Now, I know that some of you are looking at this recipe and thinking, “Lisa, haven’t I seen a fried rice recipe on your blog recently?” You’re right, I shared this delicious coconut pineapple fried rice earlier this month. (Have you tried it yet?) But today, we’re going paleo. We’re swapping brown rice for a perennial paleo classic: cauliflower rice.
I think the whole paleo thing gets a bit of a bad rap for being a carnivore’s diet, that people eat nothing but meat all day. For me, that can’t be further from the truth.
Having been on the Whole 30 for over 2 weeks now, I have to say that my meat consumption has not increased too much from before. I actually find myself eating more vegetables because I’m making noodles with zucchini (like this pasta and this pho dish) or making rice with cauliflower. I swear, I’m not turning into a carnivore!
You’ll notice in the recipe ingredients that I used Chinese chives. They look a lot like green onions, but they have a deeper green color and some of the greens are topped with cute light green pods. Their flavor is hard to describe, but it’s a bit like a cross between green onions and mustard greens.
I usually find them in Asian supermarkets, but I was super giddy to see them at the farmers market last weekend. If you can’t find any, just substitute the chives with 2 additional stalks of green onions.
This cauliflower rice tastes so good, you won’t notice that you’re actually eating cauliflower instead of rice! I’ve had it for lunch three straight days and I’m still not tired of it. The best part? It’s ready in 30 minutes! Perfect for my weeknight “I need to shove something into my mouth right now” kind of needs.
If you make this recipe, make sure to share your creation with me on Twitter or Instagram and hashtag #hnbeats! Also, be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more Whole30 recipes.
Easy Cauliflower Fried Rice with Baby Bok Choy
Ingredients
Cauliflower Fried Rice
- 1 large head of cauliflower, I used half a regular cauliflower, half a yellow cauliflower
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup (70g) peas
- 1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup chopped Chinese chives*
- 1 stalk of green onion, chopped
- 3 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- salt to taste
Baby Bok Choy
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 pound (225g) baby bok choy
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Break the cauliflower into small florets. Pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until it turns into small rice-like pieces.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the onions and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the carrots, peas, and red pepper and sauté for 2 minutes. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on the vegetables. Add the cauliflower rice and another pinch of salt, and stir for 2 minutes.
- Scramble the eggs and stir it in with the vegetables in the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in Chinese chives and chopped green onions. Season with coconut aminos, sesame oil, garlic, and five-spice powder. Add more salt if desired. Turn off the heat when the eggs have cooked through.
- Chop off a bit of the bottom stem of the baby bok choy. Some of the leaves will fall apart, leaving the bok choy heart in tact. Rinse bok choy.
- In another pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the bok choy and sauté for 30 seconds. Reduce the heat a little. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the pan and cover it for about a minute. The water helps prevent the greens from burning.
- Remove the lid, and stir in the garlic and salt. When the greens have turned into a vibrant green color and the darker leaves have started to wilt, turn off the heat. This should be another 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Serve cauliflower fried rice with baby bok choy. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container.
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Lisa, so proud of you girl. . you seem to be rocking the whole 30! you go!!! love love love this dish. . and love the Chinese chives and baby bok choy!!! that’s awesome that your meat consumption has not increased!!! yeah, I had my fill of meat so I’m slowing it down now. . i love this! happy friday!
Lisa says
Alice, I can’t believe I’m DONE with it!!! (And oh boy, I’m so bad a responding to comments promptly.) Anyhow, I hear ya. I’m excited to be eating tofu and beans again soon! Hope you have a great week!
Judy@ImBoredLetsGo says
Yum, I love cauliflower fried rice…but I’m especially loving that baby bok choy you have going on with it!
Lisa says
Thanks, Judy!
felicia | Dish by Dish says
This is gorgeous Lisa!! 🙂 Haha I love fried rice (being Asian) and now this healthy take on fried rice is on my list to make this weekend! 🙂
Lisa says
Thank you so much, Felicia!
Sharon @ Savormania says
Using cauliflower instead of rice is a genius idea! It makes fried rice seem healthier 🙂 Thanks for another great recipe.
Lisa says
Thank you for your kind words, Sharon! Cauliflower rice is soo good!
Julia says
I love bok choy and I didn’t realize it meant “white vegetable” They’re such interesting veggies, indeed, and I love the crunchy texture and unique flavor. My mouth is watering over this cauli fried rice! Hope you have a great weekend, dear!
Lisa says
I think my dream is to grown my own bok choy one day!
Elizabeth Shaw says
What a great dish! Your photos are fabulous and it seems so simple- I love it!
Lisa says
Thank you so much for your kind words, Elizabeth!
Anne|Craving Something Healthy says
First of all, I love this recipe and can’t wait to try it. But those photos are GORGEOUS and those little take out boxes!!! Perfect
Lisa says
Anne, thank you so much!! I need to buy more of those takeout boxes! (Sadly, they’re single use only)
Melanie @ Nutritious Eats says
Love the presentation Lisa! So yummy.
