These super versatile veggie rice bowls are a family favorite, because everyone can make their bowl their own. And they're so easy to make!
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I've had a few people recently asking me for easy weeknight dinner recommendations, so I wanted to share this super easy veggie rice bowl that I make at least once a week.
These bowls are as versatile as it gets! Use your bottled sauce of choice, or make one of my blender sauces or chili crisp to add on top. My family loves a meal that they can sauce themselves, so everyone gets the flavors they want.
You can also use different fresh and/or frozen veggies. If you don't feel like slicing anything today, skip the fresh veggies all together and use all frozen instead.
Mix, match, and customize these veggie rice bowls to make them your own!
💖 Why You'll Love this Recipe
- easy to make with simple ingredients
- packed with veggies and protein
- verstaile! Use fresh and/or frozen veggies of choice and sauces of choice
- naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free, as long as your sauces are
✓ Ingredients and Substitutions
- radishes - Roasted radishes are incredible on these bowls! If you don't want to use radishes, though, you can make other roasted vegetables, like zucchini, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, summer squash, broccoli, cauliflower, or sweet potatoes. Choose what's in season! You may need to adjust the cooking time, depending on the veggie, so just keep an eye on them.
- oil - To help the radishes roast in the oven.
- white rice - This is the base for your bowl. You can use quinoa instead, if you prefer. This recipe will not work with brown rice, because the frozen veggies and veggie grounds will overcook in the time it takes to cook the brown rice.
- frozen veggies - I am using a mix of frozen corn and frozen spinach, because my family loves those! You can use other frozen veggies of choice, if you prefer, like cauliflower, kale, peas, mixed veggies, etc.
- veggie grounds - Choose the kind of veggie crumbles that don't need to be sautéed, like the Morningstar Farm frozen veggie crumbles. Vegan ground beef, like Beyond or Impossible, won't cook properly using this method.
- sauce - The beauty of this dish is that the sauce is entirely up to you! It's delicious with BBQ sauce, sweet chili sauce, peanut sauce, turmeric tahini sauce, chili onion crunch, teriyaki sauce, etc.
- toppings - Finish off your veggie rice bowls with some fresh herbs, if you have some on hand, like basil, cilantro, green onions, or mint. You can also add a drizzle of non-dairy yogurt or tahini for some creaminess, if you like. I also like topping these with pickled veggies, like my pickled radishes, pickled cabbage slaw, pickled shallots, pickled carrots, pickled garlic, or pickled onions and jalapeños.
🔪 How to Make Veggie Rice Bowls
Preheat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
Slice the radishes, if you haven't already, and transfer them to the lined baking sheet. Toss with the oil and salt, then spread them into a single layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked to preference.
Meanwhile, in your Instant Pot, combine the rinsed and drained rice and the water. Mix well.
Add the frozen veggies and veggie grounds on top, but don't mix in. Lock the lid, and cook at pressure for 6 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. Fluff with a fork.
See recipe card below for stovetop veggie rice directions.
Add a nice helping of the cooked rice mixture to each bowl, and top with some of the roasted radishes. Finish with your sauce of choice and any garnishes you want to use. Serve immediately.
💡 Helpful Tips
- Choose the kind of veggie crumbles that don't need to be sautéed, like the Morningstar Farm or Gardein frozen veggie crumbles. Vegan ground beef, like Beyond or Impossible, won't cook properly using this method.
- Get the veggies roasting in the oven first, then cook the rice, frozen veggies, and veggie grounds in the Instant Pot or on the stove.
- Make your sauce of choice while everything else cooks.
- Do not stir the veggie grounds and frozen veggies into the rice! Let them sit on top, so the bottom of the pan doesn't burn.
🫙 Storage Directions
Leftover veggie rice bowls will keep for three to five days in a closed container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan on the stove.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
My favorite way to do a veggie rice bowl is to use a combination of roasted veggies (like radishes, broccoli, zucchini, etc), cooked frozen veggies (like corn and spinach), and fresh or pickled veggies (like onions, carrots, cabbage, etc). It gives you such a great combination of flavors and textures that way!
For this recipe, we are adding veggies and veggie crumbles to the rice while it cooks. We are also adding sauce, fresh herbs, pickled veggies, and some chili crisp to boost the flavor even more.
You can also sauté aromatics, like hot green chillies, red onion, garlic, and peppers in the pan before adding the water and rice to boost the flavor even more.
You technically don't, but washing off the excess starch yields a better finished texture.
📖 Recipe
Veggie Rice Bowls with Any Sauce You Want!
Ingredients
For the Roasted Radishes
- 8 ounces radishes trimmed and sliced into ¼" thick slices
- 1 teaspoon oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Veggie Rice
- 1 cup white rice washed and drained
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 cup frozen spinach
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 cups frozen veggie grounds such as Morningstar Farms grounds
For Serving
- sauce of choice bottled or homemade
- fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley, basil, or mint, depending on the sauce you choose, optional
- non-dairy yogurt or vegan sour cream or tahini, for a creamy element, optional
- chili crisp optional
- pickled veggies of choice optional
Instructions
Roast the radishes.
- Preheat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Slice the radishes, if you haven't already, and transfer them to the lined baking sheet. Toss with the oil and salt, then spread them into a single layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked to preference.
Meanwhile, make the veggie rice.
- Instant Pot Directions: In your Instant Pot, combine the rinsed and drained rice and the water. Mix well. Add the frozen veggies and veggie grounds on top, but don't mix in. Lock the lid, and cook at pressure for 6 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. Fluff with a fork.
- Stovetop Directions: In a saucepan, combine the rinsed and drained rice and the water. Mix well. Add the frozen veggies and veggie grounds on top, but don't mix in. Cover the pan with the lid, and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and let the rice steam in the pan for another 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Assemble the veggie rice bowls.
- Add a nice helping of the veggie rice to each bowl, and top with some of the roasted radishes. Finish with your sauce of choice and any garnishes you want to use. Serve immediately.
Got a question? Tried this recipe? Leave a reply!