Jump to Recipe

This Vegetable Rice recipe is one of our family’s favorite sides to serve with grilled chicken or fish, especially during the warm summer months. Our rice with vegetables dish is made with basmati rice, fresh corn on the cob, zucchini, yellow squash, onion and red pepper.Vegetable Rice in a bowl with a serving spoon.

We love everything about this mix of colorful vegetables and rice dish. It’s fresh and delicious and so easy to make. 

Why You Will Love This Recipe

  • Great Side Dish. This is such a great side dish to serve with just about anything. Serve it as a side with grilled chicken or fish. It is a perfect side to make for cookouts and backyard barbecues during the summer months! There’s nothing fancy about it, and that’s exactly why we love it! We also love how it basically combines two side dishes together, so all you need is some protein to serve it with.
  •  Quick and Easy. This vegetable rice comes together in about 30 minutes. 
  • Flavor. It has a really great combination of flavors. It’s seriously SO good!
  • Fresh Ingredients. We use fresh organic vegetables for this dish and a good basmati rice.

Vegetable Rice Recipe Ingredients

Chopped zucchini, yellow squash, red onion, red pepper and corn in a white bowl.

  • Basmati Rice. We like to use basmati rice for this recipe. Its light and fluffy and easy to make.
  • Butter AND Garlic. We add just 1 clove of garlic for added flavor.
  • Zucchini and Yellow Squash.  We use 1 large fresh zucchini and 1 large yellow squash for this recipe.
  • Red Pepper. One large red bell pepper adds a lot of flavor and a pop of color to this rice.
  • Onion. Use one large red onion.
  • Corn. Use fresh corn cut from the cob for this recipe. 
  • Olive Oil. We use extra-virgin olive oil to toss the vegetables with before we roast them in the oven.
  • Seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Find printable recipe with the measurements below.

How To Make Vegetable Rice

Roast Vegetables. Spread the chopped vegetables and cut corn on a sheet pan. Drizzle olive oil over them and toss so everything is lightly coated. Roast until cooked through, and then broil the last few minutes for a little charring. The charring gives the vegetables a delicious flavor.

Roasted Vegetables on a sheet pan next to a bowl of basmati rice.

How To Roast The Vegetables

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F
  2. Roughly chop the zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper and onion, and cut the corn away from the cob and discard the cob.  For large zucchini and yellow squash, cut into slices and then quarter or halve the slices. We want all of the vegetables to be cut into similar size so they roast evenly.
  3. Place the chopped vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Toss the vegetables to make sure the oil is evenly distributed and the vegetables are lightly coated. Sprinkle in the seasoning and toss again.
  4. Pour the vegetables out onto a sheet pan so they’re in a single layer and place the pan in the oven. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are turning golden brown. Midway through roasting, remove the sheet pan from the oven and toss the vegetables using a spatula, and rotate the pan and place back in the oven. 
  5. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and transfer to a serving bowl or dish.
  6. While the vegetables are roasting, peel and mince the garlic. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the minced garlic. Give the melted butter a swirl and cook on low for 1 minute. Be careful not to allow the garlic to burn. Drizzle the garlic butter over the vegetables and toss. This step is totally optional, but we love to add a little garlic butter flavor to the veggies.

Cook the Basmati Rice

  1. While the vegetables are roasting, cook the rice. Add the water, rice, salt and butter to a saucepan and stir. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and place a tightly fitted lid on the saucepan. Cook for 12 minutes without stirring or removing the lid. After 12 minutes, take a quick peak and if it looks like the liquid has been absorbed, turn the heat off and remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside. Leave the lid on the saucepan and let the basmati rice rest for 12-15 minutes before fluffing with a fork. 

Basmati Rice with Vegetables in a bowl with a serving spoon.

Toss It All Together

Transfer the roasted vegetables to a serving bowl and add as much basmati rice as you like and toss it all together.  We usually add 1 to 1-1/2 cups rice to the vegetables.

Rice and Vegetables in a bowl.

Storing Leftovers

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If properly stored, it should last up to 5 days.
  • To reheat, melt 1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a skillet and reheat the vegetable rice on low heat until warmed through. 

