I've got an extremely delicious and flavorful version of one of my favorite sides of all time: super saucy Asian cauliflower rice. The dish is made with a ton of vegetables, in one pan and it will be loved by the whole family. It's gluten free, low carb, paleo, and Whole30!
What makes this cauliflower rice recipe "Asian"?
Y'all know by now that my husband Tim is Vietnamese, yeah? Let's talk about fish sauce, shall we?
Fish sauce is one of the biggest flavor boosters and sources of umami that I've ever come across in my life. The unmistakable flavor bomb it leaves you with comes from the process of fermenting fish.
Fish sauce is made by coating small fish (like anchovies) with heaps of salt and and packing them in barrels to hang out. I'm talking for as long as a few months to a few years.
The natural bacterias that are then produced during this time start to break the fish down, then resulting in a briny, very fish-forward liquid. I found a lot of awesome information about the process in this article by Bon Appetit here.
Fish sauce is a staple in Asian cooking, and you will see if being used in a variety of dishes but most commonly in Thai & Vietnamese recipes. I knew it had to be incorporated into this Asian cauliflower rice if I wanted it to really shine! 😉
Can I make this cauliflower rice recipe vegan?
You absolutely can! All you need to do is simply omit the fish sauce and the eggs.
Other than those two ingredients, the recipe is vegan and contains a plethora of assorted nutrient dense vegetables.
I suspect you are going to feel more satiated than you think, even though this isn't made with real rice. I have even topped off this Asian cauliflower rice with my favorite protein at that moment and have made it a full meal.
I've tried it with shrimp and chicken so far, and it is a dang winner.
You know what would pair really well with this cauliflower rice? My one pan shrimp fajitas!
Just make the shrimp by themselves with this recipe, and you'll have a full, delicious and nutritious meal on your hands... and in your belly.
What substitutions can I make with the vegetables in this dish?
You can truly get as creative as you'd like with the vegetables inside the Asian cauliflower rice. You can use anything like: zucchini, summer squash, green cabbage, peas, beets, etc.
The most important thing is that you allow the heartier vegetables to cook the longest by putting them into the pan together in one group. After they are almost cooked through, you'll add the veggies that just take a few minutes.
I would use vegetables that are in season. If they are in season, they'll be easier to access and have the most flavor. Sounds like a win, win- yeah?
More fabulous paleo side dishes like this:
How to make super saucy Asian cauliflower rice:
In a large sauté pan, add the teaspoon of avocado oil. Turn the head to medium low and once the oil is hot, add whisked eggs.
Cook until soft throughout and quickly remove from the pan and set aside. Wipe out any residual egg until the pan is clean.
Add sesame oil and the rest of the avocado oil to the pan and turn the heat to medium. Add diced onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes until soft throughout.
Put in minced ginger and stir for one minute. Add riced cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms and asparagus. Sauté for 7-10 minutes until soft throughout.
Add the rest of the vegetables, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir well. Cook until the rest of the veggies are cooked through, roughly 5-7 more minutes but stirring frequently.
While the rice and veggies are cooking, prepare the sauce. Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Once the rice and veggies are nearly done cooking, stir in the sauce and lower the heat to low.
Add the spices. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce has saturated through everything. Taste for additional salt and pepper. Serve right away and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.
Well, it's time. Get your hands on this Asian cauliflower rice and work it into your Whole30 meal planning or meal prep rotation.
It has so much flavor, and it's really going to heighten any dish that you decide to pair it with.
Don't forget that you can make it a very full, nourishing and filling meal by simply adding your favorite protein on top! 🙂
Super Saucy Asian Cauliflower Rice (Low Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
Ingredients
Cauliflower Rice
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 small red onion diced
- 2 teaspoons ginger minced
- 3 cups cauliflower riced, see notes
- 8 ounces broccoli cut into florets
- 2 carrots diced
- 6 ounces crimini mushrooms chopped
- 6 asparagus spears chopped into 1" pieces
- ½ cup snow peas chopped
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- green onions for garnish
- sesame seeds for garnish
Sauce
- ⅓ cup coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce see notes
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan, add the teaspoon of avocado oil. Turn the head to medium low and once the oil is hot, add whisked eggs. Cook until soft throughout and quickly remove from the pan and set aside. Wipe out any residual egg until the pan is clean.
- Add sesame oil and the rest of the avocado oil to the pan and turn the heat to medium. Add diced onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes until soft throughout. Add minced ginger and stir for one minute.
- Add riced cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms and asparagus. Sauté for 7-10 minutes until soft throughout. Add the rest of the vegetables, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir well. Cook until the rest of the veggies are cooked through, roughly 5-7 more minutes but stirring frequently.
- While the rice and veggies are cooking, prepare the sauce. Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Once the rice and veggies are nearly done cooking, stir in the sauce and lower the heat to low. Add the spices. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce has saturated through everything. Add the cooked eggs back in. Taste for additional salt and pepper. Serve right away and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.
Talk about loaded! This looks downright AMAZING. So many veggies in one bowl!
Yes, I added LOTSSSSS- haha! 🙂