Cauliflower is one of the most versatile vegetables on a ketogenic diet, and definitely should be included in every pantry out there. It can get carby when you use a bunch of it, but when you use it as a side item, stuffing, or part of another recipe – it’s definitely a bright addition to any dish.

Today, we’re making cauliflower risotto. I’m sure by now you’ve tried cauliflower rice and realized that with a bit of TLC, it can be turned into just about anything (pizza crusts, rice, crunch texture, soft texture). After doing the hemp heart “wild rice” recipe, I started experimenting more and more with cauliflower to get a creamy texture that I was longing for in a risotto. Lo and behold, here it is!

Now, I know what you’re thinking already. Cauliflower sometimes gives that slightly stinky smell off that lingers around in the cauliflower itself. None of that here. We make sure to cook it thoroughly in broth (and then some more) to make sure all of the flavors are imparted into the cauliflower without having that lingering taste that can stay around.

The mushrooms, parmesan cheese, and tarragon really play a great aromatic role in this dish as a whole. Though you can sub in pretty much any herbs you’d like, I thought tarragon was a really nice addition and gave a slightly different flavor than what most people might be used to. I hope you get the chance to put this on your holiday table and enjoy it with everyone around it!

Yields 4 servings of Low Carb Cauliflower Mushroom Risotto

The Preparation

588 grams cauliflower
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
3 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon dried tarragon

The Execution

1. Take a large head of cauliflower and cut it in half. Rip or cut off the cauliflower florets and place them into a food processor.

2. Process them until they’re about the size of rice, or couscous.

3. Then on a pan or small pot, cook your garlic and mushrooms in a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.

4. When the garlic is fragrant and the mushrooms slightly shriveled, add a cup of chicken broth and your riced cauliflower. Stir very well.

5. Lower the heat so that the whole dish simmers and cover it up. Let it steam for about 5-7 minutes to cook the cauliflower.

6. After the cauliflower has cooked a bit, you want to remove the cover and let some of the chicken broth liquid evaporate away and cook the cauliflower a bit more. This should take about 5-10 minutes.

7. Lastly, once there is no moisture at the bottom of the pan when stirred, add the heavy cream, parmesan cheese and your spices. Make sure to add tarragon last as it loses its flavor if cooked for too long over direct heat.

8. Stir the parmesan into the cauliflower until it’s melted and everything comes together. Plate, serve, and enjoy!

This makes a total of 4 servings of Low-Carb Cauliflower Mushroom Risotto. Each serving comes out to be 154 calories, 11.5g fats, 4.9g net carbs, and 6.6g protein.

NUTRITION	CALORIES	FAT	CARBS	FIBER	NET CARBS	PROTEIN
588 gram cauliflower	135	2.9	24.1	13.5	10.6	10.6
1 tablespoon olive oil	119	13.5	0	0	0	0
2 teaspoon fresh garlic	8	0	1.9	0.1	1.8	0.4
3 ounce cremini mushrooms	24	0.1	3.5	0.5	3	2.1
1 cup chicken broth	15	0.5	1.1	0	1.1	1.6
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream	202	21.5	1.6	0	1.6	1.7
1/4 cup parmesan cheese	108	7.2	1	0	1	9.6
— salt and pepper	0	0	0	0	0	0
1 teaspoon dried tarragon	3	0.1	0.6	0.1	0.5	0.3
Totals	615	45.8	33.8	14.2	19.5	26.2
Per Serving (/4)	154	11.4	8.4	3.6	4.9	6.6