Low-Calorie Cauliflower Side Dish Recipes

Find healthy, delicious low-calorie cauliflower side dish recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Most Popular

Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

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You'll never want to eat roasted cauliflower any other way once you try this tasty recipe. Bacon, sour cream and sharp Cheddar cheese coat good-for-you cauliflower in deliciousness for an easy side that will make everyone actually want to eat their vegetables.
By Carolyn Casner

Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

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The florets are roasted with extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic and Parmesan in this easy cauliflower recipe for any weeknight meal.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cauliflower Casserole with Everything Bagel Seasoning

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The cheesy-seedy crust that tops this healthy cauliflower casserole recipe evokes everything bagels. Serve for the holidays or as a hearty side dish with roast chicken.
By Nora Singley

Broccoli and Cauliflower Sauté

Mix up these nutrient-packed cruciferous vegetables for a flavorful and healthy side dish.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Cauliflower-Broccoli Gratin

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This creamy broccoli-and-cauliflower casserole is a hassle-free side dish that just about everyone loves. Our healthier version skips the heavy cream and butter found in most recipes--saving about 160 calories and 12 grams of saturated fat compared to a traditional version.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Turmeric-Roasted Cauliflower

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Roasting cauliflower transforms it into a crispy, tender vegetable. A sponge for other flavors, cauliflower can absorb any spice mix or marinade you add, like this warm and toasty combination of turmeric, cumin and garlic. Serve as a simple side dish, or stir it into salads or grain bowls to add more plant power.
By Carolyn Casner

Cauliflower "Toast"

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Looking for a low-carb way to enjoy toast in the morning? Try these toasts made from cauliflower rice, egg and cheese. Make a big batch to keep in your freezer for an easy breakfast or healthy base for a sandwich (like grilled cheese!) any time.
By Carolyn Casner

Cauliflower English Muffins

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These savory, low-carb (and gluten-free) English muffins use riced cauliflower in place of flour, with a little cheese and egg as binder to make a grain-free breakfast bread. Try topping them with sweet jam, or use them to create a yummy breakfast sandwich.
By Hilary Meyer

Cauliflower Everything Bagels

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Get all the flavor of classic everything bagels with fewer carbs and calories. These grain-free cauliflower bagels leave plenty of room for garlicky everything bagel seasoning and a schmear of cream cheese.
By Carolyn Casner

Cauliflower Rice

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When cauliflower is pulsed in a food processor, it magically turns into a vegetable that really resembles white rice. In this easy recipe, cauliflower rice is made into an herbed pilaf.
By Hilary Meyer

Amish Broccoli Salad

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This creamy broccoli and cauliflower salad has a fabulous crunch. The salad holds well and is perfect for potlucks and picnics. Our version has considerably less sugar than most Amish salad recipes and is lighter because we use a mixture of low-fat Greek yogurt and mayonnaise for the dressing.
By Carolyn Casner

Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

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This creamy cauliflower mash makes a perfect low-carb stand-in for mashed potatoes. Here we take simple mashed cauliflower and mix in garlic, buttermilk and a touch of butter to create a flavorful side dish that has about one-quarter of the calories of typical mashed potatoes. If you like, vary it by adding shredded low-fat cheese or chopped fresh herbs.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
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Inspiration and Ideas

Cauliflower Rice Pilaf
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You'll slash 131 calories and 19 grams carbohydrate when you trade in your brown rice for finely chopped cauliflower in this healthy cauliflower rice recipe. For an even faster rice pilaf, use 4 cups of purchased cauliflower rice instead of making your own. Look for it near other fresh or frozen prepared vegetables.
Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Balsamic Glaze & Parmesan
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This whole roasted cauliflower recipe is incredibly easy--and requires just 5 minutes of active time--but delivers a healthy side dish that's impressive enough for entertaining. A mixture of Parmesan cheese and balsamic glaze adds tons of flavor. Serve the whole roasted cauliflower with roast chicken, turkey or pork or as part of a vegetarian meal.
Balsamic Broccoli & Cauliflower
Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri
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In this stunning, healthy cauliflower recipe, a head of cauliflower is cut into thick slabs then roasted until caramelized and served with chimichurri, a garlic-herb sauce. The cauliflower steaks make a fine accompaniment to actual steaks, or better still, serve them on their own as a vegetarian alternative to steak. Each head of cauliflower will provide 2 to 3 steaks from the center--the sides tend to crumble. For a truly show-stopping presentation, use the center portion of 2 heads and save the rest of the cauliflower for another recipe that calls for cauliflower florets.

