Simple, comforting, and so easy to make! Our RICE WITH VEGETABLES recipe is one of those side dishes that I make at least once a week.
My husband worked out of state for a couple of years awhile back and that meant that he was living in an apartment through the week and home on the weekends.
It was not our favorite for many obvious reasons, but one of those reasons had to do with dinner time.
The man does not love to cook and he definitely doesn’t love to grocery shop. He ate Oreo cookies for dinner regularly. <— And by regularly, I mean multiple nights a week.
He’d balance it out with bags of steamable frozen rice with mixed vegetables. Of course, he always adds nearly an entire stick of butter to those steamer bags to add some flavor, but still…it was better than cookies. I think.
Anyway, we all love rice with vegetables and the steam bags are FINE in a pinch, but my homemade version is obviously so much better and not much more effort.
Perfectly cooked rice, mixed veggies, a little chicken stock to cook it all in, and a bit of butter. This is just a comforting, classic side dish that whole family loves.
For spices I use garlic, oregano and rosemary for a Mediterranean meal or garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil for an asian flair. I use whatever vegetables I have on hand. Firm vegetables like carrots and celery get cooked with the rice. Peas or other tender vegetables get added at the end.
Rice With Vegetables Ingredients:
Olive Oil
Rice – We used long grain white rice in this recipe.
Mixed Vegetables – The frozen kind with green beans, carrots, and corn.
Garlic
Chicken Stock
Seasoning – Just good old salt and pepper!
Butter
Parsley – We like freshly minced parsley to brighten up the flavors, but dried parsley is totally fine.
How To Make Rice With Vegetables:
Rice: You’ll want to start this rice and vegetable recipe off by heating some olive oil in a skillet. Add the uncooked rice to the skillet and stir frequently, letting it heat up until it’s lightly golden around the edges. That’ll add some extra flavor to the rice, but be careful not to burn it.
Vegetables: When the rice has turned golden you can add in the frozen vegetables. You could definitely use fresh cut veggies if you want to do the extra work, but this is supposed to be an easy recipe so we’re just going to throw in a bag of frozen mixed vegetables!
Go ahead and add the garlic in with the frozen vegetables, stir and cook for a couple of minutes before moving on to the next step.
Simmer: Now we need something for all that rice to cook in and soak up, and chicken stock is perfect for that! Pour in the chicken stock and add the salt and pepper, give it a stir and then cover and allow it to simmer.
After it has simmered long enough you can remove it from the heat and let it sit, still covered, for about ten minutes.
When you remove the cover all the liquid should have been absorbed into the rice and veggies. Add the butter and parsley and give it another stir to fluff it up, and finally you can serve!
- Use any combination of vegetables you prefer!
- No frozen veggies? Stir in canned vegetables at the end, cover the dish, and let sit for a few minutes to heat the veggies.
- Keep this vegetarian with vegetable broth instead of chicken stock.
- Sprinkle with your favorite cheese for a cheesy rice situation.
Turn leftovers into a quick lunch by stirring in cooked chicken (leftover rotisserie chicken is perfect!) into the rice and then microwaving until hot. Sprinkle on some cheese if you like.
SEASONED RICE | Easy Side Dish
FAQ
What vegetables go well with rice?
How do you spice up rice with roasted vegetables?
Savoury rice with roasted vegetables takes a rice side dish to a new level with a delicious blend of spices and eye-popping roasted vegetables. Two sides in one. To spice up the rice, I used a blend of smoked paprika, garlic and onion powder, thyme (or fennel) and curry powder.
What should I use to mix in boiled rice?
Adding veggies like carrots is a good way to vary it up. In addition to making the dish more beautiful and colorful, you enjoy the benefits of vegetables.
How do you spice up a bowl of rice?
Fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro and impart more flavor than dry herbs and can lend a vibrant kick to a plain bowl of rice. Veggies can add spice (i.e. jalapenos) or crunch (i.e. shredded carrots) that livens up any bland food. Adding a squeeze of lemon, lime or a dash of vinegar to a dish balances out the flavors.
How do you make a savoury rice & roasted vegetables side dish?
Savoury Rice and Roasted Veggies takes a rice side dish to a new level with a delicious blend of spices and eye-popping roasted vegetables. In fact, two sides in one. 2 cups asparagus or snap peas roughly chopped (Optional) If very thin, add half way through roasting. Preheat oven to 425F/218C.