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Pinch Me Good! Ā» Healthy Side Dishes Ā» Roasted Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice – With Chickpeas

Roasted Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice – With Chickpeas

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Easy Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice. Fluffy riced cauliflower, roasted in the oven and mixed with salty olives and feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, and fresh parsley. All generously drizzled with fresh lemon juice and olive oil. 20 minutes to make, gluten-free, low-carb, and delicious!

eye level view of Mediterranean cauliflower rice

My new obsession is cauliflower rice roasted in the oven. I love cauliflower and it can be used in so many ways. This Roasted Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice recipe is my absolute favorite! The cauliflower gets so crispy on the outside but still tender and fluffy, like rice. It absorbs any flavors you add to it and is just so bright and colorful!

This recipe is also, are you ready for it? Low-carb, low-calorie, gluten-free, vegetarian and packed with crazy good nutrition. It comes together in under 20 minutes and can be paired with any proteins, like tofu, grilled chicken, fish, even a fried egg on top!

I am also loving this spicy vegan sofritas recipe that also uses cauliflower rice.

Ingredients in this Mediterranean cauliflower rice

  • Cauliflower – you could also use store-bought frozen cauliflower rice
  • Olive oil
  • Mediterranean spice blend or a mix of garlic, paprika, cumin, chili powder, and onion powder
  • Chickpeas
  • Sun-dried tomatoes
  • Fresh parsley
  • Feta cheese
  • Sliced kalamata olives
  • Lemon juice
Roasted Mediterranean cauliflower rice in a bowl

Super simple, but still packed with so much flavor. It really is a good staple side dish to have in your back pocket for family gatherings, holiday dinners, or just for a fun, healthy weeknight dinner. My husband actually didnā€™t even know it was cauliflower, haha. He totally thought it was rice.

Is cauliflower good for you?

Yes! So good for you! Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable packed with fiber and B-vitamins. It is also a phytonutrient that can help protect against heart disease and cancer. Cauliflower is great for weight loss due to its high fiber content that keeps you fuller longer.

It is very versatile and can be used in so many ways. You can eat it mashed, roasted or in place of rice like in this recipe.

How to make this amazing Roasted Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice

Whole head of cauliflower

Start with a beautiful head of cauliflower. Remove the leaves and core and chop it up. If you are not sure how to cut up cauliflower, then here is an excellent explanation of how to cut cauliflower.

Place it into a food processor and pulse a few times until it resembles rice. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your food processor.

Riced cauliflower in a food processor

Place the cauliflower rice into a mixing bowl, drizzle it with olive oil and season with spices like garlic, paprika, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and oregano. You can also use a Mediterranean spice blend like this one.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and season them the same way you seasoned the cauliflower rice.

Roasted cauliflower rice on a sheet pan with chickpeas

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and spread the chickpeas and cauliflower onto the baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Remove and add the rice and chickpeas to a mixing bowl along with the olives, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and parsley. Drizzle that all with olive oil, lemon juice and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper and lightly toss.

Ingredients for Mediterranean cauliflower rice in a bowl

Plate and top with some fresh parsley and enjoy! Look at all of that color! Beautiful!

Aerial view of cauliflower rice dish

Recipe Variations

  • You can use any cauliflower rice for this recipe – Rice your cauliflower as mentioned in the post, or use store-bought cauliflower rice that is either fresh or frozen. I love trader joes cauliflower rice as a store-bought option.
  • Make this dairy-free – you can easily leave out the feta cheese or sub-in dairy-free feta cheese that you can find in most local grocery stores.
  • Use fresh cherry tomatoes instead of sun-dried tomatoes – I love the tangy flavor that the sun-dried tomatoes bring to this cauliflower rice recipe, but you could also leave them out and use fresh sliced cherry tomatoes.
  • Add in some sauteed greens for an extra nutrient boost – I love using kale, spinach, or collard greens.
  • Add in some roasted red peppers – I like to use store-bought roasted red peppers in so many dishes. They have incredible flavor and are packed with Vitamin C.

I hope you try this recipe! If you do, then please leave a comment and rating below.

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Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice in a bowl

Roasted Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice

★★★★★

5 from 22 reviews
  • Author: Amy Estes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 6 people 1x
Print Recipe

Description

Easy Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice. Fluffy riced cauliflower, roasted in the oven and mixed with salty olives, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, and fresh parsley. All generously covered fresh lemon juice and olive oil. Only 20 minutes to make, gluten-free, low-carb, and absolutely delicious!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 Whole head of cauliflower (or 4 cups of store-bought cauliflower rice)
  • 3 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp Mediterranean spice blend or oregano (see alternative options in recipe notes)
  • 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas (drained and rinsed well)
  • 1/4 cup Pitted and sliced kalamata olives
  • 1/4 cup Crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup Chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil)
  • 2 tbsp Chopped fresh parsley
  • The juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
  2. Rice the cauliflower:Ā Cut the bottom off of the cauliflower, slice it in half and cut out the core, using a sharp knife. Chop the cauliflower up into florets to make it easier to rice. Add the chopped cauliflower to the bowl of a food processor, place the lid on and pulse a few times until it resembles rice.
  3. Season the cauliflower rice: Transfer the cauliflower rice to a medium-size mixing bowl. Drizzle on 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the Mediterranean spice blend. Toss well to coat. Pour the seasoned cauliflower rice onto the baking sheet and spread it out evenly. It will cover about 3/4 of the pan.
  4. Season the chickpeas:Ā Add the chickpeas to the same mixing bowl you seasoned the cauliflower in. Drizzle the chickpeas with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the Mediterranean spice blend. Toss well to coat.
  5. Bake the cauliflower and the chickpeas:Ā Pour the seasoned chickpeas onto the same baking sheet the cauliflower rice is on in the remaining empty space on the pan. The chickpeas should cover about 1/4 of the baking sheet. Do not mix the chickpeas in with the cauliflower rice or they will not crisp up as well. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 15-17 minutes, until the cauliflower and chickpeas are starting to turn nice and golden brown. Remove and let cool for a few minutes.Ā 
  6. Assemble:Ā Once the cauliflower rice has cooled a bit, add it to the same mixing bowl you seasoned it in along with the roasted chickpeas. Add in the kalamata olives, crumbled feta cheese, and the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and lightly toss. Sprinkle on the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the freshly squeezed lemon juice, and the chopped parsley and toss to combine.Ā 
  7. Serve:Ā Serve at room temperature as a side dish or main meal any day of the week!

Notes

  1. You can use store-bought cauliflower rice – I like trader joes
  2. You can find a mediterranean spice blend in most grocery stores or even target. Here is a homemade mediterranean spice blend option.
  3. This is best if eaten right away but it can be stored in an airtight containter for up to 3 days and easly reheated in the microwave.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Healthy Side Dishes
  • Method: Roasted
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean
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Comments

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  7. Jewels

    I have just made this to go with my butterflies lemon and herb roasted chicken and it is amazing! I love the flavours and the colours and the lemony punch. Roasting the cauliflower rice and chickpeas is spot on and makes it easy for the cook as the oven does all the hard work. Thanks for sharing.

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