Cauliflower Rice Stuffing
Cauliflower stuffing is the perfect side dish any time of year and would be a great addition to your Thanksgiving or holiday dinner. This cauliflower rice stuffing recipe is low in carbs, vegan, paleo and so easy to make.
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Why you will love this recipe
- Easy way to get in more veggies – this stuffing is a great way to get in lots of veggies and is packed with flavor!
- Low in carbs – instead of using bread, this stuffing is made with cauliflower rice and other savory veggies like onions and celery.
- Made on the stovetop – this healthy cauliflower stuffing is made in less than 30 minutes on the stove! It reheats well too so if you need to make it in advance you can.
- Great for most diets – because this recipe is mostly just vegetables and spices, it would be great for any guest at your holiday party. It’s vegan, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, paleo, Whole30 and low carb friendly!
Ingredients
- Onions and celery – these provide a savory base for the stuffing and help to add flavor and a bit of crunch to the stuffing.
- Spices: Ground dried sage, dried thyme, garlic powder and salt – these spices help to create that savory flavor you associate with stuffing!
- Coconut aminos – these are optional but really help to intensify the flavor of the stuffing and make it taste like it’s been cooking all day.
- Vegetable broth – vegetable broth helps to impart flavor into the cauliflower as it cooks and also helps to add moisture to ensure the cauliflower can cook without drying out.
- Cauliflower rice – I suggest using frozen cauliflower rice for this recipe. I find that frozen cauliflower rice has the least “cauliflower” flavor and it also is so easy to use and it is pretty budget friendly as well.
- Granny smith apple (optional)– the slightly sweet, slightly tart apple helps to add a bit of sweetness and balance out the flavors. If you are on a strict low carb diet, you can omit the apple or use less.
- Frozen spinach or kale – frozen spinach (or frozen kale) is added at the end to add more color to the stuffing and it adds more veggies.
- Dried cranberries – I like to use apple juice sweetened dried cranberries (paleo, Whole30) but you can also find no added sugar cranberries to keep them low in carbs. The dried sweetened cranberries add a pop of flavor and really help to balance out the stuffing.
How to make cauliflower stuffing
Preheat a large skillet (stainless steel or cast iron is best) over medium heat.
While skillet is preheating, finely chop the onion and celery.
Spray skillet with avocado oil or olive oil spray and add chopped veggies. Cook 3-5 minutes to soften.
After 3-5 minutes, add the spices and coconut aminos to the veggies and stir well. Cook 1 minute.
Add the cauliflower rice and vegetable broth to the veggies and cook 10-12 minutes, stirring regularly. You will want most of the moisture from the broth and the water from the cauliflower rice to cook off.
While cauliflower rice is cooking, peel and chop the apple.
After 10-12 minutes, push the cauliflower rice mixture to the side of the skillet and add the apples. Cook 3-4 minutes.
Stir together all the ingredients and add the frozen spinach and dried cranberries. Cook 2-3 minutes until spinach is defrosted and hot. Serve hot.
Top tips
- Be sure to break up any clumps of cauliflower rice while it’s still in a sealed bag. The key to a quick cooking dish is to have the cauliflower rice easy to stir and cook. Clumps can be tough to break apart once the bag is opened. I like to lay the bag flat on the counter and press down firmly with the palm of my hand to break up any clumps I feel.
- If you are short on time, add the diced apple along with the onion and celery. I like to wait to add the apple to help it retain some of it’s texture but if you are short on time, sauté it with the onion and celery.
- Another time saving tip: you can chop the celery and onion in a small food processor in just seconds. This can be a really great time saver and will ensure the veggies are well chopped.
- Make ahead tip: you can make this entire dish the night before and simply reheat it in a large casserole dish at 400F for 15 minutes.
What to serve with cauliflower rice stuffing
Although this tastes like a Thanksgiving dinner side dish, it can really be served anytime of year, but is especially good in the fall/winter months. Here are some great ideas on what to serve with this cauliflower stuffing:
- As a side dish with these other great Thanksgiving sides like sweet potato casserole, vegan squash casserole, butternut squash soup or low carb almond flour corn bread along side a roasted turkey or lentil walnut loaf.
