Savoury 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.
The variations are endless, so play around with your favorite spices and herbs. In the summer I add a mix of fresh herbs from the garden.
This recipe for savoury rice is a perfect accompaniment to chicken, fish and meat or as the star of a vegetarian meal. I’ve made it many times with grilled steak, roast chicken and salmon and serve it often at dinner parties.
I’ve been asked for the recipe (adapted from Chin Deep by Melissa) more than once.
The roasted veggies are completely variable. I always use carrot ribbons (shaved with a peeler) and cherry tomatoes because of the vibrant color combo. After that, choose a combination of your favorite vegetables or see some suggestions below.
What’s to like about this recipe
- The vibrant colors add a beautiful flare to the plate. And yes, it’s also delicious.
- This is an easy recipe that’s very adaptable with regards to the roasted veggies, spices, herbs and even the rice.
- It’s a great way to use up leftover rice.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
Rice:
- This recipe starts out with cooked rice. You can cook it while the vegetables are roasting, use leftovers from the night before or stop by and pick some up from your favorite take-out restaurant.
- I like basmati rice or Jasmine rice, but you can use brown rice, wild rice or any kind of long grain rice.
- You can also substitute the rice with cooked small pasta, spaghetti squash or quinoa.
Vegetables:
- Use your favorite combination of vibrant colored veggies. I like to take advantage of whichever type of fresh vegetables are in season.
- Some great options for delicious veggies are mushrooms, shaved carrots, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, red onion, green onions, red and green bell peppers, snap peas, green beans, shaved parsnip.
Spices: I use smoked paprika, garlic and onion powder, curry powder and thyme. Vary the spices for the rice with cumin, coriander, chili powder, turmeric, fennel or dill. For a bit of a kick, add a few red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Herbs: Use rosemary, dill, parsley, chives or tarragon instead of thyme if you prefer. Fresh or dried herbs work – whatever you have.
Step by step instructions
Tips
- For extra flavor, use vegetable stock or broth to cook the rice instead of water. You can also use chicken broth.
- Roasting veggies:
- Slice vegetables into similar sized pieces so they’ll roast evenly.
- Denser root vegetables take longer to roast. If adding vegetables like baby red potatoes or cubed sweet potatoes or even brussels sprouts, you’ll want to give them about a 10-minute head start before adding the other veggies to the baking sheet. And cut them smaller.
Recipe FAQs
If you’re cooking rice for the required amount of time and it still turns out too sticky or mushy, make sure that you aren’t adding too much liquid. Depending on the type of rice you use or if you rinsed the rice, it may require a different a bit less liquid.
Another reason rice turns out sticky is because you stirred it. Stirring rice, while it’s cooking, activates starch making it mushy. So leave it alone while cooking.
For Basmati rice, I use a rice to liquid ratio of 1 cup/160 grams rice to 1.5 cups/355ml liquid. For long grain rice, I use 1 cup/160 grams rice to 1.75/414 ml ratio. Be sure to check the package for directions.
Shortcuts
- Use frozen or leftover rice, reheated with a tablespoon or two of water, covered. Add the spice mix.
- Or you can buy prepared rice from your favorite take-out.
- Buy pre-sliced vegetables from the produce area in the grocery store.
What to serve with it
Try serving this vegetable rice dish with grilled sausages, Maple Glazed Salmon, Roast Turkey Breast with Pear Chutney, Grilled Flank Steak, BBQ shrimp (grilled), Famous Montreal Back Ribs or Mediterranean Marinated Grilled Chicken.
For a vegetarian meal, add tofu or plant based sausages. Or just serve it as is.
Make ahead
- Make the rice and veggies an hour or two ahead. Keep the rice warm in the rice cooker or on the stove. Reheat the veggies in the oven for 5 minutes or, alternatively microwave the assembled dish for a minute or two just before serving. Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- You can freeze leftover rice and roasted vegetables in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 6 months.
More rice recipes
- Mediterranean rice with vegetables (baked, one pot)
- Curried rice with raisins
- Lemon dill homemade rice-a-roni
- shrimp and chicken fried rice (Thai-style)
- Instant pot veggie rice
- coconut Jasmine rice with chili crisps
If you like this recipe, please leave a 5 star rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟with a comment in the recipe card below. Thanks so much!
