This creamy, hot Paleo AIP Cauliflower Risotto is Dairy-Free, Grain-Free, and Autoimmune Protocol compliant with keto and coconut-free options!
This side dish is so satisfying and luscious that I can’t believe it’s made with zero dairy or grains! Since rice is temporarily out on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol elimination phase, I used the next best thing: cauliflower. It really does pretty much everything doesn’t it? Well, it doesn’t do the dishes or vacuum my house, but the humble and neutral brassica veggie does make an amazing substitute for so many other non-compliant foods in the kitchen!
If you’d like to have a rich and nourishing side dish to go alongside blackened salmon, grilled shrimp, or a nice juicy steak, this rice-free risotto is right up your alley. The garlic, shallots, and herbs really bring it all together and make for a flavorful and savory accompaniment to your main course.
Read on to snag the recipe and some tasty serving ideas!
This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
A “Pastaless” Italian Side Dish
While I am a huge fan of all of the new grain-free and AIP-friendly pastas that are available these days, they can be a little carb-heavy. This risotto alternative is not only free of rice, but also free of cassava flour, which some people can be sensitive to.
You’ll love that this Paleo AIP Cauliflower Risotto recipe is lower in carbs than traditional risotto, but it still provides a little bit of carbohydrates from the arrowroot starch and grated plantain. To reduce the carbs even further, you can substitute 1 cup more grated cauliflower for the plantain. I would keep the arrowroot starch, though, so that the mixture thickens and holds together.
The popular ketogenic bread crumb alternative, Pork Panko, is totally optional for topping. Though I highly recommend it as a garnish for that added salty, golden crunch which complements the creaminess of the “risotto” underneath!
Looking for low-carb AIP ideas? Check out this post here!
Serving Ideas
- Serve your Paleo AIP Cauliflower Risotto topped with rosemary grilled shrimp.
- Enjoy it with a nice juicy, pasture-raised steak on the side.
- Try it as a side dish with lemony pan-seared scallops.
- Make it with mushrooms! Add a handful of chopped wild mushrooms and 2 Tbsp of organic white wine when you saute the shallots.
Need more AIP side dishes to serve with your main course? You’ll love these ideas from the blog archives.
Try this Paleo AIP Cauliflower Risotto instead of your usual side dish!
I think you’ll find that this quickly becomes one of your favorite easy side dishes to try alongside other main courses like AIP meatballs, roast duck, or blackened salmon!
Let me know what you think of this recipe! Leave me a comment below.
Paleo AIP Cauliflower Risotto (Dairy-Free, Grain-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon tallow
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large head cauliflower, grated or pulsed in the food processor
- 1 large plantain, grated (for low-carb, sub 1 cup more grated cauliflower)
- 1 13.5 oz BPA-free can coconut milk (for coconut-free, sub 1 ⅔ cup homemade tigernut milk – see recipe in NOTES*)
- ½ cup bone broth
- 1 ½ Tbsp arrowroot starch
- 1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
- Fresh herbs of your choice, minced
- ½ cup Pork Panko or crushed pork rinds (optional)
Instructions
- Add tallow to a large pot over medium heat. When hot, add the shallot. Cook for 5 minutes or until tender and light golden brown.
- Stir in the garlic, cauliflower, and plantain. Cook and stir for 1 minute.
- Stir in the coconut milk, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 6 minutes or until cauliflower is tender
- In a small bowl, whisk together the bone broth and arrowroot starch. Quickly and thoroughly stir this into the simmering pot.
- Stir in salt and herbs, and simmer until mixture is thickened and creamy, about 4 minutes.
- Serve topped with more fresh herbs and optional Pork Panko.
[…] It can be roasted, steamed, mashed, riced, or even used as a pizza crust or rice substitute (like in this Cauliflower Risotto). Cauliflower is low in carbohydrates but high in fiber, vitamins C and K, and several beneficial […]