Low-Calorie Cauliflower Side Dish Recipes

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.

Whir cauliflower into a creamy low-carb substitute for mashed potatoes. This easy recipe gets a kick of flavor from garlic-infused olive oil, making it a dairy-free (and vegan) vegetable side dish.

This veggie-packed side-dish vegetable soup can be made in the slow cooker. Just make a few tweaks (see Variation).

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

A cunchy, savory pretzel-pecan coating turns roasted, caramelized cauliflower into an irresistible appetizer or kids' snack that mimics flavored popcorn. Serve this popcorn cauliflower straight from the oven with a dipping sauce and watch these tasty little bites disappear.

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.

Caraway and cauliflower are a match that brings to mind wursts, kraut and foamy, cold mugs of beer. Alas, not everyone loves that caraway flavor so leave out the caraway seeds if you prefer--the salad's wonderful either way.

Fat florets of cauliflower stay meaty when roasted--you could even try this with orange or yellow cauliflower. If you happen to have pickled chiles, use them in place of the fresh chiles here. Reprinted from Real Food Heals by arrangement with Avery Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2017, Seamus Mullen

Yep, there's cauliflower in this potato salad. It cuts down on the carbs and calories, and is a perfect match for our tangy horseradish dressing.

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.

Walnuts, tahini, dill and lemon make an irresistible, earthy sauce for roasted cauliflower in this healthy salad recipe. Serve this cauliflower salad with hummus, grilled chicken and pita for a Middle Eastern-inspired healthy dinner.

This lemony side dish of steamed cauliflower and broccoli florets goes perfectly with poultry or fish.

Two kinds of cheese combine to make a creamy sauce for this easy cauliflower side dish. Roasting the cauliflower adds an extra layer of savory flavor.

For this healthy cauliflower recipe, roasted florets are tossed in mojo, a Latin sauce that's gently spicy but can complement almost any other dish in your meal. If you can't find Cotija cheese, use another salty, crumbly cheese, such as feta.

These crispy hash brown patties are reminiscent of their deep-fried potato counterparts but have way fewer carbs. Serve them up with fried eggs for a veggie-heavy breakfast or a quick and healthy dinner.

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.

Don't tell your kids, but we snuck a whole head of cauliflower into these garlic mashed potatoes. The cauliflower, garlic and potatoes are all cooked at the same time and mashed with butter and cream cheese. Your kids will love this side dish and the best part is you won't have to remind them to eat their vegetables!

A quartet of garden vegetables--cauliflower, carrots, green beans and spring onions--plays a starring role in this best-of-summer, farmers'-market pickle recipe. Bright-green Castelvetrano olives from Sicily have a sweet, almost nutty flavor. Look for them in well-stocked supermarkets with other olives.

This recipe for mashed cauliflower, spiked with dill and havarti cheese, makes a simple side dish for a weeknight dinner. The low-calorie cauliflower complements the rich creaminess of havarti cheese.

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

Plain steamed or microwaved cauliflower turns into something extraordinary when you cover it with this rich-tasting twist on a classic cheese sauce.

This healthy cauliflower side dish recipe features assertive flavors that Italians covet: garlic, anchovies, olives, capers, plus a splash of good wine vinegar.

Is your garden booming? Making quick pickles is a low-pressure way to use up your bounty. Mix and match the vegetables as you see fit; just try to maintain a variety of textures and colors. Tip: After you finish a jar, use the leftover brine to make vinaigrette.

A topping of Mornay sauce is a delicious treatment for numerous vegetables: broccoli, asparagus, fennel, Belgian endive, to name a few. In our revised version, we have replaced some of the high-fat cheeses and cream with low-fat cottage cheese, which contributes a rich dairy flavor without the fat. Even children will eat cauliflower prepared this way.