All Low-Calorie Cauliflower Side Dish Recipes

Cauliflower Risotto

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Cauliflower rice stands in for arborio in this recipe that's not only lower in carbs than traditional risotto, but also way faster and easier to make! In just 20 minutes you'll have a flavorful and healthy vegetable side to go with dinner.
By Carolyn Casner

Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Cauliflower

Roasting intensifies the sweetness of the sweet potatoes and gives the cauliflower a wonderful nutty flavor in this simple, healthy side dish. A sprinkling of garlic powder and Parmesan cheese makes the dish really special. Serve this easy side along with pork or chicken or add to a grain bowl for a vegetarian dinner.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Mexican Cauliflower Rice

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Restaurant-style Mexican rice (sometimes called Spanish rice) gets a healthy, low-carb makeover in this recipe that swaps white rice for riced cauliflower. Cooked with other flavorful ingredients like tomatoes, jalapeño and cilantro, this makes the perfect, festive side for taco night.
By Carolyn Casner

Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower

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You'll be craving your vegetables with this easy and oh-so-delicious recipe. Cauliflower gets sweet and tender as it caramelizes from the high heat of roasting. A sprinkling of Cheddar and herbs and a squeeze of lemon on top make it crave-worthy.
By Carolyn Casner

Skillet Cauliflower Gratin

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Nonfat milk and a bit of sharp Cheddar combine to make a rich sauce without all the butter usually found in gratins.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chicken Curry Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Use convenience ingredients, like cooked chicken (leftover or purchased) and store-bought curry sauce to whip up these easy loaded baked potatoes. We call for cauliflower in this recipe, but feel free to sub in whatever veggies you have on hand for a quick and easy dinner. You can also swap the sweet potatoes for russets.
By Devon O'Brien

Middle Eastern Braised Cauliflower

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In this healthy vegetable side dish recipe, the flavors of Lebanese lubiyeh (green beans and lamb braised in a flavorful tomato sauce) are applied to cauliflower with delicious results.
By Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD

Quick Giardiniera

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This quickly pickled, spicy Italian salad of mixed sliced vegetables is great for an antipasto platter, served with grilled meat or chopped up and put on a sandwich.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mashed Cauliflower & Yukon Golds

The term “cauliflower mashed potatoes” usually means subbing cauliflower for potatoes completely, but in this recipe we use both cauliflower and potatoes: Yukon Golds add to the buttery hue of the mash and their waxy texture balances out the more watery cauliflower to keep it velvety. The mash is easy enough to make as a weeknight dinner recipe, but it would also make an excellent side dish for Thanksgiving or another special occasion.
By Adam Dolge

Baked Vegetable Tempura

The wide variety of veggies in this tempura recipe provides vitamins, minerals, and health-promoting plant compounds. The mustard in the dipping sauce contains curcumin, a compound that makes mustard yellow and exhibits anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Italian Marinated Vegetable Salad

This marinated vegetable salad recipe is a colorful composed salad inspired by the classic Italian giardiniera. Serve on a platter as is or on a bed of crisp greens. For a heartier appetizer or light lunch, add 1/2 cup each diced salami and hard cheese, such as Provolone or even white Cheddar, to the mix.
By Romney Steele

Roasted Romanesco with Spiced Garlic Oil

In this recipe, romanesco's earthy flavor gets a boost from spices like fennel, coriander and garlic.
By Adam Dolge

Horseradish-Cheddar Mashed Cauliflower

This mashed cauliflower recipe with butter and sour cream mimics the taste and texture of mashed potatoes. The swap saves you 40 grams of Carbohydrates and 100 calories per cup, plus it quadruples the vitamin C, giving you 82% of your Daily Value of the immune-boosting nutrient.
By Adam Dolge

Roasted Florets

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Roasting members of the brassica family brings out a hidden nutty sweetness that could change a few minds about these oft-maligned vegetables. Use either broccoli or cauliflower or a colorful mix.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Irene's Winter Salad

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Steamed broccoli and cauliflower florets tossed with a tangy lemon dressing is a great alternative to a green salad or steamed vegetable side dish.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cauliflower with Peppadew Peppers & Raisins

We sauté the cauliflower to get it slightly caramelized, then steam it to soften the vegetable without burning the spices.
By Julia Levy
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