Going to new heights of rice and veggies enjoyment with this easy one pot vegan dinner inspired by rice pilaf! This recipe for stovetop rice with mixed vegetables combines plenty of spices, shallots, garlic, vegetable stock, fragrant jasmine rice, chickpeas, and a creamy dill tahini sauce for drizzling on top. Not your average rice and veggies recipe! All cooked in one pot, this simple dinner also makes great lunch leftovers. Whether you serve it as a plant-based main or as a hearty side dish, this colourful dish is sure to satisfy.
Healthy veggies and rice has been a staple since I went plant-based and started cooking for myself over 15 years ago. There are infinite combinations (I have a couple in my cookbook), but cooking them all together in a pot with spices, stock, and some chickpeas for protein feels like magic when you pull the lid off. It’s fresh and veggie-filled, but still warm, cozy, and comforting. I eat some version of this every week with whatever vegetables and legumes that I need to use up. This is a dinner option that has had plenty of real life kitchen recipe testing! 😉
The inspiration for this recipe:
- This combination of rice, spices, vegetables, and stock is based on cooking methods traditionally used in the making of pilaf.
- Pilaf is a rice dish that originated in Persia in the 8th and 9th centuries (earliest versions were made with barley). The word pilaf is derived from the Turkish pilav, which in turn is derived from the Persian pilaw.
- At its core, pilaf features rice that is first toasted in fat and then cooked in stock. The coating of the grains in fat results in a looser, non-sticky texture. Many cultures have adopted variations of pilaf into their cuisine that feature meats, vegetables, dried fruit, spices, and herbs
- You can read more about pilaf’s origins and its various cultural interpretations here and here.
I prefer white jasmine rice here because the fragrance is lovely and the timing works out great with the small dices of cauliflower and carrots. They all get tender together! I’ve tried versions with brown rice and it just takes too long! The vegetables are mush by the time it’s all done. Plus, keeping the cooking time down to 30 minutes is always nice!
I flavour the rice with fresh garlic, shallots, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, paprika, turmeric, and DIjon mustard (yes!). Your vegetable stock will add flavour too. Homemade stock is nice but I use Better Than Bouillon concentrate often and it’s great. I finish with frozen peas because I’m having a real frozen pea moment lately–just adding them to everything! Pretty much any vegetable or legume is great with rice though.
The veggies and rice alone are easy and delicious. But I always have to make things a little extra nice, so I have you whip up a dilly tahini sauce in the blender to drizzle over top. You can prep this component up to a week in advance and just keep it in the fridge! Chili crisp, sesame seeds, and extra chopped dill are also excellent toppings.
One-Pot Rice and Veggies with Chickpeas & Dilly Tahini
One-pot rice and veggies is a satisfying vegan dinner that cooks entirely on the stovetop. Fragrant jasmine rice is robustly flavoured with spices and loaded with chickpeas and vegetable goodness. The creamy drizzle of dilly tahini is a cool and luscious finishing touch!
Servings 4 -6
Ingredients
Rice and Veggies with Chickpeas:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, chopped
- 1 ½ cups chopped carrots
- 2 cups chopped cauliflower
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 cup jasmine or long grain white rice
- 1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 ½ cups vegetable stock, plus extra
- ½ cup frozen peas
Dilly Tahini:
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ cup water
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Tamari
- ½ teaspoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons dill leaves
- 1 green onion, rough chop
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Notes
- You can change up the vegetables based on whatever you have as long as you keep the overall volume (3-4 cups) the same. This is a flexible recipe that is perfect for cleaning out the fridge.
- I prefer jasmine or long grain white brown rice for this dish! Jasmine is my absolute favourite.
- I had a hard time getting this to work with brown rice. It takes too long to cook and the veggies just turn to mush with the amount of time needed.
- Dilly tahini can be made up to a week in advance and kept in the fridge. Just whisk in a splash of water to make it pourable again.
Instructions
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Set a large and deep skillet or braiser over medium heat. Once it’s hot, pour in the olive oil and swirl it around. Add the shallots and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
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Add the carrots and cauliflower and let them sit for a full 2 minutes to get some browning. Stir them up and let them sit another 2 full minutes. Once the veg have some colour and caramelization, add the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, thyme, turmeric, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
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Stir in the Dijon mustard and then add the rice and chickpeas. Stir once more to coat the rice in seasoning. Add the vegetable stock and use your spoon to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer and put a lid on top. Simmer until the rice is cooked and the veggies are tender, about 20 minutes.
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While rice and veggies are simmering, make the dilly tahini. In an upright blender, combine the tahini, water, garlic, lemon juice, Tamari, maple syrup, dill, green onion, salt, and pepper. Blend until creamy and smooth, and then set aside.
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Once the rice and veggies are done, add the peas and stir until they are warmed through, adding more vegetable stock if necessary.
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Serve the one-pot veggies and rice with the dilly tahini and extra chopped dill on top. I like to drizzle with chili crisp and sprinkle some sesame seeds as well.
