This delicious and easy springtime cauliflower rice celebrates the produce of the spring season, which includes peas, asparagus, and flavorful herbs like dill, parsley and chives.
Springtime is quintessentially green, and this easy springtime cauliflower rice showcases all the good produce that’s popping up at Farmers Markets (and grocery stores too). The tastes of the season include: green scallions, asparagus, peas, dill, parsley, chives (with those glorious purple flower heads too!). In a way, I’ve always wondered if seasonal eating suggests you mix all of these flavors together. This recipe does just that, and they taste delicious. Furthermore, if you’re looking for an easy veggie side that you can cook in 5 minutes or less, this one fits the bill. Just a quick simmer and you’re done.
THIS EASY SPRINGTIME CAULIFLOWER RICE IS SO SIMPLE AND QUICK TO MAKE.
Making meals quick and delicious is how I roll. I don’t enjoy long, tedious lists of hard-to-find ingredients. Whole foods, in their natural perfect form, are already delicious and showcase a rainbow of nutrients that support our bodies. Simply put, you don’t have to work hard to make fresh food taste good.
Herbs and Flavor!
If you learn anything from spring, it’s that herbs are truly the flavor punch we’re looking for to make our plates sing. Parsley is dark and rich, dill is savory but light in texture, and chives give that extra bite to the dish. In a pinch, you can use whichever herbs you have on hand as long as it’s fresh and green. Cilantro also goes very well in this dish if you choose to use it, as would rosemary. However, I would avoid using sage or thyme, as those are flavors more reminiscent of fall and the stems are very woody (they lend themselves better to longer cooking like stews and soups, and you discard them at the end). But make it your way. Therefore, if you like the herbs and know they pare well together, just throw them in.
A little secret about this recipe
Can you tell what it is? It’s only vegetables and has zero added fat. I enjoy making really flavorful but low calorie food to allow people to doctor it up as they wish, on their own. I personally prefer adding my fat on top (like slivered almond, or avocado on the side) vs. oil, but create it the way that would be most delicious for you. Throw in some tempeh or beans, anything else you enjoy. I find that the veggies with the herbs and some salt for seasoning make it a completely side dish that accompanies most proteins really well.
How To Personalize This Recipe
The cauliflower rice is the base for a variety of flavors. While this recipe is beautiful for springtime, you can consider other varieties for the seasons ahead, or the flavor profiles that you prefer.
- Summertime flavors: consider fresh tomatoes and basil with garlic.
- Fall flavors: consider tossing cauliflower rice with butternut squash and dried sage.
- Winter comfort food: consider tossing cauliflower rice with extra kale, onions, garlic and olives.
- Mexican flavors, consider: cilantro, salsa, garlic in place of the herbs.
- Indian flavors, consider: turmeric, curry powder, scallions in place of the herbs.
- Moroccan flavors, consider: cinnamon, cumin in place of the herbs.
- Italian flavors, consider: basil in place of the herbs.
- Thai flavors, consider: coconut milk, tofu, lemongrass and scallions and just omit the herbs.
Tried it?
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Easy Springtime Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- one 12 oz package frozen cauliflower rice (frozen or defrosted both work)
- handful of spears asparagus, trimmed ends and cut into 1 inch
- 1/2 cup broth or water
- 3/4 cup cup fresh peas
- 1 handful dill, chopped
- 1/3 cup cup chives, chopped
- 1/3 cup loose parsley leaves, chopped
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- First, combine the cauliflower rice, asparagus and broth or water and cook covered, about 5 minutes. You're essential steaming the asparagus in the broth.
- Second, add the peas in the last 2 minutes of cooking time.
- Lastly, test the asparagus for done-ness by piercing with a knife (the knife should go in easily). If the asparagus is done, add in the herbs and toss to heat through.
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