Family Favorite Rice Bowl

These dinner-time rice bowls are a win for everyone in my house. They’re the answer that meets any need, from my ravenous and picky teens and my husband’s adventurous palate, to my love of bold flavors and focus on healthy, balanced meals. On Friday or Saturday evening, it’s easy to open the fridge and see various bits of leftovers and handfuls of veggies that just didn’t get used — not enough of any one thing to make a full dinner for 4.

So this is what we do. I throw some rice in a pot to cook up. In the meantime, we open every container of leftovers. We chop up the fresh veggies and get everything out on the counter. Starting with a bed of rice in the bowl, we start adding what we like until we’re satisfied with a range of colors and flavors that suit our tastes. So easy, and fully customizable.

How to Build the Perfect Rice Bowl

Here’s the formula:

Start with a small bed of rice.

Top with veggies. These can be fresh, roasted, steamed, however you like them. Some ideas we like are:

• bell peppers
• green beans
• roasted root vegetables
• tomatoes
• corn
• shredded carrots
• zucchini/squash
• mushrooms
• cucumbers

Add a layer of protein, about the size of a deck of cards. Our go tos are:

• shredded chicken
• beans
• fried or boiled egg
• tofu
• shrimp

Then, add toppings and sauces like:

• sliced almonds
• shredded cheese
• guacamole
• hot sauce
• a splash of soy sauce
• jalapenos
• scallions
• fresh herbs

Rice Bowl Flavor Combinations

There’s no exact science or recipe to follow, but these are some of my favorite flavor combos for end-of-the-week rice bowls.

• Pineapple chicken wild rice bowl
• Greens & romanesco brown rice bowl
• Cauliflower rice bowl with salmon & mango/radish relish
• fried egg and avocado bowl

If you make a rice bowl, we’d love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #THEFRESH20 so we can see what’s cooking in your kitchen.