Savoury Rice and Roasted Veggies
Ingredients
- 4 cups hot cooked rice any kind, Note 1 you will need 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups dry rice if making fresh
- 2 large carrots, shaved into strips with a vegetable peeler
- 3 cups roughly chopped orange and red bell pepper (use varied colors)
- 2 cups mushrooms (small whole mushroom, sliced or pieces)
- 6 spring onions, roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes
- 2 cups asparagus or snap peas roughly chopped (Optional) If very thin, add half way through roasting.
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt and black pepper to taste
- lemon wedges for garnish
Spice mix for rice
- 2 teaspoon smoked or regular paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon fennel or dill or thyme if preferred
- 2 tablespoon butter or substitute with olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F/218C. Prepare large pan with parchment or foil, sprayed with oil.
- ROAST VEGETABLES: Put the vegetables In a large mixing bowl, Add oil, salt and pepper. Mix well. Spread vegetables evenly on pan in one layer. Use two pans if needed. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until slightly caramelized.
- COOK RICE and MAKE SPICE MIX: While veggies are roasting, cook rice according to package directions. Or reheat leftover rice (Note 1). Add butter and spices and mix well to blend evenly. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes for heat if you like. Keep warm.
- ASSEMBLE: When ready to serve, spoon spiced rice into a pretty serving bowl. Top with the roasted veggies. Garnish with chopped parsley or thyme sprigs. Serve with lemon wedges if desired.
Recipe Notes
- Rice:
- You can use left over rice for this recipe. Reheat the rice with 1-2 tbsp water, covered, in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or until hot.
- Rice substitutes: I like basmati rice or Jasmine rice, but you can use brown rice, wild rice or any kind of long grain white rice. You can also substitute the rice with cooked small pasta, spaghetti squash or quinoa.
- Variations
- Spices: Vary the spices for rice to your taste – curry powder, cumin, coriander, chili powder, turmeric, etc. Also try chili flakes if you like spicy rice.
- Veggies: Try other delicious veggies like asparagus, sweet onion, red onion, green bell pepper snap peas, green beans or shaved parsnip.
- Herbs: Use rosemary, dill, parsley, chives or tarragon instead of thyme. Fresh or dried herbs – whatever you have. For a bit of a kick, add a few red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Make Ahead:
- Make the rice and veggies an hour or two ahead. Keep the rice warm in the rice cooker or on the stove. Reheat the veggies in the oven for 5 minutes or, alternatively microwave the assembled dish for a minute or two just before serving. Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- You can freeze leftover rice and roasted vegetables in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 6 months.
This looks wonderful! Do you add the butter and spice mix to rice when it is cooking or after it is done?
Hi Virginia, You add the seasonings in step 4 when sautéing the veggies. The butter is optional and can be stirred in once the rice is cooked and you open the lid. Hope you like it!
I LOVE this dish. Making for the second time this week. I have been using whatever veggies i have on hand. Very very flavourful. Thank you for sharing this.
Love that you’re using the veggies you have on hand and enjoying the recipe. Thanks for sharing Chrissy.
This is a favourite I make when entertaining. I sometimes prepare an extra packet of the spice blend so it’s ready to use.
Great idea Karyn!
Can you substitute sweet potatoes for the carrots or regular onions for th spring onions? Can you use chopped garlic instead of garlic powder?
Great questions. You can definitely substitute regular onions for spring onions (and feel free to use more). I wouldn’t substitute raw chopped garlic for garlic powder as many people don’t want to bite into raw garlic (not to mention the breath issue!). As for sweet potatoes instead of carrots, you can certainly give it a try. Perhaps use cubes instead of shaving them, though, as they would become mushy if too thinly cut. And, let us know how it turns out!
It’s a wonderful blog!!
The sweet potatoes actually worked really well. I did peel them as per the recipe. I put a little extra olive oil to prevent sticking.
Was thinking of maybe roasting the garlic next time and then mushing in the roasted garlic with the rice. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
This is a great recipe and the possibilities are endless. I also substituted salt with Mrs. Dash – good for those family members on low sodium diets. ??
Good to know. Thanks for sharing!
Dear Cheryl,
I’m a big fan of your blog.
How much raw rice do you need to make 4 cups cooked rice ?
Hi Fran, 4 cups of cooked rice is about 1 1/3 cups dry rice. The ratio is typically 3:1, but it can vary a bit depending on the type of rice. Long and whole-grain rice will yield more. I tend to make a double batch in the rice cooker, use what I need, then freeze the rest in a sealed freezer bag. Perfect for stir fries. And thanks for visiting our blog!