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White bowl with brown rice and vegetavles.

Brown Rice Veggie Bowl with Creamy Tahini Dressing

Brown rice and veggie bowl is a hearty and delicious meal. The creamy tahini dressing is easy to make and scrumptious. Enjoy!!
Author: Pavani
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Brown Rice*, rinsed and drained
  • cups Water, more if cooking on the stove top
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 large Red Onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups Brown or White Mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups Broccoli, cut into florets
  • 1 large Green or Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced
  • 4 cups Baby Spinach, chopped
  • To taste Salt & Pepper
  • 2 cups Diced Baked Tofu, either store-bought or homemade*
  • As needed Toasted Sesame seeds, for topping

For Creamy Tahini Dressing:

  • ¼ cup Tahini
  • 2 tablespoons Almond Butter, creamy or crunchy
  • 2 tablespoons Soy sauce, preferably low sodium
  • 2 tablespoons Rice vinegar
  • 1 - 2 tablespoons Sriracha chili sauce, adjust as per taste
  • 1 Garlic clove, finely minced
  • To taste Salt & Pepper
  • 2 tablespoons Warm Water, plus more as needed

Instructions

Cook Rice in Instant Pot:

  • Combine rice and water in the Instant pot. Cook on high pressure/ manual for 18 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and quick release the reminder. Keep rice warm while you prepare the veggies.
    1 cup Brown Rice*, rinsed and drained, 1¼ cups Water, more if cooking on the stove top

Cook Rice on Stovetop:

  • Alternately, you can cook brown rice on the stove top. Combine rice with 1¾ cups of water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer on medium heat. Lower the heat, cover and cook for 30~45 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed and rice is tender. Turn off the heat and leave the pan covered for at least 5 minutes before fluffing the rice.
    Keep rice warm while you prepare the veggies.
    1 cup Brown Rice*, rinsed and drained

Prepare Veggies:

  • Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a sauté pan on medium heat; add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and slightly caramelized around the edges. Season with salt and pepper. Remove onto a large plate.
    2 tablespoons Olive Oil, 1 large Red Onion, thinly sliced, To taste Salt & Pepper
  • Clean the pan with a paper towel, add 1 teaspoon oil, add broccoli and cook until tender and slightly browned around the edges, about 8~10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove onto the plate.
    Heat 2 teaspoons oil and add the mushrooms and cook till the tender, about 5~7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove onto the plate.
    2 cups Broccoli, cut into florets, To taste Salt & Pepper, 2 cups Brown or White Mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and cook the the bell pepper until crisp tender, about 4~5 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2~3 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove onto the plate.
    1 large Green or Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced, To taste Salt & Pepper, 4 cups Baby Spinach, chopped

Prepare the dressing: 

  • In a small bowl, whisk tahini, almond butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, garlic clove, salt and pepper. Add the water and whisk to make a smooth dressing. Add more if the sauce is too thick. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
    ¼ cup Tahini, 2 tablespoons Almond Butter, creamy or crunchy, 2 tablespoons Soy sauce, preferably low sodium, 2 tablespoons Rice vinegar, 1 - 2 tablespoons Sriracha chili sauce, adjust as per taste, 1 Garlic clove, finely minced, 2 tablespoons Warm Water, plus more as needed, To taste Salt & Pepper

Assemble: 

  • Take ½ cup of rice in a serving bowl, mix in 1 tablespoon dressing. Place quarter of the veggies and tofu on the rice. Drizzle generously with the dressing over everything and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
    2 cups Diced Baked Tofu, either store-bought or homemade*, As needed Toasted Sesame seeds, for topping

Notes

  • Substitute brown rice with your favorite whole grain. Farro, millets are all great options here. Veggie quinoa bowl is one of my absolute favorite.
  • I use red onion, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli and bell peppers. But you can make yours a veggieful veggie bowl with your your favorite vegetables. Steamed or sautéed cauliflower, kale, swiss chard, carrots, and so on are all amazing.
  • Instead of sautéing the vegetables, you can also roast them in a 400°F preheated oven for about 30~40 minutes. Please note that some veggies roast faster than the others.
  • To add protein and make to make this a wholesome meal, I add store bought baked tofu, but you can bake your own at home. You can also use other protein like cooked beans, edamame etc.
  • Make rice and black eyed peas by swapping out tofu with the beans.
  • Make a big double batch of the creamy tahini sauce. Store it in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Use it as a salad dressing or even as a dip.
  • The best part of this brown rice bowl with vegetables is that it can be made ahead of time. Cook a big batch of brown rice and sauté/ roast your vegetables. Whip up the tahini sauce. Store everything in separate airtight containers in the fridge. Reheat the veggies and rice before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 499kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Sodium: 508mg | Potassium: 1082mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 4396IU | Vitamin C: 107mg | Calcium: 177mg | Iron: 5mg
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