Serving Suggestions

Vegetable Rice with grilled chicken on a plate.

More Rice Side Dish Recipes

Vegetable Rice in a bowl with a spoon.
Yield: 4 servings

Vegetable Rice Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

This Vegetable Rice recipe is one of our family's favorite sides to serve with grilled chicken or fish, especially during the warm summer months. Our rice with vegetables dish is made with basmati rice, fresh corn on the cob, zucchini, yellow squash, onion and red pepper.

Ingredients

For the Summer Vegetables

  • 1 large zucchini, coarsely chopped
  • 1 large yellow squash, coarsely chopped
  • 1 large red pepper, cored and coarsely chopped
  • 1 large red onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 2 fresh ears corn, shucked
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 garlic clove, peeled and minced

For the Basmati Rice

  • 1 cup white basmati rice
  • 1-1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F
  2. Roughly chop the zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper and onion, and cut the corn away from the cob and discard the cob.  For large zucchini and yellow squash, cut into slices and then quarter or halve the slices. We want all of the vegetables to be cut into similar size so they roast evenly.
  3. Place the chopped vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Toss the vegetables to make sure the oil is evenly distributed and the vegetables are lightly coated. Sprinkle in the seasoning and toss again.
  4. Pour the vegetables out onto a sheet pan so they're in a single layer and place the pan in the oven. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are turning golden brown. Midway through roasting, remove the sheet pan from the oven and toss the vegetables using a spatula, and rotate the pan and place back in the oven. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and transfer to a serving bowl or dish.
  5. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the minced garlic. Give the melted butter a swirl and cook on low for 1 minute. Be careful not to allow the garlic to burn. Drizzle the garlic butter over the vegetables and toss. This step is totally optional, but we love to add a little garlic butter flavor to the veggies.
  6. While the vegetables are roasting in the oven, prepare the rice. Add the water, rice, salt and butter to a saucepan and stir. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and place a tightly fitted lid on the saucepan. Cook for 12 minutes without stirring or removing the lid. After 12 minutes, take a quick peak and if it looks like the liquid has been absorbed, turn the heat off and remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside. Leave the lid on the saucepan and let the basmati rice rest for 12-15 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
  7. After you've fluffed the basmati rice, add 1 to 1-1/2 cups of the rice to the roasted vegetables and toss the veggies and rice together. Season with salt and pepper if you like.

Notes

Tips For Making The Best Summer Vegetables

  • Roast the vegetables on a higher heat so they lightly brown a bit.
  • Lay the vegetables in an single layer on the baking sheet so they cook evenly.
  • Midway through roasting, remove the sheet pan and turn the vegetables over, then rotate the sheet pan as you return it to the oven.

How To Shuck Corn On The Cob

Remove the husk off of the corn and snap off the end stalks. Pull off the silk and remove the strands caught between the kernels. You can rub a damp paper towel along the kernels to help loosen the strands caught between the kernels.

How To Cut Corn Off A Cob

First shuck the corn and remove as much silk as you can. Stand the cob vertically on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice down on the corn as close to the cob as you can. 

Tips For Making The Best Basmati Rice

  • Don't rinse the rice first, unless you buy it in bulk.
  • Don't remove the lid while the rice cooks.
  • Don't stir the rice while the rice cooks.
  • Let the rice rest for 12-15 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
  • Set a timer for 12 minutes so you don't overcook the rice. Take a quick peak under the lid and if the water has been absorbed by the rice remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside to rest. The rice will continue to steam cook and absorb any remaining water so it will be nice and fluffy. 

Rinsing Basmati Rice Before Cooking

It's not necessary to rinse basmati rice before cooking it. If you want to rinse it first, then pour the rice in a fine mesh colander and rinse under cold water for about 30 seconds. Gently shake the colander side-to-side over the sink to remove excess water from the rice and pat the bottom of the colander dry with a paper towel. You want to eliminate as much water from the rice as you can. If you do rinse your rice first, we suggest reducing the water ratio by 2 tablespoons, so you will use 1-1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of water (instead of 1-1/2 cups water) to 1 cup basmati rice.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 348Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 8gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 553mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 6g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.

© Deborah Duncan
Cuisine: American / Category: Sides