Low-carb cauliflower risotto

I love experimenting with different kinds of food. I make vegan recipes even though I’m not vegan, I make gluten-free recipes even though I’m not gluten-free, and I make low-carb recipes even though I bloomin’ love pasta. Why not? It’s a fun challenge, and I love all kinds of food (perhaps a bit too much).

You might know about my obsession with using cauliflower to make tasty low-carb versions of my favourite carby dishes (I know – me and every other person on the internet), and one recipe I hadn’t attempted yet was a low-carb risotto. It seems totally counter-intuitive, but if I can make a successful low-carb fried rice, why not risotto!

Of course, this isn’t a real risotto by any stretch of the imagination. There’s no rice… which is kind of integral to a risotto. It’s in the name. I’m under no illusions here – it’s not a real risotto if there’s no rice.

But, if you’re anything like me, your favourite part of a risotto is the gooey sauce and the massive handful of cheese you add at the end – and this low-carb version has cheese in bucketloads!

This cauliflower risotto is also a lot quicker to make than the usual version. Just blend your cauliflower into ‘rice’, fry it off a little to give it a wonderful toasty flavour (you want to see little flecks of golden brown appearing through the rice), then add heaps of cheese. Heaps and heaps. I said low-carb, not low-cheese.

You could experiment with making this cauliflower risotto in all kinds of flavours. I kept mine super simple with just some chives to add a pop of freshness, but I’m dreaming up all sorts of other types. My ultimate risotto is a simple mushroom and parsley version, so that’s probably what I’ll try next. The sky’s the low-carb limit!

Just lookit. It’s enough to make you cry.

(or maybe just me)

Convinced yet?

Print

5 from 1 vote

Low-carb cauliflower risotto

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 15 mins

Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 400 g cauliflower (~ 1/2 large head)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 50 g cheddar cheese, grated (~ 1/2 cup when grated)
• 60 g grated mozzarella (~ 1/2 cup)
• 75 ml milk (~ 1/4 cup)
• 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
• Salt
• Black pepper

Instructions

• Add the cauliflower to a food processor, and blitz until it resembles rice.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan, and add the cauliflower 'rice'. Cook over a fairly high heat for several minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower starts to turn golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
• Turn the heat down to medium-low, and add the cheddar, mozzarella, milk, and half of the chives. Mix well until the cheeses have melted.
• Season generously, and serve topped with the remaining chives.

Course: Main meal

Author: Becca Heyes

Note: nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose.

Love cauliflower? Here’s a healthy snack idea for you: salt and vinegar roasted cauliflower!