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?
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Low-carb cauliflower risotto
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.
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!
In the nutrition label you provided it states that there is over 600 calories in a serving…is that right or is that the total calories in the entire recipe
Hi Doreena, the recipe only serves one anyway, so it’s both!
Hi :)
I would love to try this recipe soon but…I have a question (maybe a stupid one haha)
Isn’t this recipe a bit too caloric?
Is it safe to introduce it on my vegetarian weight loss diet?
It looks absolutely delicious anyways hihi :p
Thank you in advance! xx
Hi Isa, not all my recipes are designed to be low calorie ;) Just like with any diet, it’s possible to eat really healthily on a vegetarian diet, or less healthily. This isn’t necessarily one of the healthy ones :P If you’re specifically aiming to lose weight, there are probably better recipes out there for you. BUT, it is possible to eat anything you like and still lose weight, as long as you make sure it’s not putting you over your calorie allowance for the day.
Hi, Becca, I made this last night, and it was delicious! Great low-carb idea, and totally yummy! Thanks, as always, for your fabulous recipes! Nicki
Thanks Nicki, glad you liked it! :)
Simple and healthy!
This looks incredible – I was fascinated by the idea and then totally sold on all the cheese!
I’ve recently been drawn into the idea of using cauliflower to substitute carbiness (I attempted a cauliflower pizza base and was really impressed by it) but my food processor isn’t really good enough to blitz up the cauliflower – could you recommend a reasonably-priced one that actually works for that purpose?
Brilliant recipe, as always :)
Actually to be honest, my food processor is a hand-me-down from my grandma!! I do have a mini one which I really like (I think it’s just called the Kenwood Mini Chopper), but since it’s only small you’d need to do cauliflower in a few batches. Sorry I can’t be more help!
Do you know if this would work with frozen cauliflower?
I’ve actually never used frozen cauliflower in my life!! But as long as you defrost it enough to blend it up, and then toast it nicely, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work :)
I always buy fresh thinking “oh, I’ll use that tomorrow” – then make something else then instead, and end up having to cut out lots of black bits by the time I actually use my poor colliewobbles… Frozen seems like a better idea ;-)
Haha really! I find they last okay in the fridge. I’m sure frozen would be okay, just make sure you cook off any excess liquid :)
I tried it with frozen cauliflower rice and it worked like a charm!
Thanks Ana, glad you like it! :)
Lush recipe, just shared on my page!!!! brilliant work
I have fallen in love with cauliflower rice but have yet to experiment with it as a risotto. Genius idea.
OMG this looks healthy in one regard and utterly sinful in the other. Yum!!
Yes I think if you’re on the keto diet you’d probably consider this healthy, otherwise not so much ;) but it’s amazing either way, and makes a nice change from real risotto!
Ummm Becca…did you know that risotto is my favorite food in this whole world? I LOVE the stuff! And I am sooooo excited that I am going to put it on the menu plan for next week!!! Thank you!
Yay! I can’t promise that it tastes just like real risotto, but it’s tasty nonetheless :)
Hi Becca, this recipe is awesome, I think I’ve said before I love cauliflower it’s one of my favourite vegetables and this is a great use for it. I’ve pinned and would love to cook this for my blog if you didn’t mind!
Of course, go ahead! :)
Crikey! I have only done cauliflower rice once and this looks way more appealing!
Haha I think you could cover most things in cheese and they would look more appealing ;)
Now that looks delicious!
It is the first time I have found your blog today, am now off to look at your gluten free recipes!
Thanks Donna, glad you found me! :)
Ooh yes, more ideas for cauliflower rice. As you know I’m a recent convert, but isn’t it amazing? As cauliflower cheese is one of my all time favourites, I think I might just like this :)
I am a big fan of cauliflower rice. We make risotto with it too and we had an asparagus and goats cheese one the other day.
I too have seen all this blended cauliflower across the web but as usual I am always the last to cotton on to trends, maybe it’s my age. But you’ve truly inspired me to take the plunge and do my own experimenting so a big thank you Becca:-)
Haha aw thanks Camilla. I have been loving cauliflower lately, I love me a good bandwagon ;)
Actually that does look rather tasty! Might try it on the kids and fib about it not being rice!
Yum, cheese! I bet it tastes like a wonderfully different version of cauliflower cheese, another firm favourite here. Must try this.
I need to get on the cauliflower bandwagon and this looks like a good place to start because it involves cheese! :)
Haha do it! I actually used to hate cauliflower but have really been loving it lately – if you roast it, or toast it in a frying pan, it tastes totally different to the soggy boiled version ;)
Mmmmmmm, everything tastes better with shed loads of cheese on it. I am definitely going to give this a go as it sounds gorgeous.