Move Veggies to the Center of MyPlate – Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Cauliflower is the new kale, or at least that’s what the 2013 Nutrition Trends predict. I would have to say that cauliflower is a pretty common vegetable in the supermarket. It’s frequently on sale, has great flavor and many douse it in cheese sauce. But what the trend shows is that many people are using cauliflower in new and amazing ways.

It’s easy to get into a rut of dipping cauliflower in ranch or as my mom would make it – breaded and deep-fried. And then served with cheese sauce. I will say, that was one of my favorite vegetables to eat as a child – thanks mom!

Here is a great and unusual way to prepare cauliflower. The herbs make the recipe, don’t leave them out. And to rice the cauliflower, use a food processor – multipurpose attachment to chop it up as fine as grains of rice – about 30 to 60 seconds. Literally, the food processor I received for Christmas is my new favorite kitchen tool because of this very recipe (and so many more to come!).  Try this recipe – it’s fun to make and you will be amazed at the results, my family was!

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Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Serves 4 (two slices each)

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
1 egg
1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon dried fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried oregano (the pizza herb)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a baking stone or cooking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Combine cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Press evenly into a circle in pan. Sprinkle with fennel and oregano. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven.

Top with cheese and your favorite toppings. Place under broiler under high heat until cheese is melted.

Adapted from Jamie Van Eaton at www.yourlighterside.com and Food & Nutrition Magazine

Crust nutrition facts for 2 slices (without toppings):

Calories: 103 calories
Fat: 6 grams
Saturated Fat:
Carbohydrate: 3 grams
Protein: 9.5 grams
Fiber: 1 gram

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5 Comments

  1. Kaitlin on March 11, 2013 at 8:31 am

    I tried this…it was my PB column last week! but I didn’t have a lot of luck b/c I never squeezed out the excess water. Do you? Doesn’t say in your recipe–but, according to my research, it’s the trick to making crispy crust. Otherwise it just turned out soggy!

    • Jen Haugen on March 11, 2013 at 8:38 pm

      Kaitlin, This crust isn’t ultra-crispy, but I wouldn’t label it as soggy either. I cooked about two cups of cauliflower first by steaming it in 1 tablespoon of water in the microwave. Then drained it and put it in the food processor. I guess I hadn’t thought about or read about squeezing out the excess water so it never came to mind! I will have to try that to see if there is any difference. But we liked how this one turned out too.

  2. Sara Lee on December 9, 2014 at 9:11 am

    Jen, I can’t wait to try this! If you come across any other low-carb pizza crusts, I’d love to try them. Love your recipes and posts!

  3. […] Cauliflower Pizza Crust by Jen Haugen, RD […]

  4. Nourishing Winter Foods + Kale & Apple Salad on December 21, 2015 at 9:57 pm

    […] but chopped up very small, it can be added to stir-fry like rice and you can even use it in pizza crust for a lower carbohydrate […]

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