Vegetable Rice with Spicy Peanut Sauce

5 from 7 votes

Vegetable rice with spicy peanut sauce is a quick, easy way to use leftover rice and whatever vegetables you have on hand. Ready in under 30 minutes.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings (change as needed): sides (3 main dish)

3 cups cooked rice (long or medium grain), preferably cold, Note 1 (from 1 cup raw rice)
2 teaspoon vegetable oil
5-6 cups vegetables, cut into small pieces, Note 2

MAKE THE PEANUT SAUCE: Whisk together all peanut sauce ingredients until smooth in a measuring cup or small bowl. Set aside.
STIR FRY VEGETABLES AND RICE: Heat oil to medium high heat in a wok or large frying pan (I use a non stick wok or skillet). Stir fry vegetables for 8-9 minutes or until tender crisp. Add rice and continue to cook for a few minutes while stirring until heated through.
ADD PEANUT SAUCE: Pour half the peanut sauce onto the vegetable rice. Mix through. Taste and add more as you need or pass the extra sauce to drizzle on once plated. Serve with lime wedges if desired.

Rice options: Long-grain rice - eg Jasmine rice, Basmati, regular - is preferable for stir-fries as the grains separate nicely. If you don't mind your rice a bit softer and stickier, you can use medium-grain rice such as Chinese steamed rice. It's best to use leftover cold rice. Here's a recipe for long grain rice.
Vegetable options: green onions, red bell peppers, green beans, mushrooms, carrots (thinly sliced), asparagus, cauliflower, celery, zucchini.
Make-ahead:
- You can stir-fry the vegetables hours or even a day ahead of time and keep them in the fridge in an airtight container. For best results, slightly undercook them because they'll continue to cook when reheating.
- You can also make the peanut butter sauce ahead of time and store in a separate container in the fridge. The sauce will thicken as it cools. So, the next day, you may have to reheat it in the microwave to loosen it up enough to pour.
- When you are ready to serve, reheat the vegetables in a large skillet. Add the rice and cook until warm. Add the peanut butter sauce and give it a good stir.
Variations
- - Use quinoa or noodles instead of rice.
  - For a lower calorie version, leave out the grains (carbs) altogether and just add the peanut sauce to the stir-fried vegetables.
  - Add some chopped or grilled chicken or tofu for a complete meal.
  - Make the peanut sauce as spicy or as mild as you want with more or less red pepper flakes or, instead, sriracha or garlic chili sauce.

Nutrition values are estimates based on about 3/4 cups per person.