Creamy dairy free vegetable risotto is made with cauliflower rice so it’s paleo friendly and keto approved, and so rich and satisfying. I topped it off with quick cast iron shrimp cooked in a smoky herb butter sauce. It’s the ultimate date night (or any night) meal, done in minutes!
I’m not going to lie to you… cauliflower rice doesn’t always scream my name as the most appetizing. But I sure love its ability to transform given a little creamy sauce, some flavor, some texture. I love it for paleo and keto recipes.
Frozen cauliflower rice gets a big transformation in this recipe. It is so good I could honestly eat it every day!
I’m dubbing this the ultimate paleo, keto date night recipe (especially for you seafood lovers). It’s restaurant quality in terms of flavor, but is so easy. You won’t be spending the whole night in the kitchen cooking & cleaning up a mess!
My Favorite Shrimp & Where to Buy It!
Let’s talk shrimp real quick. My hands down favorite, which you’ll know about if you’ve been here awhile, is the Red Argentinian Shrimp from Trader Joe’s. It’s in the frozen section, it’s wild caught, and the shrimp are big and tender and taste like lobster & shrimp had a juicy baby. They are SO good.
I always thaw the shrimp first really quick in the sink or in a large bowl filled with room temp water. They defrost really fast – around 30 minutes or less- and are ready to cook in any shrimp recipe. Trust me and hunt them down if you haven’t yet… they are amazing!
I can’t wait to see you guys make this! Comment below & leave a review if you do. And be sure to tag me on Instagram @justjessieb!
More recipes like this to try, that would be great for Valentine’s Day or any special dinner:
- Creamy Ranch Cauliflower Risotto
- Butternut Squash Risotto
- Skillet Salmon with Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
Smoky Herb Butter Shrimp with Vegetable Risotto
Ingredients
For the Risotto
- 1 cup green beans trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 Tbsp butter or ghee
- 12 oz cauliflower rice fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup milk see notes
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast see notes
- salt & pepper to taste
For the Shrimp
- 1 lb large wild caught shrimp
- 2 Tbsp butter or ghee
- 1/2 tsp dried Italian herb blend
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Risotto
- Melt the butter or ghee in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the green beans and mushrooms and sautรฉ until green beans are just tender crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the veggies from the pan and set aside in a bowl.
- To the same warm pan over medium heat, add the cauliflower rice and sautรฉ for about 5 minutes to soften (I cook mine directly from frozen, but fresh works too). Stir in the milk and nutritional yeast, and reduce the heat to medium low. Continue to cook until the milk is absorbed and cauliflower is fluffy and creamy.
- Stir in the cooked mushrooms and green beans, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add an extra drizzle of milk if you want extra creaminess.
For the Shrimp
- Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and season on both sides with Italian herbs, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt & pepper.
- Heat the butter or ghee in a large skillet over medium high. I like using a cast iron, but any skillet will work. Add the shrimp to the skillet spaced apart and not overcrowding the pan (so they get some color and don't just steam). Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until just opaque.
- Serve hot over top of the vegetable risotto, with remaining browned butter from the pan spooned over top. Enjoy!
Notes
- Thin French green beans work well in this recipe as they cook quickly.ย I use fresh but frozen could work if needed, just drain any extra liquid.
- Any milk will work in this recipe, but the thicker/creamier the better.ย I like full fat coconut milk (we buy ours online in a carton here) or Original flavor Nutpods.ย Heavy cream would be great if you do dairy.
- Nutritional yeast thickens the texture a bit so the risotto isn’t runny, and adds great flavor.ย We buy ours at Trader Joe’s or online here.ย Substitute parmesan cheese if you do dairy, it will act the same and taste delicious!
- Our favorite shrimp is the Wild Caught Red Argentinian shrimp from Trader Joe’s.ย We buy in the frozen section and thaw just before using.ย Any jumbo shrimp you love will work!ย Scallops would be great too.
- For strict dairy free, substitute avocado oil for the butter or ghee.
14 Comments
Lisa
February 10, 2020 at 7:43 pmHi! This sounds amazing! If I understand Whole 30 correctly, if I just substitute the milk for coconut milk this will be whole 30 correct? Thanks!
Jessie B
February 11, 2020 at 5:17 pmHi!! Yes, so in the recipe notes I noted which milks would work for dairy free – I used “original” Nutpods, but coconut milk would be great too!
Ruby
February 12, 2020 at 1:10 amMade this recipe this evening. Absolutely delish! I will definitely be making it again.
Jessie B
February 13, 2020 at 12:53 amI am SO happy you enjoyed it, Ruby! Thank you so much for coming to let us know! xo
Jennifer
April 23, 2020 at 12:26 amSo delicious! Quick and easy to make and bursting with flavour.
jess
February 19, 2020 at 8:38 pmhey looks great! I was wondering-what can I sub if I don’t like mushrooms?
Jessie B
February 24, 2020 at 5:06 amHi Jess! Thanks so much! You could just leave the mushrooms out, or try another veggie you like – diced onion or butternut squash would be good!
Jennifer
April 23, 2020 at 5:50 pmSo delicious! Quick and easy and bursting with flavour
Jessie B
April 23, 2020 at 6:52 pmHappy to hear you liked it Jennifer! xo
Samantha
May 19, 2020 at 12:37 amThis is one of mine and my husbands favorite meals. We make it weekly!
Kristin
August 25, 2020 at 3:01 amThis was SO good and SO easy. Will definitely be making it again soon. Thank you!
Kara
September 15, 2020 at 12:20 amThis was quick and delicious. Will definitely be making it again!
Lindsey
March 9, 2021 at 1:12 amHoly smokes was this delicious! Iโve never been successful at making anything with cauliflower rice – so I was so skeptical but this was absolutely delicious! My husbands only complaint was that there wasnโt enough ๐คฃ! I will double it next time for him!
Amanda
July 2, 2021 at 4:35 amYummy and easy! I only had almond milk on hand and it was good but I think wouldโve been even better with a heavier milk like coconut as you suggested.