Keto Spinach and Pine Nut Couscous
⏲ ~18 min total · prep 13 · cook 5 · 4 servings
Dinner⏱ 20 min total🔥 4.8g net carbs⚡ ≈469 kcal/serving~26% of calories from carbs
By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor
Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 lb), cut into florets
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 oz baby spinach
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Pulse the cauliflower florets in a food processor in two batches, 8-10 pulses each, until pieces resemble coarse couscous grains — not a paste. Drain any accumulated water through a clean towel.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, 3-4 minutes until golden and fragrant. Transfer immediately to a small bowl so they don't burn in the pan.
- Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the same skillet over medium heat. Add the cauliflower couscous in an even layer and let it sit undisturbed 2 minutes so the underside toasts, then stir and cook 4 more minutes until tender with lightly browned bits.
- Push the cauliflower to one side, add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the cleared side, and cook the garlic 30 seconds until just fragrant — do not let it brown.
- Fold everything together, add the spinach in handfuls, and toss 1-2 minutes until just wilted but still bright green.
- Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and toasted pine nuts. Taste and adjust salt; serve warm.
Why this recipe works
- Cauliflower cut to size Eight to ten pulses per batch gives couscous-grain pieces rather than paste, and the towel drain afterward removes the water that would steam them soggy. Texture lives and dies at the food processor.
- Toast the grains once An undisturbed 2 minutes in olive oil browns the underside of the cauliflower before any stirring, so the grains toast instead of stew. That's the difference between nutty and mushy.
- Pine nuts pulled early Three to four minutes over medium-low with constant stirring, then straight out of the pan. Pine nuts slide from golden to burnt in the residual heat if they stay put.
Tips for making this recipe well
Pulse, never run
Hold the food processor to short pulses and check between batches. A blended cauliflower paste can't be fixed, while an under-pulsed batch takes three more pulses.
Wring the towel
Drain the riced cauliflower through a clean towel and squeeze firmly. Water left in the grains turns your pan toast into a steam.
Garlic in the clear side
Push the cauliflower aside and cook the garlic in the empty half for 30 seconds, until fragrant but still pale. Browned garlic carries bitterness through the whole pan.
Spinach barely wilted
One to two minutes of tossing is enough for the 5 ounces to collapse while staying bright green. Overcooked spinach weeps water into the finished couscous.
Finish off the heat
Parmesan, lemon juice, salt, and pine nuts all go in after the burner clicks off. Direct heat curdles the cheese and dulls the lemon.
Serving suggestions
This is the side dish we make when dinner needs one more thing and the head of cauliflower is already in the fridge. Twenty minutes and one skillet later it lands somewhere between a pilaf and a warm salad, with the pine nuts giving it enough presence to sit beside roasted chicken or baked fish. Each serving runs 4.8 net carbs, so it doubles as a light vegetarian main with a fried egg on top. Serve it warm rather than hot, when the lemon reads brighter and the pine nuts stay crunchy longer.
Storage and meal prep
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for 3 to 4 days. The cauliflower stays pleasantly chewy, the spinach dulls a shade, and the pine nuts soften but keep their flavor. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes rather than the microwave, which makes the grains weep. It doesn't freeze well, since thawed cauliflower couscous releases water and turns mushy no matter how carefully it was cooked.
Variations worth trying
- Lemon zest too Add the zest of the lemon with its juice at the end. The oils in the peel double the citrus without extra liquid.
- Walnuts instead Swap the pine nuts for an equal amount of toasted walnuts, broken small. The flavor runs earthier and the cost drops.
- Add feta Crumble 2 ounces of feta over the finished couscous off the heat. The saltiness clicks with the lemon and the toasted nuts.
- Herb finish Tear in a handful of basil or parsley with the Parmesan. The fresh greens lift the toasty flavors without adding carbs worth counting.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy riced cauliflower?
Yes, roughly 5 to 6 cups from a 2-pound head. Pulse it briefly if the pieces run large, and still drain it, since bagged riced cauliflower carries water too.
Why did my couscous turn mushy?
Usually the cauliflower was pulsed into paste or cooked wet. Coarse grains, the towel drain, and the undisturbed 2-minute toast are what prevent it.
Do I have to toast the pine nuts?
The recipe toasts them because raw pine nuts taste waxy by comparison. If yours are already toasted, add them at the end as written and skip the skillet step.
How do I keep the garlic from burning?
Cook it alone in the cleared half of the pan for 30 seconds, stirring, and pull it while it's fragrant but still pale. Garlic browned in the cauliflower's oil spreads bitterness through the dish.
Is 4.8 net carbs per serving?
Yes, based on the whole head of cauliflower, the pine nuts, and the Parmesan divided across four servings. Additions like feta or extra pine nuts move the number.
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