Cauliflower Rice: Store-Bought Options, Recipe Conversions & Recipes

May 25 2016
https://d2gtpjxvvd720b.cloudfront.net/assets/emails/question@2x-a02b76db47a4ac32799e8b19315b3cbf.png Hi Hungry Girl,

Your cauliflower-rice recipes are life changing... They don't taste like cauliflower at all! Recently, I've been buying premade cauliflower rice instead of making it myself in a blender. How much of the premade stuff should I use in your recipes, since the ingredient lists call for chopped cauliflower?

Cauliflower Child
https://d2gtpjxvvd720b.cloudfront.net/assets/emails/answer@2x-5ee5d524b01e4c5483f379894f2fa825.png Hi CC,

Great question! Cauliflower rice -- a.k.a. cauliflower that's been reduced to rice-sized pieces -- has become super popular, and food manufacturers are catching on. It's an amazing swap for traditional rice, since it has a fraction of the calories and carbs, plus a lot more fiber. And since the taste is mild, it takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with. Trader Joe's makes both refrigerated and frozen Riced Cauliflower, there's Green Giant Riced Cauliflower in the freezer aisle, and Green Giant Fresh makes refrigerated Cauliflower Crumbles... All great!

If you want to use the store-bought stuff in HG recipes, here's how to do it. For every cup of roughly chopped cauliflower called for in the recipe, use 3/4 cup of the premade rice or crumbles. Then just skip the blender step. Heads up: If the recipe calls for a food processor instead of a blender and says to process the cauliflower into crumbs, you will need to do that step. But you can still start with the premade rice or crumbles. (You'll still use 3/4 cup of the premade stuff for every cup of roughly chopped cauliflower in the recipe.)

Can't find the store-bought products and want to whip up a big batch at once? Do it! Working a few cups at a time, pulse roughly chopped cauliflower in a blender until reduced to rice-sized pieces. You may need to stop and stir occasionally; rearrange the cauliflower in the blender, and then resume blending. Store it in an airtight container, and your riced cauliflower will stay fresh for about four days in the fridge. Freezing works too! To thaw it, just let it sit out for several hours, or use the thaw cycle on your microwave. Once it's thawed, use a clean dish towel (or paper towels) to squeeze out excess moisture.

Ready for cauliflower-rice recipes?

Check these out! And for even more cauliflower creations, pick up a copy of Hungry Girl Clean & Hungry, and flip to Chapter 9!

Chew on this:

Today, May 25th, is both National Wine Day and National Brown-Bag-It Day... We suggest taking your wine out of the bag before you drink it! A 5-oz. glass of red or white wine has around 120 calories.

You know your friends are curious about cauliflower rice … Click “Send to a Friend” now!

Have a Question for Hungry Girl?

Send it in! She answers new Qs each week (but cannot respond to emails personally).

Social

We may receive affiliate compensation from some of these links. Prices and availability are subject to change.

We may have received free samples of food, which in no way influences whether these products are reviewed favorably, unfavorably, mentioned with indifference, or mentioned at all. Click for more about our editorial and advertising policies.

*The WW Points® values for these products and/or recipes were calculated by Hungry Girl and are not an endorsement or approval of the product, recipe or its manufacturer or developer by WW International, Inc., the owner of the Points® trademark.

Questions on the WW Points® values listed? Click here.

Hungry Girl provides general information about food and lifestyle. This information and any linked materials are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment. Click here for more information.