This colorful vegetable rice combines fluffy long-grain rice with green peas, diced carrots, red bell pepper, onion, and garlic. The vegetables are sautéed with paprika and optional cumin before the rice simmers in vegetable broth, allowing the flavors to cook together in one pot.
Fresh parsley adds a bright finish, while the peas, carrots, and peppers bring color and texture to every serving. Enjoy it as a side dish with roasted vegetables or add chickpeas or tofu to make it a more substantial meal.
Start with the Vegetable Cooking Guide:
https://www.letsveg.com/vegetable-cooking-guide
Colorful Vegetable Rice with Peas, Peppers, and Carrots
Make this colorful vegetable rice in just 35 minutes with peas, peppers, carrots, and fresh parsley. A simple one-pot vegetarian dish perfect for busy weeknights, meal prep, or an easy family side.
Ingredients
Equipment
soup pot with lid
Cooking Instructions
- Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear, then drain well.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion and carrot and cook for 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften.
- Add the diced bell pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, paprika, cumin if using, salt, and black pepper and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add the rice and stir for 1 minute to lightly coat the grains with the oil and seasonings.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and Simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed; cooking time may vary by rice variety. Add the peas during the final 5 minutes of cooking.
- Remove from the heat and let the rice rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff gently with a fork.
- Transfer to a serving dish, top generously with fresh chopped parsley, and serve warm.
Nutrition
Notes
- Rinse the long-grain rice before cooking to remove excess surface starch and help keep the grains separate.
- Use a pot with a tight-fitting lid and keep the heat low once the broth has come to a simmer.
- Add frozen peas directly during the last 5 minutes of cooking; there is no need to thaw them first.
- Avoid stirring the rice repeatedly while it simmers, as this can make the grains sticky or unevenly cooked.
- After cooking, leave the pot covered for 5 minutes before fluffing the rice gently with a fork.
- Cool leftover rice promptly, refrigerate within 1 hour, and use within 24 hours or freeze promptly. Reheat thoroughly until steaming hot, and do not reheat more than once.