Enjoy this Cauliflower Rice Pilaf as a side to your favorite keto meals, or as a stand alone meal. It has such an amazing taste and texture, that you won’t miss the regular rice one bit!
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I love rice.
Really, I pretty much love all carbs, but today we are talking about rice. As a teenager, one of my favorite meals, was steamed white rice with soy sauce. Super simple, but totally satisfying.
Growing up, we never (as far as I can remember) had the boxed flavored rice packages. But, when I grew up (and had to pay for my own groceries) I ate a LOT of the boxed rice.
It was cheap and it was versatile. There is a box of rice for pretty much any meal you could imagine and I am pretty sure that I have had them all.
Luckily my boxed rice days are long gone and I have moved on. But I have to admit, that a part of me really misses those delicious carby side dishes.
I’ve tried cauliflower rice pretty much every way that you can think of. Taste wise, it was always fine, but I missed the slightly chewy texture of real rice.
When I decided to make this Cauliflower rice pilaf, I decided to toss in some almonds and hemp hearts to add to the texture and flavor. It was a delicious addition, and I don’t think that I will ever make cauliflower rice without them!
Most people are familiar with almonds, but Hemp Hearts are a fairly new item at most grocery stores. You can usually find them whole or shelled (we want shelled for this recipe) They are the seed of a hemp plant and they are a nutritional gold mine!
Hemp hearts (AKA Hemp Seeds) are high in amino acids and protein, contain more omega oil then any fish, and they are low in carbs – making them perfect for a ketogenic diet!
Shelled hemp hearts (pictured above) are slightly chewy and have a mild nutty flavor. You can also eat whole hemp hearts, which have a much crunchier texture.
This cauliflower rice pilaf recipe also calls for chicken broth concentrate, I have linked the brand I use below, but you could also substitute with powdered bullion if you don’t have any. If you do substitute a different brand, then be sure to salt the dish carefully as chicken bullion can have LOTS of salt!
I opted to use onion powder for my kids sanity, but if I was only making this for onion loving adults, I would probably omit the onion powder and saute about 1/4 cup of diced yellow onion in it’s place.
Feel free to play around with the seasoning and make it your own! If you try different combinations let me know how it goes in the comments!
Be sure to try these other great recipes from This Mom’s Menu:
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Cauliflower Rice Pilaf
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup shelled hemp hearts
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1 medium head of cauliflower (about 5 cups) riced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (or 1 tbsp dried) chopped
- 2 tbsp chicken broth concentrate
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Ground Turmeric
- 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter.
- As soon as the butter is melted, add the almonds and hemp hearts. Stir constantly until they turn a nice golden brown color.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Stir to mix everything together, then cover and continue cooking, stirring every few minutes, for 5-10 minutes, or until cauliflower is cooked to your liking.
Notes
You knocked it outta the park with this one, mama! The combination of flavors is unmatched! This isn’t your ordinary cauliflower rice dish. The crunch from the almonds and extra protein in the hemp hearts is gonna make this a staple in our home!
Wow. Today at lunch I had wild rice pilaf and it was the best! I found your recipe and want to make it as it is low carb. I am not a lover of cauliflower, but this sounds like this recipe adds lots of flavor.
The one I had today also had celery in it.
I have a question, can pecans or walnuts sub for almonds?
Thank you for your recipe. Can’t wait to make it.
Pecans or walnuts would work really well! Just be sure to chop them up so that they aren’t too large 🙂
Can I use veg broth in place of the chix broth concentrate?
Hi Christy, I recommend sticking with a broth concentrate to prevent the cauliflower from becoming too soft and mushy. You can use vegetable broth concentrate or vegetable bullion in place of the chicken. Hope this helps!