Lisa says
Thank you so much, Melanie!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
I LOVE baby bok choy and it’s one of my grocery staples to pick up every week! Haha!
Plus calu-rice is amazing and I love keeping some riced and ready in the freezer to just grab for a quick base to a meal!
Lisa says
Yup! I always picked some up at Whole Foods!!
rachel@ Athletic Avocado says
I actually made cauliflower rice the other day and I was surprised how good it was! I wish i saw this recipe before I made it! Gonna try this next time!
Lisa says
Haha, thanks, Rachel! I bet your cauliflower rice was delicious, too!
Rachel says
I just love the look of this recipe. I don’t follow a paleo diet by any means, but I love a good cauliflower rice recipe, because it’s just plain good. And yours looks so flavorful! Consider it pinned!
Lisa says
Thanks, Rachel!
KalynsKitchen says
I want to try those Chinese chives!
Lisa says
Chinese chives have such great flavor! Can you find them in Asian supermarkets in SLC?
pam says
I have to admit I don’t understand the whole paleo thing – I don’t know what’s allowed and what isn’t – but I will definitely be making this rice!!
Lisa says
Thanks, Pam!! I think before I started the Whole30, I was quite confused about what specific food products were and were not allowed. Definitely had to look up info on Whole30 forums to get me through the last 30 days!
Bam's Kitchen says
Lisa, you are on a roll with loads of great ideas and this recipe sounds so good. I don’t know if I can trick my family with cauliflower rice but I am going to give it a try… wish me luck!
Lisa says
Thanks, Bobbi!! Being on the Whole30 has definitely made me a bit more creative with my cooking!
nadia says
I love cauliflower rice! And this looks so delicious with all the veggies and flavours – perfect!
Lisa says
Thank you so much, Nadia!!!
genevieve @ gratitude & greens says
Cauliflower fried rice is SO good! Chinese chives are also amazing. I haven’t cooked with them at all on my own but I love eating at my parents or grandma’s because they use it quite often and it’s so tasty! So glad to hear that the Whole 30 is going well for you. I haven’t eaten on a paleo diet but I’ve heard good things about it and I keep seeing delicious paleo recipes like this one!
Lisa says
I just realized that it had been years since I used Chinese chives before cooking that fried rice! Wish it was more widely available!!
Whitney says
now this is something I’d love to try!
Lisa says
Thanks, Whitney!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
What an innovative take on fried rice! And you make it look so flavoursome and delicious too. Love the little takeaway boxes.
Lisa says
Thanks, Thalia! I saw the takeaway boxes at an art store, and I couldn’t resist buying them!
Amanda@ChewTown says
I love how you’ve packed your cauliflower rice full with ingredients – I can only imagine it has such a wonderful flavour. You’ve reminded me that I need to make cauliflower rice a little more often I think.
Lisa says
Thanks, Amanda!
Traci | Vanilla And Bean says
Love this recipe, Lisa! I’ve not yet tried Cauli rice, but you’ve convinced me. I just need to do it, although my hubs will be raising an eye-brow. He’ll say it’s not regular. But never-mind that. I Love the flavors and especially the ‘baby green choy!’ Interesting enough, ‘paleo’ and ‘vegan’ diets have a lot of parallels. It’s strange for me labeling a recipe paleo and vegan : / . But due to all the veggies in both styles of eating, there is a lot of crossover. So happy to hear things are going well for you in your Whole30 journey! Hooray!
Lisa says
Thanks, Traci! I definitely see the inherent tension between labeling something vegan and paleo, but it’s also interesting how much crossover there is between the two diets. Anyway, let me know if you ever try the cauliflower rice! I’m sure you will come up with something tasty!
Steph @ Steph in Thyme says
I have a bunch of baby bok choy in our CSA, and now I have recipe to use them up tonight. Thank you for sharing!
Lisa says
Thank you so much, Steph!
Elysia | Haute & Healthy Living says
I’ve been wanting to try out cauliflower rice for the longest time! This looks like a great recipe to start with! It looks delicious!
Lisa says
Thanks, Elysia!
Marissa @ OMG FOOD says
Cauliflower rice is my usual go-to when I need a break from grains but am still craving a “rice” of some sort. This looks incredible!
Lisa says
Thanks, Marissa! It’s my go-to when I want a grain-free meal, too!
Levan @ MyWifeMakes.com says
Cauliflower rice is so immensely flavorful and healthy. I wish more people would try it! Amazing recipe as always 🙂
Lisa says
Thank you so much for you kind words, Levan!!
KalynsKitchen says
Happy November! Just letting you know that I featured this recipe in my October 2015 round-up of Deliciously Healthy Low-Carb Recipes. Hope a lot of my readers will click over here and try it!
Lisa says
Thank you so very much, Kalyn!!
Judy says
I made this recipe using bok choy with cauliflower rice and added Urban Accents Manchego & roasted garlic seasoning and served it with curried coconut chicken! Made a delicious lunch.