Long gone are the days when cauliflower was just a boring vegetable that smelled fart-y when you steamed it (because that, or covering it in cheese, were basically the only two ways people cooked it). Now, cauliflower is everywhere: It's pizza crust, it's rice, it's gnocchi, it's tots. I've even made "oatmeal" out of cauliflower.
However, just because cauliflower can be anything these days doesn't mean it always excels being anything. Take cauliflower rice. Like zoodles, cauliflower rice is only as good as its cooking method. Cook it wrong, and it will end up a soggy, flavorless mess. (It had to be said.)
Thankfully, the good folks of Reddit have a solution that is guaranteed to spell out the end of soggy cauliflower rice. The secret? Ignore the package directions and turn on the oven.
In an effort to make their cauliflower rice more rice-like, Redditor jasmine_tea_w_honey landed on the following technique after a deep dive on Google for tips. "I found a couple of sources saying that you should squeeze the excess moisture out of the cauliflower rice—like you would shredded potatoes before making hash browns—because they hold a lot of moisture," they write.
This is pretty standard operating procedure for cauliflower rice and zoodles. Getting rid of the extra moisture in these watery produce items minimizes the risk of having them become soggy and sad when cooked. For folks following along at home: Use a towel or cheesecloth to squeeze out extra water of freshly grated cauliflower. If you're using frozen riced cauliflower, let it defrost or pop it in the microwave before wringing it out.
However, the Redditor went one innovative step further to ensure quality cauliflower rice. "After, I lightly coated it in olive oil and added herbs and garlic. Spread it thinly over a baking tray, and roasted it at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes until it was slightly golden in color," they write. The final result: cauliflower rice with a soft, but not soggy, texture. "It was sooo good!" they write. "I topped it with some baked salmon, toasted pecans, butternut squash, and fresh-squeezed lemon!"
I'm fairly appalled that I didn't think of this myself. After all, you can roast any vegetable (including whole cauliflower), so why not the cauliflower rice?
If you're not in the mood to roast cauliflower on a busy weeknight, other Redditors chimed in with their tried-and-true tips for avoiding soggy cauliflower rice. One person suggests sauteing the cauliflower rice straight from frozen (which saves a defrosting step), another person apparently swears by steaming it like rice. All in all, looks like I have yet another way to enjoy the vegetable du jour without any soggy side effects.
Looking for another killer way to make cauliflower rice? Try this incredible cauliflower fried rice recipe from chef Dale Talde:
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