Crispy Rice Bowl
Packed with warm crispy rice, soft creamy feta cheese, dark leafy greens, and a delicious tahini sauce. This crispy rice bowl is the perfect easy weeknight meal. All you need are a handful of ingredients, one pan, and less than 30 minutes for this dish to come together!
Why You’ll Love It
- Easy to make.
- Done in under 30 minutes.
- All you need is one pan.
- Perfect meatless meal.
- Packed with nourishing ingredients.
- Delicious flavors and contrasting textures.
- Gluten free.
- Balanced meal.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Olive oil. This will be used to season the veggies and also crisp up the rice. You can also use avocado oil.
- Broccoli. 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets.
- Zucchini. 1 zucchini, sliced then cut into fourths.
- Arugula. Handful of arugula. You can sub with any dark leafy greens.
- Organic rice. 1 cup of cooked rice. Brown or white rice works here.
- Sheep’s milk feta. Sheep’s milk feta adds creaminess to this crispy rice bowl. You can also use goat cheese.
- Tahini. The base of the tahini sauce. It gives a slighty nutty flavor.
- Lemon juice. Juice from 1/2 a lemon, about 1 tbsp.
- Seasonings. Salt is used to season the veggies. Garlic powder, onion powder, and salt are used for the tahini sauce.
How to Make the Crispy Rice Bowl
Step 1
Bake the veggies. Preheat oven to 425. Season broccoli and zucchini with olive oil and salt. Spread on baking sheet. Cook for about 15-20 minutes.
Step 2
Make the tahini sauce. Mix all of the ingredients until fully combined. I add seasonings to taste – start with a little bit of each and play around to get the perfect flavor for you. Slowly add cold (this matters) water until it reaches the desired consistency. About 1-2 tbsp.
Step 3
Make the crispy rice. In the last 5 minutes of baking start cooking the rice. Heat a skillet with tbsp of olive oil (or butter which adds amazing flavor) at a medium high heat. Once oil gets hot add in rice (it should sizzle). Cook rice for about 3-5 minutes.
Step 4
Add the veggies. Once the rice is nice and crispy, add in the roasted veggies and arugula.
Step 5
Mix in feta. Sprinkle the skillet with feta then mix it all together to get it creamy.
Step 6
Serve & enjoy! Remove from heat and serve crispy rice bowl. Drizzle with lemon tahini sauce and some more feta. Serve with chicken or tofu for added protein.
Expert Tips
- Cook the rice ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the fridge. When it’s time to make the bowl pull it out and toss it in a skillet with olive oil to crisp it up!
- When making the rice crispy make sure to heat oil in a pan at a high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the rice (it should sizzle when it lands in the skillet).
- Throw in whatever veggies you have on hand to this crispy rice bowl! This dish is super versatile. Brussels sprouts, asparagus, kale, etc would be delicious.
- Serve with protein of choice. I like having this with grilled chicken or a piece of grilled fish.
- As the dressing starts to come together, the tahini will seize up, and the sauce will thicken. Don’t worry about it! It’s totally normal. Keep whisking, and you’ll have a smooth, creamy tahini salad dressing in no time. For best results use a really smooth, runny tahini. I only use Soom Foods.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I serve this crispy rice bowl with?
This is a perfectly balanced plant-based meal but if you want added protein you can serve with grilled chicken or fish. You can also add chickpeas or tofu.
I don’t like broccoli, what else can I use?
You can play around with what veggies you use! If you don’t have something on hand or don’t like something, change it up! You can use brussels sprouts, asparagus, kale, etc.
How do I store it?
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
You May Also Like
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- Chicken Sweet Potato Bowl
- Ground Turkey Veggie Skillet
- Coconut Chickpea Curry
- Root Vegetable Salad
Crispy Rice Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 head broccoli
- 1 zucchini
- 1 handful arugula
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 3-4 oz sheep's milk feta
Lemon Tahini Sauce
- ¼ cup tahini
- ½ lemon, juice
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- salt, to taste
- water, to thin sauce
Instructions
- Bake the veggies. Preheat oven to 425. Season broccoli and zucchini with olive oil and salt. Spread on baking sheet. Cook for about 15-20 minutes.
- Make the tahini sauce. Mix all of the ingredients until fully combined. I add seasonings to taste – start with a little bit of each and play around to get the perfect flavor for you. Slowly add cold (this matters) water until it reaches the desired consistency. About 1-2 tbsp.
- Make the crispy rice. In the last 5 minutes of baking start cooking the rice. Heat a skillet with tbsp of olive oil (or butter which adds amazing flavor) at a medium high heat. Once oil gets hot add in rice (it should sizzle). Cook rice for about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the veggies. Once the rice is nice and crispy, add in the roasted veggies and arugula.
- Mix in feta. Sprinkle the skillet with feta then mix it all together to get it creamy.
- Serve & enjoy! Remove from heat and serve into a bowl. Drizzle with lemon tahini sauce and some more feta. Serve with chicken or tofu for added protein.
Notes
- Cook the rice ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the fridge. When it’s time to make the bowl pull it out and toss it in a skillet with olive oil to crisp it up!
- When making the rice crispy make sure to heat oil in a pan at a high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the rice (it should sizzle when it lands in the skillet).
- Throw in whatever veggies you have on hand! This dish is super versatile. Brussels sprouts, asparagus, kale, etc would be delicious.
- Serve with protein of choice. I like having this with grilled chicken or a piece of grilled fish.
- As the dressing starts to come together, the tahini will seize up, and the sauce will thicken. Don’t worry about it! It’s totally normal. Keep whisking, and you’ll have a smooth, creamy tahini salad dressing in no time.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
How many servings does this recipe make?
1-2 servings! If eating as a meal closer to 1 but if using as a side dish you could get 2 servings out of it!
Ingredients say zucchini but your steps say asparagus. Which do you use?
Sorry about the confusion. I use zucchini but it would also be good if you wanted to add in asparagus!