II don’t know about you, but I get pretty tired of cauliflower rice. Everybody and their mom in the paleo/gluten-free world knows about this stuff and has their own version of it. Yes, it’s a pretty good substitute for rice if you’re not eating grains. Yes, you can make it taste really damn delicious. But sometimes, just sometimes. You want a little something to mix it up here and there.
So why not parsnips? Hello, weird vegetable that’s actually super delicious even though most people have no idea what to do with them. “Most people” also included me until about 2 years ago. I didn’t know what those weird white/pale and wrinkly oversized carrot looking things were or how they would taste, let alone how to cook them until I first tried them in a hash from Diane Sanfilippo’s 21-Day Sugar Detox book
So…what do you even do with parsnips?? Usually, I’ll go the roasting route and make them into fries, the same way you would sweet potatoes, like these Paprika Parsnip Fries with Sriracha Dipping Sauce. Or you can roast them off with a bunch of other vegetables, some herbs, and garlic salt. That’s my go-to. You can make them into a mash like potatoes and throw them on top of Shepherd’s pie, I threw some in to roast with my Mediterranean Chicken Bake and Buffalo-Bacon Roasted Cauliflower (and of course slathered them in hot sauce and paleo ranch dressing). My mom loves is completely and utterly obsessed with making them into a hash like this one. The possibilities are endless. But I’d never thought to turn them into a cauliflower rice imitator/substitute until now.
Hello, delicious.
Slightly crunchy but still delicious and semi-starchy, this parsnip rice has a really smooth mouthfeel with a pop of flavor from the green herb sauce and a satisfying crunch from the addition of almonds.
Is your mouth watering yet? Yeah? Mission accomplished.
- 4-5 medium-large parsnips, peeled and chopped
- 2 Tbsp ghee (substitute: coconut oil)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ cup almonds
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp + 1 pinch sea salt
- optional: fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- First, make the parsnip rice. Shred the parsnips by putting them through the shredding attachment on the food processor, then using the S-blade to pulse them into rice-like pieces. Heat up a large skillet over medium heat with 2 Tbsp cooking fat. When it’s melted, add the riced parsnips and season them with garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of sea salt. Sauté until softened but not mushy, about 5-8 minutes. Then remove from the heat to cool slightly.
- While the rice is cooking/cooling, combine the almonds, cilantro, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in the food processor.
- Once the rice is semi-cooled (about room temperature), fold the green sauce into the rice so it’s evenly distributed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Inspired by Apples to Zoodles and Eleonora Gafton’s Whole Foods Cooking Lab
Brilliant idea. For those of us who can’t eat cauliflower, what a great alternative and let’s face it, parsnips taste better too.
Thanks, Stephanie! I’ve been on a parsnip kick lately. I’m so glad you found an alternative for cauliflower rice! Now, whenever you see one of those recipes, you can just substitute parsnips 🙂 Aren’t they great?
Do you think this would work if I roasted the rice instead of cooked it stovetop? I like being able to throw it in the oven for 20 minutes and do other things. Plus, when I make cauliflower rice on the stovetop, it always gets steamed and mushy, and you don’t get the nutty flavor of roasting. I’m looking for something I can’t mess up!
Hey Jess,
Definitely! I do that with my cauliflower rice all the time. The parsnips may take a little bit longer than cauli rice, but I think roasting them will give the dish an awesome flavor boost!
Dana