Veggie Rice
Whether you are looking for the perfect side dish to serve with dinner, or you need something delicious and easy to bring to a potluck, this veggie rice recipe is for you! It is simple, but filled with flavor. And the best part is that this tasty rice recipe is so easy to make.
What kind of rice to use for this recipe
We use 4 Sisters long grain white rice for our veggie rice recipe. They grow their rice locally in Louisiana!
There are plenty of types of rice you can use for this recipe, though. Here are some types of rice grains that would work well:
- Long grain white rice is the most common rice you will find. It is simple to cook and easy to fluff up! Basmati rice and Jasmine rice are two types of fragrant white rice that are also commonly found in rice recipes.
- Brown rice is a whole grain version of white rice. Essentially, brown rice is just white rice but with the gran and germ layers left on. It has a chewier texture than white rice and also has a bit of a nutty, earthy flavor.
- Black rice, also known as forbidden rice, cooks similarly to both brown and white rice but carries a richer color. It is packed with antioxidants and is a tad bit healthier than other rices because of that.
- Wild rice, which actually isn’t a rice at all, is a great grain-free alternative to rice. It both looks and cooks exactly like rice, but is an aquatic grass. It is absolutely delicious, and comes in 3 distinct colors!
Because of the level of starch, we recommend against using arborio rice for this recipe. It takes time and attention to slowly release the starch when cooking arborio rice, so you may not get the texture you are looking for!
Why you should cook rice in broth
We love to cook all of our grains (and even our pasta) in broth! This helps to add an extra layer of flavor that you just can’t get from cooking rice in water. When cooking any sort of grain or legume, they are absorbing the liquid they are cooking in. That includes absorbing the flavor!
Rice cooked in broth is also a bit healthier than rice cooked in water. That is because bone broth is packed with nutrients like protein and collagen, and even has small amounts of calcium and iron.
How to make veggie rice
- Heat oil in a deep sauté pan.
- First, add oregano, paprika, salt and pepper to the pan. Next, add in the chopped garlic cloves, red onion, chopped red bell pepper, diced carrots and frozen peas. Toss in the bay leaf and cook all the ingredients together for about 5-6 minutes.
- Once the vegetables are soft, add the washed rice to the pan. Pour in the broth and bring the liquid up to a boil.
- Cover and cook the rice for 15-20 minutes over low heat.
- Fluff the rice with a fork, remove the bay leaf and serve! Garnish with fresh dill, optional.
How to store veggie rice
This simple recipe is a great meal planning staple. You can make this recipe when meal prepping or as a side with dinner. Either way, its easy to store!
Store extra or leftover veggie rice in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. You can also store leftovers in the freezer for up to 3 months!
What to serve with Veggie Rice
Our easy rice recipe is the PERFECT side for many dishes we have here at Food Dolls. Some nights you might just want to munch on the veggie rice by itself, or perhaps you’re bringing this dish to a potluck!
But, if you are looking for something to round out your dinner tonight, here are some great dishes to accompany our veggie rice:
- The seasoning in our veggie rice makes it the best compliment to our slow cooker chili. This is a hearty dish that is comforting and warms you from the inside-out! It is also packed with nutrients and would be perfect with a side of rice.
- Our madras chicken curry is also a great pairing for our veggie rice. Both dishes have frozen peas, so make sure you have enough on hand if you are cooking these together (or simply exclude the peas from the veggie rice!). This dish is saucy and delicious, and our veggie rice will soak all the flavors up beautifully!
- Marry me chicken is another one of our saucy dishes that goes so well with a side of rice. It is creamy, flavorful, and comes together in just one pan. That means that by the end of dinner, you will only have to clean two pans when you make this chicken dish with our yummy veggie rice!
- Lastly, our slow cooker beef pot roast is one of our absolute favorite dishes that provides the perfect balance to our veggie rice! It is easy to make – you simply set it up in your crockpot or instant pot, and a few hours later you have a delicious meal ahead of you.
Veggie Rice
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp paprika powder
- 1 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 garlic minced cloves
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1 red bell pepper (chopped)
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups long grain rice (rinsed)
- 4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup fresh dill for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a deep sauté pan.
- Add oregano, paprika, salt and pepper to the pan. Next, add in the chopped garlic cloves, red onion, chopped red bell pepper, diced carrots and frozen peas. Toss in the bay leaf and cook all the ingredients together for about 5-6 minutes.
- Once the vegetables are soft, add the washed rice to the pan. Pour in the broth and bring the liquid up to a boil.
- Cover and cook the rice for 15-20 minutes over low heat.
- Fluff the rice with a fork, remove the bay leaf and serve! Garnish with fresh chopped dill, optional.