There’s so much goodness in this easy Vegetarian Cauliflower Rice Skillet Meal! One-pot dinners are lifesavers on busy weeknights and this one is no exception. 246 calories and 5 Weight Watchers SP
Cauliflower rice skillet meals are one of the easiest and healthiest weeknight meals you can make! Really, one-pot meals in any form are lifesavers when you don’t want to be faced with a pile of pots and pans after dinner. And you can usually get away with a pretty simple ingredients list for cauliflower rice meals. Case in point…my favorite fried “rice”.
This cauliflower rice recipe takes all of the flavors of my favorite vegetarian pasta meal and turns it into a lighter option.
If you are following a low carb or keto diet, swap out the chickpeas and replace them with sautéed chicken, beef or pork. This chickpea version, however, is fantastic if you’re looking for a vegetarian option with a hit of protein.
How to make this cauliflower rice skillet meal:
- Be sure to use an oven-proof nonstick (affiliate) or cast iron skillet (affiliate), since you’ll be popping it under the broiler in the last step.
- Start by sautéing the onions and mushrooms in a bit of olive oil until they start to brown. Next, stir in the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes and salt, and cook for another minute.
- Next, in goes the cauliflower rice, your favorite marinara sauce, and the sliced zucchini. This mixture will take a good 5 minutes to cook, stirring occasionally, for the cauliflower rice and zucchini to become tender. Stir in the chickpeas and parsley.
- Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, spread the mixture evenly in the skillet, top with Parmesan cheese and pop under the broiler to brown the cheese lightly. No more than a minute, otherwise the cheese will burn!
How can you make this vegan?
This one’s easy! The only issue in this recipe is the cheese. So, either leave it off or replace it with vegan cheese.
How many net carbs are in a cup of cauliflower rice?
- One cup of cauliflower rice contains about 2.8 grams of net carbs, compared with 41.3 grams of net carbs for an equal portion of cooked brown rice, which makes it a fantastic alternative for those following keto, low carb or paleo diets.*
- If you’re looking at calories, the comparison is 25 calories for cauliflower rice vs. 216 calories for cooked brown rice.
Can you buy cauliflower rice?
- Yes! With the popularity of cauliflower rice, you’d be hard-pressed to find a grocery store that didn’t sell at least one brand of cauliflower rice in their frozen food section.
- Some stores, such as Trader Joe’s, sell fresh cauliflower rice in bags. They can be found in the produce section, typically near the bags of cauliflower florets.
- If you prefer to make cauliflower rice from scratch, follow the instructions in this post.
Other cauliflower rice recipes:
Shrimp Cauliflower Fried Rice Recipe {Cookin’ Canuck}
Sautéed Cauliflower Rice with Caramelized Onions & Spinach {Cookin’ Canuck}
Low Carb Antipasto Cauliflower Rice Salad {Sugar-Free Mom}
Slow Cooker Peruvian Pulled Pork Cauliflower Rice Bowls {Cupcakes & Kale Chips}
Vegetarian Cauliflower Rice Skillet Meal
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 8 ounces crimini mushrooms sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ¾ teaspoons dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups cauliflower rice
- 1 cup thinly slice half-circles zucchini
- 2 cups favorite marinara sauce
- 1 14 ounce can of chickpeas, drained & rinsed
- ¼ cup minced flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler.
- Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick or cast iron skillet, set over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and starting to brown, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes and salt. Cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the cauliflower rice, zucchini and marinara sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower rice and zucchini are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chickpeas and parsley.
- Spread the cauliflower rice mixture into an even layer in the skillet. Top with the Parmesan cheese.
- Place the skillet under the broiler until the cheese is melted, about 1 minutes. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
*The net carb and calorie comparisons are referenced from SELFNutritionData.
This post was originally published on May 14, 2018 and updated on September 12, 2020.
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Robert jones
Absolutely loved this dish. I have only a couple of suggestions (being that I am in the US), converting teaspoon equivalents from metric was a little challenging. However, that being said, the dish was fabulous. Will definitely make it again. Oh yes, I did substitute cilantro for parsley. My wife does not like parsley and cilantro has a much more “fresh” flavor to it. I guess one of the most interesting things that have come out of this pandemic is that I have come to appreciate vegetarian dishes. Thanks for your suggestions. I will definitely be trying more we of them
Nancy Johnson
This was absolutely delicious. My 13-year old daughter wouldn’t eat it, but my husband and my 16-year old daughter enjoyed it. Lots of flavor. I don’t have a ricer, so I sliced the cauliflower thin and cooked it extra long to make sure the veggies softened up.
Nancy Johnson
Oh. I forgot to mention I live and work in Albania and that I subbed white beans for the chick peas because chick peas don’t like me.
Melissa
I add precooked chicken breast diced…it makes an amazing meal!
Dara
That’s great to hear, Melissa!
Edwina | Cooking
This looks perfect. So healthy and yummy with that cheese on top. I’m going to make it really soon. I love all the ways to use cauliflower rice. I can’t remember how I lived without it previously!