No more bland cauliflower rice for us! This easy recipe for Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice comes together in one skillet, in under 20 minutes, with briny kalamata and green olives, toasted pine nuts, fresh lemon and a generous handful of fresh parsley. It’s a naturally low-carb, gluten-free, plant-based way to get in all those delicious Mediterranean flavors without any fuss–perfect as a light lunch or a fast side dish. One pan, minimal cleanup, maximum flavor!
This post has been updated from the original posted November 27, 2017.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Cauliflower: You can make your own cauliflower rice by turning a head of cauliflower into tiny pieces with a food processor. Or, you can buy a bag of cauliflower rice in the freezer section or fresh produce area of your local grocery store. Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable that is low in calories and carbs, high in Vitamin C, fiber, potassium and magnesium.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds so much flavor. Use garlic powder, not garlic salt if you need to sub. Mince the garlic, or use a microplane rather than a garlic press to get the most out of each clove of garlic.
- Olives: Olives remind me of my time visiting Greece…mediterranean food mecca…combining them with lemon and fresh herbs like parsley means a definite nod to mediterranean in the recipe title if you ask me. Use a combination of Kalamata and green olives for a more diverse flavor profile.
Step by Step
This recipe starts with already riced cauliflower. For a step-by-step tutorial, with photos, on how to make your own cauli-rice, from fresh cauliflower, check out my simple cauliflower rice post, there’s a section on how to make cauliflower rice.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the diced onion and crushed red pepper in either water, veggie broth or extra virgin olive oil.
Continue to build flavor and cook over medium heat until onions are soft and beginning to brown.
Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Then add the riced cauliflower, pine nuts and olives. If your olives have pits, use a metal straw or a cherry pitter to remove them easily.
Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until fragrant and all the veggies are soft. Cook time will vary depending on the size of your skillet and how high your heat is.
Turn off the heat. Zest the lemon right over the pan and then squeeze out all the juice. Sprinkle on the fresh parsley.
Stir until fresh herbs are wilted, and the flavors are well mixed together.
Debra’s Pro Tips
- Save time: buy already riced cauliflower in the produce section of your local grocery store or frozen cauliflower rice in the freezer section.
- Save money: Make your own cauliflower rice from a head of cauliflower. Or, Trader joe has decent prices on frozen bagged cauliflower rice.
- Save more money: skip the expensive pine nuts and use toasted almonds or pistachios.
- For crispy cauliflower rice, use a cast iron skillet and allow to sit, undisturbed for a few minutes at the end. It will crisp up.
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📖 Recipe
One Pan Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice (ready in 20 minutes)
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion diced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups riced cauliflower
- ½ cup kalamata olives pitted and diced
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- ½ cup parsley roughly chopped
Instructions
- Heat heavy skillet over medium heat.
- Saute onion (use your normal saute liquid: water, broth or olive oil) with crushed red pepper, over medium heat, until softened and starting to brown.
- Add the garlic and stir continuously, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in cauliflower rice, olives and pine nuts. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
- Turn off heat. Add chopped parsley. Zest and juice lemon over pan. Stir until parsley is just wilted and everything is well incorporated.
- Taste for seasoning. I think the olives provide enough of a salty flavor, but your taste buds are different. Add a sprinkle of salt/pepper as desired.
Notes
How to store and reheat
- Serve: Mediterranean cauliflower rice tastes best warm or at room temperature. Serve as an easy lunch, light meal or delicious vegan side dish.
- Store: in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
- Reheat on the stove: over medium heat in a heavy skillet, while mixing, until heated through. Leave untouched if you prefer a crispy bottom to form.
- Reheat in the oven: Spread in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake in preheated 375 oven for 15 minutes. OR, place in a casserole dish and bake in preheated 375oven for 25 minutes.
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Elizabeth
So good! Love all the flavor. Thanks for the recipe!
Debra Klein
You’re welcome Elizabeth.
Andrea
This cauliflower rice turned out amazing! Love how flavorful it is too!
Debra Klein
Beautiful!
nancy
This Mediterranean Cauliflower rice is so flavourful ! We paired with with our protein and it was the best meal this week so far!
Debra Klein
Delicious success!
Renee Dempsey
This recipe is delicious. I made it three weeks in a row. So much flavor.
Debra Klein
I agree….I make it often as well and it has so much nutrition there’s no reason not to! All those omega 3s and essential fatty acids!
Susan
I made this delicious Mediterranean cauliflower recipe tonight. I can’t wait to eat the left overs!
I served it with roasted butternut squash sprinkled with cinnamon and chicken cutlets grilled with zaatar.
Debra Klein
Sounds like a perfect meal! Glad you enjoyed it!
Allie Lavigueur
This sounds absolutely mouth watering! What a zesty combination of flavors. Can’t wait to try this.
Debra Klein
Zesty….exactly! I love the salty of the olives and the crunchy of the pine nuts….it’s a great combo!