Cauliflower Risotto With Mushrooms

Frozen cauliflower rice is a staple in our house. I include it in just about every dinner, like this Creamy Ground Beef Skillet, Sour Cream And Onion Cauliflower Bake, and Cheesy Ground Beef And Cauliflower Rice Casserole.

Traditional risotto needs broth added a little at a time and steady stirring. This cauliflower risotto needs only a half cup of broth and a few minutes of simmering, so it is ready in about 30 minutes.

💛 Why you’ll love this recipe

• Made in 1 pan, so there are fewer dishes to wash.
• A savory side of browned mushrooms, thyme, and Parmesan that works on a weeknight or on a holiday table.
• Cauliflower rice stands in for Arborio rice, so it is a low-carb take on risotto.
• Made and served in only 30 minutes.
• An easy way to get more vegetables into dinner, with a full pound of mushrooms and 20 ounces of cauliflower rice.

➡️ Ingredients

⏲ How to make cauliflower risotto

This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Cook Cauliflower Rice: In a large pan over medium-high heat, cook the frozen cauliflower rice until it has softened and is tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the cauliflower rice to a bowl and set it aside.
2. Cook Mushrooms, Onions, And Seasonings: Reduce the stovetop heat to medium heat, and in the same pan used to cook the cauliflower rice, melt some butter. Add in mushrooms and onions and sauté those until the mushrooms are browned, the onions are translucent and slightly browned, and all of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Stir everything occasionally as it cooks. Add in the fresh thyme sprigs, salt, garlic powder, and pepper, and sauté until those are fragrant.
3. Add Cauliflower Rice Back Then Simmer: Carefully remove the thyme sprigs from the pan. Then, increase the stovetop heat to medium-high, return the cauliflower rice to the pan, then pour in chicken broth and stir. Bring the mixture to a simmer and allow it to simmer until the liquid has reduced slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir it occasionally.
4. Add Cream And Cheese: Reduce the stovetop heat to low before adding in heavy cream and grated Parmesan cheese. Stir constantly until the cheese melts, then taste test and add additional seasoning, based on your taste preferences.
5. Garnish And Serve: Spoon the risotto into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh thyme and freshly-cracked pepper.

👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions

• Frozen Cauliflower Rice: Pulse a head of cauliflower in a food processor to yield 4-5 cups of cauliflower rice. You can also take cauliflower florets and cut them into small pieces.
• Portobello Mushrooms: Button mushrooms can be used, but they will be slightly less flavorful than portobellos. Any other variety that you find in your grocery store should also work just fine here.
• Fresh Thyme: Use 2 teaspoons of ground thyme in place of the fresh thyme that this recipe calls for.
• Unsalted Chicken Broth: Vegetable broth can be used here to make this recipe vegetarian-friendly. Low-sodium beef broth, unsalted chicken stock, or unsalted beef stock can also be used. Another option is to use white wine in place of half of the broth.
• Heavy Whipping Cream: Whole milk or half-and-half can be used, but note that the resulting dish will be slightly less creamy.
• Grated Parmesan Cheese: Shredded Parmesan cheese can be used.

✨ Variations

• Add other fresh herbs like chopped fresh rosemary and/or chopped fresh tarragon. Add these in when you add in the fresh thyme.
• Add dried herbs like Italian seasoning, dried basil, and/or dried oregano. Add these in when you cook the mushrooms and onions.
• Stir in or spoon on burst cherry tomatoes or roughly chopped sun-dried tomatoes right before garnishing and serving. To make the burst cherry tomatoes, add some oil to a pan over medium heat, add in the cherry tomatoes, and cook until they have softened and burst open. For the sun-dried tomatoes, use the jarred variety that has been packed in oil. Chop them up and then add them to a pan over medium heat and cook until they are warmed. Right before you serve the bowls of risotto, gently stir in the tomatoes, or serve them on top of the risotto with the garnishes.
• Drizzle olive oil on top as an additional garnish for some added flavor.
• Sprinkle red pepper flakes on top as an additional garnish for some added heat.

〰️ How to serve

• Seafood – Spoon baked or sautéed shrimp on top with a squeeze of lemon juice. Cook the shrimp while the risotto is being made. Another option is to serve it alongside lemon garlic scallops, Tuscan shrimp, or Chinese shrimp.
• Chicken – Serve as a side dish alongside Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken, Creamy Garlic Chicken, Mushroom Sauce Chicken Thighs, or Sumac Chicken.
• Bacon – Sprinkle on crispy bacon crumbles before adding your garnishes. Cook the bacon in a separate pan while the risotto is being made.
• Beef – Serve baked stuffed tomatoes or Lebanese stuffed cabbage rolls over the risotto.
• Pork – Serve with smothered pork chops, pork loin roast, or air fryer pork belly strips.
• Vegetables – Plate steamed asparagus atop the risotto.

➜ Cooking and recipe tips

• You don’t need to thaw your frozen cauliflower rice. Just take it straight from the freezer and pour it into your pan.
• Be careful not to overcook the cauliflower rice. When you’re initially cooking it from frozen, take it off of the stovetop heat as soon as it’s tender. If it cooks too long, it will be mushy.

💬 FAQs

📚 More dishes with cauliflower rice

• Meal Prep Tuscan Chicken And Cauliflower Rice
• Mexican Cauliflower Rice
• Meal Prep Meatballs And Cauliflower Rice
• Korean Ground Beef Meal Prep Bowls
• Meal Prep Firecracker Ground Chicken