This One-Pot Spicy Vegetable Rice is our go to favourite mid-week dinner. 30 minutes & one pot is all that is standing between you & a big bowl full of deliciously spiced, flavourful rice studded with sweet, soft veggies.
I have been making this One-Pot Spicy Vegetable Rice for years and years and it is one of our favourite mid week, quick and easy dinners.
I can’t remember where the original recipe from, but I know that it involved chicken and seafood and was kind of a Spanish paella type dish.
Of course, the ingredients I use have changed over the years and it has evolved into a cruelty free, spicy veggie rice which gets made very frequently.
HOW TO MAKE SPICY VEGETABLE RICE
SEE MY VIDEO FOR A VISUAL GUIDE. FOR INGREDIENTS & FULL INSTRUCTIONS PLEASE SEE THE RECIPE CARD AT THE END OF THIS POST
Step 1
Prep and chop the veggies
Step 2
Sauté them in a large pan
Step 3
Add the rice, spices, seasonings and water
Step 4
Stir well then simmer until the rice is tender
That’s all there is to it. It’s such an easy, straightforward meal.
Smoked paprika and turmeric are two of my favourite spices and they marry together beautifully in this very flavourful dish. The colours are lovely too with the rich mustardy yellow and the reds, greens and yellows from the veggies.
The bell peppers become super sweet and the grape tomatoes give bursts of flavour in each bite. We love it served with some spicy Field Roast Sausage!
COMPLETELY CUSTOMIZABLE
Bell peppers, onions and garlic are essential to the flavour in this recipe but the other vegetables are pretty flexible. Replace them with whatever you have in your fridge or customize to suit your tastes. As long as you use roughly the same quantities all will be good. Even frozen veg works well.
It’s also amazing with my Fiery Habanero Hot Sauce. drizzled all over.
I’M LOVING THIS SPICY VEGETABLE RICE BECAUSE IT’S:
- easy
- made in one pot… hello?…hardly any washing up! ????
- simple and uncomplicated
- full of flavour
- really easy to make it un-spicy so kids can enjoy it too
- perfect as a meal or a side
- leftovers reheat really well
HOW TO MAKE SPICY VEGETABLE RICE UN-SPICY ????
If you have young children or someone who doesn’t like spicy food you can easily omit the chili from this recipe to make it ‘un-spicy’ rice. I do it all the time when we have guests who are a little sensitive to heat.
If you do omit the chili, to keep those that want some heat happy, just put a bottle of great hot sauce on the table so that they can add it to their individual bowls once it’s served.
LEFTOVERS
If you end up with any leftovers they reheat really well in the microwave. It keeps well in the fridge for a day or two and is perfect to reheat at mealtimes when time is at a premium. When reheating I add a few drops of water to stop the rice drying out.
Try repurposing it into burritos. One of our favourite ways to use the leftovers!
For more vegan rice recipes, check out these great options:
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One-Pot Spicy Vegetable Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
- 1 medium onion , chopped finely
- 3 medium carrots , chopped into small pieces
- 4 cloves garlic , chopped finely
- 2 large bell peppers , cut into large chunks, (red, yellow or orange are best in this)
- 150g | 1 cup frozen peas (or chopped green beans)
- 150g | 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes , or chili flakes, or a small fresh or dried chili chopped
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (you can sub this for chipotle powder)
- 250g | 1 ¼ uncooked long grain rice , white or brown, standard, basmati or jasmine is all fine
- 600mls | 2½ cups water , plus more if needed
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat.
- Saute the onions until translucent. If you do not wish to use oil then use can dry fry them or use a drop of water instead.
- Add the carrots, garlic and bell peppers and continue cooking for a few minutes.
- Add the rice, tomatoes, peas, spices, seasoning and water.
- Cook until the liquid starts to bubble, give it a real good stir, turn down low, cover with a lid and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, stirring occasionally. If it gets to the stage where the water is absorbed and the rice isn't quite tender, you can boil a kettle and add another ¼ cup or so of water to finish it off.
- Serve immediately.
Long time vegan, creator of A Virtual Vegan & author of the book 
Beth says
I omitted the red pepper flakes, used just one red bell pepper because the pepper was huge, and I forgot to add in the frozen peas, but the rice dish was still very tasty.
I used basmati rice and once the lid was on, it took 20 minutes to cook and for the rice to absorb nearly all the water. I stirred occasionally and the rice didn’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pot!
The recipe is totally delicious as is, but I would love to know if you have any spice/seasoning suggestions for how to change this up flavor-wise. (Maybe even other vegetable combinations). I’m just not good at spice pairings and things like that.
A Virtual Vegan says
I’m glad you enjoyed it Beth. With this recipe just about any vegetable goes. I use it as a clear out the fridge type meal. It’s perfect for using veggies that are just passed their best. Greens like kale and spinach are particularly good in it, just stir them through 5 minutes before serving because they don’t need much cooking. And mushrooms too.
As for spices, you can do a curry version with curry powder instead of turmeric and smoked paprika and maybe throw in some golden raisins or sultanas and a sprinkle of flaked almonds to serve. Cumin works well. A mix of cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, and turmeric would be nice, a bay leaf tucked in there as it cooks would be lovely. There’s saffron, thyme and oregano too. It’s a really good recipe to make your own!
Hope that helps!
Phillip says
Wow! Nice recipe. THANKS
Lindsay says
Really easy and tasty. We love spicy food and this will be on a regular rotation now.
Marta Lynch says
Unfortunately this was not a hit with my family or myself. Combination of flavors and textures were not appealing despite our love for spicy dishes.