- Juicy oven roasted chicken and mashed cauliflower or creamy kale
- Oven roasted drumsticks or air fryer drumsticks with parsnip fries
Other additions to this low carb stuffing
- Roasted sweet potatoes or roasted butternut squash
- Roasted brussel sprouts
- Mushrooms (add with onions and celery)
- Chopped pecans or walnuts (add at the end so they don’t get soggy)
- Make it more of a meal by adding cooked ground sausage
How to make your own cauliflower rice
I prefer to use frozen cauliflower rice for this recipe but in a pinch I will use fresh cauliflower that I riced myself. It’s best to use really fresh cauliflower for this (the longer it sits in the fridge the stronger the cauliflower flavor).
Cut the cauliflower off the stem and cut into pieces small enough to fit into the food processor.
Take about half the cauliflower and put it in the food processor. Process on high until it’s chopped into riced pieces.
Remove the cauliflower rice from the food processor and process the other half.
When you cook fresh cauliflower, be sure to cover the pot for the first 5-6 minutes of cooking the cauliflower to allow it to steam and cook.
Storing leftovers
- Fridge: You can store leftover cauliflower stuffing in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: I would not recommend freezing this cauliflower rice stuffing as it will get soggy when defrosting.
Substitutions
- Onions and celery – you can omit the onion or celery if you do not have them on hand. You can use shallots or green onions in place of the onion. You can use leeks in place of the celery if needed.
- Coconut aminos – you can use soy sauce or gluten free tamari in place of the coconut aminos.
- Spices – you can use poultry seasoning in place of the dried thyme and dried ground sage.
- Vegetable broth – you can use vegetable stock, chicken broth or chicken stock in place of the vegetable broth.
- Granny smith apple – you can use any baking apple like fuji, pink lady or braeburn apples in place of the green granny smith apples to add a touch of sweetness to the stuffing.
- Dried cranberries – you could also use dried cherries or raisins in place of dried cranberries.
If you love this recipe, you should try
- Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
- Green Cauliflower Rice
- Dirty Cauliflower Rice
- Vegan Cauliflower Casserole
- Italian Cauliflower Rice
- Pesto Cauliflower Rice
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Cauliflower Rice Stuffing
$7.02 Recipe/$1.17 ServingCauliflower stuffing is the perfect side dish any time of year and would be a great addition to your Thanksgiving or holiday dinner. This cauliflower rice stuffing is made wtih veggies and packed with flavor. It's also vegan, grain free, Whole30, paleo and plant based!
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Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped - $0.33
- 4 medium celery stalks, chopped - $0.50
- 3/4 tsp dried ground sage - $0.08
- 1.5 tsp sea salt - $0.07
- 2 tsp garlic powder - $0.20
- 2 tsp dried thyme - $0.20
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos - $0.18
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth - $0.25
- 2 bags frozen cauliflower rice - $3.98
- 1 small Granny Smith Apple - $0.50
- 1/2 cup frozen spinach - $0.25
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries - $0.50
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Chop the onion and celery into small pieces.
- Spray the skillet with avocado oil or olive oil spray. Add the chopped onion and celery and cook 3-5 minutes.
- Once onions are softened, add spices and coconut aminos. Stir well and cook 1 more minute.
- Add frozen cauliflower rice and vegetable broth to the veggies. Cook 10-12 minutes, ensuring you cook off most of the moisture.
- Peel and chop the apple while the cauliflower rice cooked.
- Move cauliflower rice to the side of the skillet and add chopped apples. Cook 3-4 minutes.
- Stir apples into the cauliflower and add frozen spinach and dried cranberries. Cook 2-3 minutes.
Notes
Top tips
- Be sure to break up any clumps of cauliflower rice while it’s still in a sealed bag. The key to a quick cooking dish is to have the cauliflower rice easy to stir and cook. Clumps can be tough to break apart once the bag is opened. I like to lay the bag flat on the counter and press down firmly with the palm of my hand to break up any clumps I feel.
- If you are short on time, add the diced apple along with the onion and celery. I like to wait to add the apple to help it retain some of it’s texture but if you are short on time, sauté it with the onion and celery.
- Another time saving tip: you can chop the celery and onion in a small food processor in just seconds. This can be a really great time saver and will ensure the veggies are well chopped.
- Make ahead tip: you can make this entire dish the night before and simply reheat it in a large casserole dish at 400F for 15 minutes.
- Fridge: You can store leftover cauliflower stuffing in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: I would not recommend freezing this cauliflower rice stuffing as it will get soggy when defrosting.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
126
Fat
1
g
Carbohydrates
26
g
Fiber
6
g
Sugar
14
g
Protein
5
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
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