Summer Vegetable Bowl (Printable format)

A vibrant, fresh bowl with sautéed seasonal vegetables over fluffy rice, finished with fragrant basil.

# List of ingredients:

→ 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 and Garnish

07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
11 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
12 - 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

→ Optional

13 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

# How to make it:

01 - Cook rice according to package instructions and keep warm until ready to serve.
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 halved cherry tomatoes and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until tomatoes begin to soften.
05 - Drizzle with lemon juice if desired. Adjust seasoning with additional salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes according to preference.
06 - Divide warm rice evenly among four serving bowls. Top each portion with equal amounts of sautéed vegetables.
07 - Crown each bowl generously with torn fresh basil leaves and serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It uses up all those vegetables sitting on your counter before they go soft and you feel guilty throwing them out.
  • The whole thing comes together in one skillet, which means less cleanup and more time sitting outside with a cold drink.
  • You can taste the season in every bite without spending an hour in a hot kitchen.
02 -
  • Do not overcrowd the skillet or the vegetables will steam instead of sauté, and you will lose that slight caramelization that makes this taste so good.
  • Add the basil at the very end, never while it is still cooking, because heat turns it dark and bitter instead of bright and fragrant.
03 -
  • Slice the zucchini into half moons instead of rounds so they have more surface area to caramelize and pick up flavor.
  • Let the skillet get hot before you add anything, and resist the urge to stir constantly so the vegetables can actually brown instead of steam.
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