This recipe for Vegetarian Carrot and Fennel One Pot Rice is a guest post by food blogger, Savita Verma from Chef de Home. To find more recipes from Savita, be sure to visit her site!
Vegetarian Carrot and Fennel One Pot Rice Dish
Vegetarian Carrot and Fennel One Pot Rice is a quick and healthy dinner option for busy weeknights. Ready in just 25 minutes, this one pot Vegetarian Pilaf is also a great way to sneak in vegetables and a lot of flavor into easy weeknight meals. This rice pot is loaded with sweet fennel, carrots, and sweet green peas.
What are the TOP requirements for weeknight dinners?
- Quick Cooking Time
- Easy Cleanup (the less pots and pans, the better)
- Health and Nutrition!
This one pot rice not only fulfills these requirements, but also has great flavor which the whole family will enjoy! As an added bonus, it looks so colorful that even picky eaters can’t resist taking a bite.
Unfortunately, when rice is cooked in stock for flavor, sodium gets out of control. In order to keep the amount of salt/sodium under-control, I always cook rice in plain water. However, to compensate for the loss in flavor, I add spices and natural aromatics. Aromatics not only make rice delectable in taste, but also make the kitchen smell like you are savoring a slow-cooked meal in a 5-star restaurant. How good does that sound? This pot of rice is fortified with fennel seeds, cumin powder, and lemon zest. While fennel, carrots, and green peas give sweetness to the rice pilaf, lemon and cumin give a subtle and savory bite to this dish.
If that’s not enough, I would like to add that this Rice Dinner is also gluten free and vegan. Plus it brings 3 small servings of vegetables in one meal. It’s perfect for adding nutrition to a quick weeknight dinner. Once you try this rice dish once, it is sure to make a definite place in your weeknight menu rotation. I’m sure you are going to enjoy it as much as my family does. So, go get cooking!
Keep in mind that the addition of green peas is totally optional. To up the protein in this dish, you can also replace the green peas with cooked chickpeas or black beans.
- 1.5 cup long grain rice
- 3 cups water
- 2 small carrots, diced
- 1 fennel, bulb and fronds sliced, leaves reserved for garnish
- ½ cup frozen green peas (optional)
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ½ cup shallot onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- salt to taste
- Wash rice under running water. Soak in water and set aside.
- In a heavy bottom pan, heat oil and add chopped onion and garlic. Saute until onions are soft, about 1-2 minutes. Don't let garlic burn.
- Add cumin powder, paprika, fennel seeds, and cook for 30 seconds. Then add chopped carrots, sliced fennel bulb and fronds, then saute on medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Add drained rice with 3 cups of water and ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir well to combine. Taste water and adjust salt if needed. Bring to rolling boil, then cover with lid and cook on medium heat for 12 minutes or until water has been fully absorbed.
- Add frozen peas, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Fold rice gently with spatula. Cover and leave for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with fennel leaves before serving. Serve and enjoy!
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