Okay friends, I am obsessed. OBSESSED. With rice. Uh-huh.
Call me crazy but this Easy Mixed Vegetable Rice is my newest obsession. I know what you are thinking – strange, weird, just a little a bit out there.
But it is so yummy, so simple, and so perfect on like EVERYTHING.
I made a large batch, like ultra large batch, of this Easy Mixed Vegetable Rice the other night, and it has been the side that went with ALL THE THINGS we ate since then.
Salmon, chicken, pork, beef, a bunch of random veggies, inside a taco (that’s my husband’s new thing), by itself for lunch when there’s nothing else to eat (me this afternoon).
Some conventionally appropriate. Some not really. But does that even MATTER.
At some point we will switch up the sides. For right now – it’s safe to say this has become a slight obsession.
The funny thing is I totally made this on accident.
I wanted some fluffy rice to go with the baked salmon I was making for dinner one evening. If you have been following my insta-stories on instagram, you might recall 😉 .
I saw rice in the pantry, and also one of my favorite seasoning in the world – Better than Bouillon, Roasted Chicken Based. And we were out of veggies – except for a bag of frozen mixed veggies in the fridge.
At that fateful moment, everything came together. I didn’t really know what to call it, but Easy Mixed Vegetable Rice it is.
Ingredients for Easy Mixed Vegetable Rice
It is so simple to make I almost didn’t want to write this up. All you need is rice, chicken bouillon, garlic and some mixed veggies. Sometimes simple is truly the best.
My favorite rice to use for this recipe is basmati rice. Basmati rice is used a lot in Indian and Mediterranean cooking, and is fragrant and has a great texture. I highly recommend using that for this recipe.
As for the chicken bouillon. Use good quality chicken bouillon because it will make such a difference to the flavor of your dish!
If you are trying to figure out what are good bullion’s to use, I highly recommend the Better than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Based (which is what I use here) or Trader Joe’s Chicken Flavor Bouillon concentrate.
Keep in mind that different chicken bouillon will be different in terms of its salt levels, flavor etc. I am recommending 3 tablespoons of the Better than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Based for this recipe, but adjust accordingly if you are using another chicken bouillon. Or if you prefer it less salty.
Mixed vegetables is a great add in this recipe because mixed vegetables = easy peasy.
It’s a super easy ingredient, and it is after all, vegetables, which always makes me feel like I am putting good stuff in my tummy. Even if it is a few sprinkle of it over a large bed of rice.
In addition, it adds great texture and little hints of sweetness to the entire dish.
Incredibly flavorful, great textures, this Easy Mixed Vegetable Rice side is perfect side for any meal! It also keeps really well, and seriously, it goes with everything! Except maybe ice cream.
If you make this recipe PLEASE let me know how it goes in the comment box below, and share pictures of your creations on instagram by tagging #joyousapron! And while you are there, don’t forget to follow me! 🙂
Other Rice Dishes
- Steak Fried Rice
- Thai Pineapple Fried Rice
- Hawaiian Chicken with Coconut Rice
- Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup
More Yummy Sides
Because why not?!? 😀 Happy cooking, all!
- Roasted Garlic Parmesan Potatoes
- Caramelized Onions Sautéed Green Beans
- Roasted Lemon Garlic Broccoli
- Brown Sugar Pecan Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Avocado Quinoa Salad
- Caramelized Roasted Carrots (by Rachel from Little Chef Big Appetite!)
DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE? Please comment below and give us a 5-star rating! This will help others find this recipe on Google and Pinterest! We very much appreciate your help! 🤍
Easy Mixed Vegetable Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 2 1/2 cups water
- ~3 tbsp Chicken Bouillon (Better Than Bouillon, Roasted Chicken Base) adjust accordingly
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetable
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- In a large pot, add olive oil and minced garlic and cook under medium heat till fragrant (this goes quick!). Do not brown or burn garlic.
- Add rice to pot. Stir and cook for a minute. Then add water and chicken bouillon. Stir to combine. Bring to medium high heat and to a boil.
- Once the water boils, lower to medium low heat, cover pot (make sure it is fairly tight), and cook for 15-17 minutes.
- Bring frozen mixed vegetable to bowl. Microwave for 20-30 seconds, or until vegetable is soft (do not overcook). Drain access water.
- Once rice is cooked, remove cover and use spatula to stir and fluff rice. Add mixed vegetable to rice. Stir and combine.
- Serve and enjoy!
Honey smoked salmon, riced broccoli, 2c Madagascar pink rice, bouillon, 1/2 tsp fish sauce, homemade hot sauce, 16 oz beer in Instant pot for 17 min
Sounds delicious! I love the modification!
This was easy peasy juuuust like you said! No clean up but the pot, WIN WIN!!!!!
I’m so happy to hear that!! 🙂
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRECISE INSTRUCTIONS AND YOUR INSIGHT!
I’m of Latin descent and I have never been able to cook rice perfectly to save my life. It was a bit of a downer, given my heritage – but your easy step by step guide helped me make my first perfect rice in 20 years!
Thank you again!
I so SO HAPPY to hear that! Thank you so much for your kind review! 🙂
I sauteed chopped fresh carrots, onion, garlic and mushrooms. Removed them from the pan and set then aside. Cooked the rice (I had jasmine on hand) in the same pot after deglazing. Added the vegetables back to the pot along with some microwaved frozen peas, and it was delicious. Oh I forgot I put in some fresh corn off the cob.
Love your variation! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
This was easy to make and delicious. I used the vegetarian base instead of the chicken and thought it was great.
Love your modification! Thanks for sharing!
I keep a jar of better than bouillon in my fridge, too! This simple rice recipe is delicious and has become one of my new go-to recipes when I need a quick side dish!
Thank you so much! I love how simple and yummy this is too! 🙂
I share in your obsession! Rice is so good and this is perfect with so many dishes! The chicken bouillon makes such a difference!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
We are also obsessed with rice, so this dish went over with my family so well! We’ll be adding this into our weekly rotation for sure!
Yay! Love hearing that!
YUMMY! I needed a quick, tasty rice recipe to go with dinner last night and found this, so flavorful and delicious!
That’s awesome! Thank you for letting me know! 🙂
Oh heavens, this rice dish looks so fluffy and delicious. Exactly the way we like it. All of your recipes look amazing!
Thanks so much Julie! Glad you all like this!
This is our FAVORITE side dish!! It just goes with anything that I make, and everyone is always happy to see it on the table! Thanks for a great recipe!
Yay! Love hearing that! 🙂
Great recipe base for a hearty meal. We like it with some protein so added chicken and/or pork. Chicken bullion is key!
YES!!! Gotta have the chicken bouillon for flavor! Thanks for the kind review, Sam!
Well, I think the author of this mistakenly said 3 tablespoons and meant teaspoons. This was like eating pure salt. She literally ruined our dinner. And you cannot “adjust accordingly” when you have never made it before. Thanks
Hi there! I’m so sorry to hear that it didn’t go well for you. I make this using 3 tablespoons of Better than Bouillon Chicken Bouillon and it’s usually just right for me – not too salty but just enough flavor! I can see how different bouillon has different levels of saltiness and that is hard to account for – that is why I suggested to ‘adjust accordingly’ 🙂
I agree 3 tbsp is too much. I use Better than Bouillon chicken in my rice rice all the time you only need 1 tsp per cup of water. I woukd use 2 cups of rice 2 tsp of bouillon. I also use 4 cups of water. It comes out perfectly. I have made my own version of your recipe for years. I think everyones taste buds sre different. Just do you.
Makes sense! Thank you for sharing!