Cauliflower Rice & Beans Salad

A quick and comforting meal prep idea of veggies on veggies on veggies!

Inspiration

This has been my meal prep go-to for years. Rice and beans have always been such a comforting food for me, and they’re so easy to make in a large batch. It’s evolved quite a bit since I first began making it, but this is it in its most recent form. 

How to make Cauliflower Rice & Beans Salad

This meal is 

Quick

Easy

Nutritious

& full of veggies!

Prep the veggies

Preparation for this meal includes mincing an onion and pepper. Use whatever color pepper you’d like. I typically opt for red pepper because they’re a tad sweeter than their other colored pepper counterparts, and they typically have a higher antioxidant and phytonutrient level. 

Cauliflower rice: If you can’t find riced cauliflower, or would prefer to rice your own head of cauliflower, now would be a good time to do so.  

Saute

Whip out two sautee pans. Add oil to one pan (preferably the larger of two), let it heat up over medium heat, then add the peppers and onions. Let these cook for about 15 minutes until soft. 

Heat the other pan over medium heat and add the riced cauliflower. Adding oil to this pan is optional, and may help with preventing any sticking. Cook for about 5 minutes until slightly softened. Next, add a can of diced tomatoes, and oregano. Continue cooking for about 15 more minutes, or the liquid has reduced. 

Season & add the beans

Once the onion and pepper mix has softened, sprinkle in taco seasoning. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes. In the meantime, open the can of beans, then drain and rinse them. Add them to the pan and mix. 

Combine the rice & beans

Once most of the liquid from the cauliflower rice has been reduced, add the rice to the pan with the beans and mix to combine. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.

Create the salad base

Chop up cabbage, kale, and cilantro and add to a bowl. Option to massage the salad for about a minute to help slightly soften them and make them easier for digestion. Squeeze lime juice onto the salad and toss. 

Combine all ingredients

Place the desired amount of greens into a serving bowl or plate, and then top with the desired amount of rice and beans. Serve and enjoy!

Serving

This salad can be served warm or cold! Top with avocado and a slice of fresh lime.

Storing and reheating

This is such a great meal for meal prepping. Store the rice and bean mixture and salad mixture in separate containers in the refrigerator for up to a week. Reheat just the rice and beans mixture when you’re ready to eat(or just eat it cold) and add to the salad.

Tips:

I recommend keeping the rice and beans mixture separate from the salad mixture until you’re ready to eat. If you’re eating this salad warm, the salad will naturally wilt, but this will help prevent the salad from getting too soggy. 

Avoid adding salt to the cauliflower mixture until the end. This will help retain a little bit of a crunch, instead of it just turning to mush. Water flows where salt goes. Science. 

For visual reference, check out this video!