You might think that the best thing about a cauliflower rice paella dish is the taste. And you’d be right. It is one of the best things.
The other best thing about it? It truly takes only 20 minutes start to finish, which makes it a great weeknight meal.
Want to see just how easy it is? Check out the preparation video here:
The Flavors of Traditional Paella
I was lucky enough to study abroad in Spain during my junior year of college. Some of my fondest food memories of that trip involve the huge paella pans that you see all over Valencia, the home of paella.
There are tons of variations and you can find everything from chicken to squid in your paella. This version, with saffron, shrimp, and chorizo is pretty traditional in flavor, though I assure you that you’d be hard-pressed to find a rice-less version like this one floating around.
In fact, I’m probably already being disowned by my Spanish host family as I write.
This version is not too spicy, though the heat level will depend highly on the chorizo that you use. I chose Aidell’s Chorizo chicken sausage for this recipe and it was kid and adult friendly.
And while I love me some traditional Spanish paella, I think that you’ll find space for this less authentic version in your regular recipe rotation.
Made to Fit Your Special Diet Needs
Want to make it Paleo and or Keto? All you need to do is leave out the frozen peas and maybe add a little more healthy fat.
Regardless of your dietary restrictions, I hope you and your family enjoy this easy, healthy, and super fast Cauliflower Rice Paella!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp saffron threads
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 12 oz package pre-cooked chorizo sausage, sliced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 orange or red bell pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2/3 cup diced tomato, with juice (from canned)
- 2 32 oz packages riced cauliflower (preferably frozen) for a total of 8 cups
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 lb shrimp, peels and tails removed
- 2 cups frozen peas (optional)
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat chicken broth until it's hot but not boiling. Crumble saffron threads into broth and let sit for 5+ minutes.
- In a large pan (that has a matching lid) over medium heat, heat up olive oil. Saute sliced chorizo until browned all over. Remove from pan, leaving behind the oil and fat.
- Add onion and bell pepper and saute until softening, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, about 1 minute.
- Add diced tomato with juice and stir to combine. Add bags of frozen, riced cauliflower and pour saffron broth over the top. Season with salt and pepper and stir well to combine.
- Stir in shrimp and frozen peas. Cover and cook 5 minutes, until shrimp is cooke through and peas and cauliflower are defrosted.
- Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Top with parsley and serve.
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