COCONUT CAULIFLOWER RICE WITH TOFU

This Coconut Cauliflower Rice with Tofu is one of our favorite dinners at home. It’s creamy, packed with protein and flavors; the coconut and the sweetness of peas, carrots, red onion, and pepper work perfectly on this dish.

This meal is good for everyone, from adults to kids. It’s easy to prepare, and it’s Healthy, Gluten-Free, Nut-free, and Oil-free.  

I love the creaminess of this dish, but it also includes different textures to enjoy, like veggies, cauliflower rice, and baked and crispy tofu.

HOW TO PREPARE THIS COCONUT CAULIFLOWER RICE WITH TOFU

The essential ingredients are:

• Raw Cauliflower Rice that I love in recipes, it’s fiber-rich and tastes amazing. Learn how to make raw cauliflower rice with two methods here (it includes a video with detailed instructions).

• Firm or extra-firm tofu. With those varieties, you could only drain the water of the package and squish a little with a paper towel to get rid of the water and then cook it. But pressing it for about 15-30 minutes helps make the tofu crispier when you cook it and absorb the flavors more. I prefer baking it first for crisper results, but you can skip that step if you are in a hurry, stir and sauté the tofu in the skillet.

• Coconut Milk. You’ll need a lite o light variety for this recipe. It helps with the creaminess.

• The veggies for adding more variety from the nutritional perspective, as well as more volume and color. You can use the suggested veggies on this recipe or add your favorite ones!

Everything starts preparing the tofu: pressing it, cutting it into cubes, covering the cubes with a mix of coconut aminos and arrowroot, and baking the tofu to make it crispy outside and soft inside. This part of the preparation takes time, but it is worth it. I usually prepare a batch of baked tofu for the week for different recipes, like this one or salads.

After that, it’s time to sauté the onions and red bell peppers, adding the tofu and spices.  

Next, we need to add peas and carrots, cauliflower rice, and coconut milk.

And the last step before serving, it’s cooking the preparation for 10-15 min.

Read the recipe card below for detailed ingredients, measurements, steps, and notes.

What to love about this recipe? Well, it’s:

• Rich in textures.
• Conforting but feels light.
• Flavorful.
• Sweet.
• Fiber and Protein-rich.
• So delicious!

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RECIPE AND INSTRUCTIONS

COCONUT CAULIFLOWER RICE WITH TOFU

Coconut cauliflower rice with tofu is creamy, packed with protein and flavors; the coconut and the sweetness of vegetables work perfectly!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Baking the Tofu 25 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian-Inspired, Gluten-Free, Vegan

Servings 4 Servings

Equipment

• Skillet
• Baking tray

Ingredients

  

• 10 oz tofu firm or extra-firm
• 4 tbsp coconut aminos 2 tbsp for the stir fry + 2 tbsp for baking the tofu.
• 2 tbsp arrowroot
• 1/3 cup vegetable broth
• 1 red onion medium, chopped
• ½ red bell pepper medium, chopped
• ½ tbsp paprika
• 15 oz sweet peas and carrots 1 can or 425 g
• 16 oz store-bought raw cauliflower rice or 1 medium or large cauliflower head to rice
• 1 ½ cup coconut milk lite or light
• salt and pepper to taste
• parsley optional for garnish

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 425F (about 220 C).
• Wrap the tofu with a dry absorbent towel and place it on a plate. Press the tofu putting something heavy on top, and leave it between 15 to 30 minutes. Some types of firm tofu only need 15 minutes or less, and others 30. You can do this step the night or the day before so that the tofu is ready to cook.
• Cut the tofu into cubes and transfer them into a mixing bowl. Drizzle with two tbsp of coconut aminos, and toss to combine. Add the arrowroot, and gently mix until coated. Place the cubes in a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat, and bake for 20-25 min, flipping them halfway.
• In the meantime, if you’re not using store-bought cauliflower rice, you must rice the cauliflower with a box grater or food processor. Cut them first in medium chunks and rice them working in batches.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, add the vegetable broth and sauté the onion and pepper for around 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
• Add the baked tofu pieces, the rest of coconut aminos, paprika, and salt, and pepper to taste. Stir and sauté the tofu for 5 minutes.
• Add the peas and carrot, cauliflower rice, and coconut milk into the skillet. Stir to combine, and cook the ingredients between 10 to 15 mins, or until most of the liquid evaporates. Stir occasionally.
• Serve warm and garnish with parsley (optional).

Notes

• Recipe adapted from Freeletics Nutrition App.
• Find the video with the detailed instructions on how to make raw cauliflower rice here (but don’t cook it beforehand). If you finish with extra rice that you didn’t use for the recipe, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Uncooked cauliflower rice is freezer-friendly (you can keep it, up to 1 month).
• You could replace the tofu with one can of chickpeas.

WAYS TO ENJOY THIS COCONUT CAULIFLOWER RICE WITH TOFU

Serve it warm with your favorite garnish; I particularly love parsley on it.

If you want to know how to make cauliflower rice take a look here.

And if you’re hungry for more comforting meals like this one, try these recipes:

STUFFED BAKED SWEET POTATOES.

VEGAN SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI