Summer Vegetable Bowl (Printer-friendly)

Colorful sautéed vegetables over fluffy rice with fresh basil

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 medium zucchini, sliced into half-moons
02 - 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup sweet corn kernels, fresh or frozen
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 yellow bell pepper, diced

→ Base

06 - 2 cups cooked white or brown rice

→ Aromatics & Seasonings

07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - ½ teaspoon salt
10 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
11 - ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

→ Garnish

12 - ½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
13 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - Cook the rice according to package instructions and keep warm until assembly.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add zucchini, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and corn to the skillet. Season with salt and black pepper. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just tender.
04 - Stir in the halved cherry tomatoes and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until tomatoes begin to soften.
05 - Drizzle with lemon juice if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to preference.
06 - Divide warm rice equally among four serving bowls. Distribute the sautéed vegetable mixture evenly over each portion of rice.
07 - Top each bowl generously with fresh torn basil immediately before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, making it perfect for those nights when you want real food without fussing for hours.
  • The vegetables stay vibrant and crisp instead of turning to mush, so every bite actually tastes like summer.
  • You can throw in whatever protein you have around and it still feels intentional and complete.
02 -
  • The vegetables will keep cooking even after you take the pan off the heat, so pull them off while they still have just a tiny bit of firmness left and they'll finish perfectly in the residual warmth.
  • Don't add the tomatoes too early or they'll lose their shape and the whole thing becomes more stewed than fresh.
03 -
  • Taste the vegetables as they cook and pull them off the heat just before they're fully tender since they'll continue softening in the residual heat of the pan.
  • Use your best olive oil for this recipe since there's nowhere for it to hide, and it genuinely tastes like the difference between good and unforgettable.
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