Easy Rice Bowl

This easy rice bowl comes together in no time! This quick dinner features black beans and veggies with a tangy cilantro-lime ranch sauce.

Every time we ask readers what they want, we get a similar answer. Quick and easy dinner recipes! Basically, you don’t care how easy it is. They just want simple, healthy ideas for getting food on the table. So here’s one to tuck under dinner basics: this one Simple rice bowl! This 30-minute dinner includes these easy black beans, a trick to making a can of mild beans taste amazing in 5 minutes. Served with rice and mixed vegetables. The kicker? A zesty cilantro-lime ranch you’ll want to bathe in. It was so delicious and easy that we knew we had to share (we only ate inhaled her).

Another variant: Make our Shrimp Bowls with Cilantro Lime Rice!

How to make rice: our favorite methods

The longest time for a bowl of rice is cooking the rice. So start first! You can use any type of rice. We like to cook rice on the stove, but it’s also quick with a pressure cooker. You can also prepare the rice ahead of time and reheat before serving (instructions below). Here are our favorite ways to cook rice:

The Star: Easy Black Beans in 5 Minutes!

The best thing about this bowl of rice, similar to a burrito bowl, is the plain black beans! This way you can get great flavor in just a few minutes of cooking time. Once you’ve started the rice, beat in the black beans. Here’s what you need to add tremendous flavor to these beans in no time:

• Canned black beans: You don’t even have to rinse them! The leftover liquid from the can makes a creamy sauce.
• Fresh Garlic: Freshly chopped garlic brings a great savory flavor.
• Cumin: A hint of cumin adds the final aroma.

Place them in a pan for just 3 minutes and you will be amazed at how much flavor you get. Aside from that bowl of rice, you can use these beans as a component in many different dishes.

How to make a bowl of rice

Once you have your rice and beans: it’s time to make a bowl of rice! The vegetable and sauce ideas we have provided here are just ideas. This is a freeform concept, so anything goes! Here are some ideas for vegetables and components you can swap out to make a bowl of rice. This one looks like a burrito bowl, but you can use different flavors and sauces for a different vibe. The big thread: maximizing the contrasts of colour, taste and texture!

• Make the rice. See above.
• Prepare the egg white. You can of course use any type of protein you like: beans, tofu, tempeh, chicken, shrimp: you name it! This bowl also pairs perfectly with Cilantro Lime Shrimp.
• Prepare the vegetables. Use lots of brightly colored raw vegetables. Some favorites are avocado and cherry tomatoes. We like to add corn for sweetness and red onions for a flavorful crunch. Other ideas: peppers, leafy greens like spinach or mesclun, or roasted sweet potatoes,
• add sauce. Accompany it all with a healthy sauce to balance it out: ideas below!

5 different sauce variations (with vegan options!)

What makes a bowl of rice? The sauce. This bowl of rice is topped with a creamy and tangy cilantro lime ranch to finish it off! You’ll love this flavorful sauce, but we have plenty of other options too. If you’re looking for a vegan option, check out the list below:

White rice vs brown rice

What kind of rice is best for a bowl of rice? Is it better to eat brown rice? Here’s a little breakdown of the benefits of making both varieties for this bowl of rice:

• White rice is quick to prepare and takes about 20 minutes in total. It’s great when you’re pressed for time!
• Brown rice contains more vitamins, minerals and fiber as white rice. 1 cup of cooked white rice contains 0.6 grams of fiber, but 1 cup of cooked brown rice contains 3.2 grams of fiber, or 13% of your daily requirement. (source) It’s also less processed and therefore contains more nutrients. It takes longer to cook, but use our quick method above to cook it in 35 minutes. So if you have the time, brown rice is a great choice for this rice bowl or other brown rice recipes.

Shortcut: Prepare the rice ahead and heat it up!

Make that bowl of rice even quicker by preparing the rice ahead of time. Refrigerate until ready to serve. You may have noticed that rice gets very dry in the refrigerator. Here’s a trick to reheating the rice so it’s perfectly moist:

• Place the cold rice in a saucepan on the stove.
• Add a small drop of water.
• Heat the rice until very hot: the water will evaporate and be absorbed by the rice.

Black bean diet

You can make this bowl of rice with a variety of different protein options. But here’s a catch with using black beans! Here’s why black beans are such a plant-based powerhouse (source):

• Excellent source of protein. 1 cup contains 15 grams of protein, or about 30% of your daily protein needs.
• Excellent source of fiber. 1 cup also contains 15 grams of fiber, which is about 50% of your daily intake.
• Black beans have a lower glycemic index compared to many other high-carbohydrate foods, causing blood sugar levels to rise less after a meal. In fact, some studies have even shown that beans eaten with rice can reduce the rise in blood sugar compared to eating rice alone.

This rice bowl recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.