomatoes and cook for a few minutes;
• Then add riced cauliflower (either homemade or frozen store-bought) and cook for 5 minutes;
• And then add olives, parsley & feta;
• Season to taste with salt and pepper;
• Drizzle with some more olive oil and fresh lemon juice
• And voila, you’re done.

For this recipe I used store bought Riced Cauliflower from Trader Joes (the one from the freezer section). They also have Riced Cauliflower in the fridge section, but I don’t recommend this one, unless will use it immediately, this cauliflower will likely go bad. Either “rice” it yourself, or use this frozen cheat. You won’t even need to defrost it. It cooks super quick. Also know that other stores are now carrying riced cauliflower in their freezer sections as well. Chose whichever you prefer.

What to serve this Cauliflower Fried Rice with?

If you want to serve it as a side dish, here are coupe of suggestions to serve it with:

• Oven Roasted Chicken Legs;
• Grilled Chicken Shawarma;
• Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Kebabs;
• Spanish Style Garlic Shrimp

Cauliflower Fried Rice Mediterranean Style

Course: Side Dish, Vegetarian

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 116 kcal

Author: Edyta

Cauliflower Fried Rice Mediterranean Style is a super quick, healthy and delicious dish that can serve as a vegetarian main dish, or as a yummy side dish. You just need 15 minutes and a handful of ingredients, like cauliflower (or riced cauliflower), onions, tomatoes, feta and olives. 

Print

Ingredients

• 2 cups Cauliflower Rice or 1/2 cauliflower head, processed or shredded
• 1/4 cup Red Onion chopped
• 1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes cut in half
• 1/2 cup Olives green and kalamata, cut in half
• 1/3 cup Feta cheese crumbled
• 1 tbsp Parsley chopped
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil Extra Virgin
• 1/2 teaspoon Lemon juice up to half a lemon juiced
• Salt and Pepper to tast

Instructions

1. Heat up half a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Add half of the onions and cook until translucent;

2. Add tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until soft;

3. Add cauliflower rice* and cook for 5 minutes. If using frozen cauliflower rice you may need to to cook if for a minute or two longer;

4. Once cauliflower is cooked add parsley, lemon juice**, remaining olive oil and check for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as desired. 

5. At the end add feta and remaining fresh onions and serve. 

Recipe Notes

• *You can use frozen store bought cauliflower rice; if you use fresh cauliflower head, remove the leaves and cut the cauliflower into florets. Use half of the cauliflower for this recipe. Eater add cauliflower to food processor and pulse few times until  cauliflower is granulated or use grater and shred it. 
• **I used half a lemon juiced, but the amount of acidity is a personal preference. Start with just a little squeeze (half a teaspoon) and if you think you need more lemon juice the whole half. 
• You can add more fresh tomatoes on top.

Nutrition Facts

Cauliflower Fried Rice Mediterranean Style

Amount Per Serving

Calories 116 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 9g 14%

Saturated Fat 2g 10%

Cholesterol 11mg 4%

Sodium 429mg 18%

Potassium 298mg 9%

Total Carbohydrates 7g 2%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 2g

Protein 3g 6%

Vitamin A 5.8%

Vitamin C 62.1%

Calcium 9.2%

Iron 4.3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

More Recipes to Try:

• Mediterranean Hummus Bowl
• Roasted Butternut Squash Feta Pierogi
• Smashed Chickpea Avocado Feta Sandwich
• Greek Lentil Soup with Feta
• Kolokithopita _ Greek Zucchini Pie
• Greek Panzanella Salad with Garlic Lemon Vinaigrette 

If you are still looking for healthy Mediterranean cauliflower recipes you may want to check these recipes:

• Traditional Greek Braised Cauliflower from Olive Tomato
• Moroccan Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad by healthy Home Cafe

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