Meal prepping with cauliflower

Meal prepping is really a lifesaver: you work at your leisure on the weekend or at a free moment, and the rest of the week you can quickly prepare healthy, fast dishes. This time we're tackling cauliflower. A vegetable that almost everyone likes. With three nice large cauliflowers, you can make three different preparations at once. You divide and pack everything immediately, so you have some in the fridge and can put the rest in the freezer. This way, you always have a ready-made base for multiple meals.

Must-Have Tools

3 large cauliflowers fresh, firm and without brown spots
Sharp chef's knife
Cutting board
Airtight storage containers
Food processor (for the rice)

Step-by-step cauliflower prep

1. Preparation

Remove the green leaves from all the cauliflowers and cut the bottom of the stalk straight off. Rinse briefly under cold water if necessary and pat dry.

2. Cauliflower Steaks

Choose the 2 largest cauliflowers (or the middle pieces of 3 smaller ones).
Cut them in half and then slice 2 steaks, on each side about 2-3 cm thick, cutting through the heart so the steaks remain intact.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge (up to 3 days) or freeze (up to 3 months).
Keep the outer pieces that don't fit into the steaks separate for other preparations.

3. Florets

Take the second cauliflower (or the leftover pieces from the first) and divide into florets of about 2 cm.
Try to keep the sizes as uniform as possible, so they cook evenly later.
Store the florets in an airtight container in the fridge (up to 3 days) or freeze them (up to 3 months).

4. Cauliflower Rice

Use the third cauliflower or all leftover pieces from the first two. Try to have equal amounts for each cauliflower recipe.

Cut into rough pieces and pulse in the food processor until the size of rice grains. Do not over-process, or it will become mushy.
You can steam the rice immediately or cook it in the pan first.

Steaming: steam briefly until just tender, then let cool.

Sautéing (favorite): heat a splash of olive oil in a pan, add the cauliflower rice and season with pepper and salt. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until just cooked.
After sautéing or steaming, let cool for about 5 minutes without a lid.
Then cover and store in the fridge or freezer.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Fridge Steaks, florets, and rice: store airtight and well-chilled for up to 3 days.

Freezer Good for up to 3 months. Label with date and contents.

Choose which dish you want to eat first.
Keep 1 cauliflower prep in the fridge, and freeze the other 2 for the coming weeks.

Reheating / Further Processing

Follow the preparation as in the recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I ensure cauliflower steaks remain intact when cutting?
Cut through the heart and use a sharp chef's knife. Work slowly and keep the slices at least 3 cm thick.

2. Can I blanch cauliflower before freezing?
Yes, briefly blanching (2-3 min) and then ice water gives slightly better color and texture retention, but freezing raw is also fine.

3. How do I prevent cauliflower from smelling musty in the fridge?
Make sure it is well-dried before packaging and store in airtight containers.

4. Can I season cauliflower rice before freezing?
Better not to keep it neutral so you can choose all flavors later.

5. How do I defrost it the fastest?
For florets and rice: directly in the hot pan or oven. For steaks: overnight in the fridge or 30 min at room temperature.