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These turmeric yellow rice bowls are the best healthy lunch or dinner! This one features colorful vegetables and a tangy lemon tahini sauce.
This post was created in partnership with Simply Organic. All opinions are our own.
Growing up in the heart of Midwest America, dinner was very “in the box” for me and Alex! Most nights featured a round plate with 3 main piles: meat, veggie, starch. Nothing against the 3-pile-plate; it served us very well growing up, everything from chicken to meatloaf. But after starting to eat more plants, the 3-pile-plate got a little more challenging. Since vegetable-based foods are usually more integrated than separate components, Alex and I moved to the bowl meal concept. Most nights, our food is just stuff in bowls. And never would my younger self imagine that healthy stuff in bowls could be so addictingly good, I’d forget all about the 3-pile plate. Keep reading for this yellow rice bowls recipe.
Related: Easy Dinner Recipes for Two
How to make a yellow rice bowl
This bowl was inspired by a meal we had at a little place up in Minneapolis called Modern Times. Much of the food we eat is modeled after meals at restaurants, and I knew right away that I’d have to recreate this one! It was a brown rice bowl with garlic kale, stir-fried vegetables, and a creamy lemon tahini sauce.
When Simply Organic reached out to us looking to collaborate on clean eating recipe ideas for the new year, we decided to make a version of this meal by adding their turmeric to the rice to give it a vibrant, yellow color. It turned out beautifully; the bright yellow rice is lovely against the deep green broccoli and kale. And we added some chickpeas for added protein. To top it off, we used our favorite zesty, creamy, Best Tahini Sauce. For us, stuff in bowls is not complete without a good sauce, and this tahini sauce is exceptional.
Our yellow rice recipe (turmeric rice)
Yellow rice with turmeric is very easy to make! The turmeric takes simple brown rice and makes it into a lovely yellow confetti. To make our turmeric rice, all you’ll need is brown rice, turmeric, and kosher salt. Bring it to a boil in a saucepan, then let it simmer for 45 minutes. Once it’s cooked, let it steam for 10 minutes to allow it to dry and become more fluffy. You could do the same process with white rice, but the yellow rice would cook much quicker: only about 20 minutes or less.
Not only is turmeric known for its nutritional value, it’s an excellent dye! So when you’re making this yellow rice, take care by protecting your counters and keeping your apron handy! One note is that after boiling, the yellow rice can leave a residue on the inside of the saucepan. Simply wash your pan in hot water and rub it with a rag, and the residue will come right off!
Related: 12 Top Turmeric Recipes
Alex and I have been noshing on this yellow rice bowl with various versions of veg since the new year hit. Rice bowls are a big hit in this household, and this one was no exception. It’s colorful and relatively simple to put together. It also fits a variety of diets like vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free. How about you? How many of your meals are stuff in bowls?
Looking for more healthy dinner bowls?
Outside of this tropical mango quinoa bowl recipe, here are some of our favorite healthy dinner bowls (several of which are quinoa bowl recipes!):
- Veggie Burrito Bowls
- Chickpea Couscous Bowls with Tahini Sauce
- Tropical Mango Quinoa Bowls
- Raw Falafel Buddha Bowls
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Bowl
- Go Green Bowls with Lemon Yogurt Sauce
- Vegetarian Quinoa Bibimbap Bowls
- Chickpea Fattoush Bowls
- Thai Salad with Peanut Sauce Dressing
This recipe is…
This brocolli and yellow rice bowls recipe is vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, plant-based, and dairy-free.
Yellow Rice Bowls with Broccoli & Kale
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
These turmeric yellow rice bowls are the best healthy lunch or dinner! This one features colorful vegetables and a tangy with lemon tahini sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 cup short grain brown rice* (try using our Instant Pot method)
- 1 ½ teaspoons Simply Organic turmeric
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Best Lemon Tahini Sauce
- 3 carrots
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 4 green onions
- 1/2 bunch kale (3 large leaves)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 15-ounce can chickpeas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, stir together the short grain brown rice, 2 cups water, turmeric and kosher salt bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a low simmer; cook for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered to steam for 10 minutes. (After boiling, the yellow rice can leave a residue on the inside of the saucepan. Simply wash your pan in hot water and rub it with a rag, and the residue will come right off.)
- Make the Best Lemon Tahini Sauce.
- Peel and slice the carrots. Cut broccoli into florets. Thinly slice the green onions; reserve 2 for a garnish. Chop the kale. Peel the garlic. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil with the whole cloves garlic. Add the carrots and saute for 3 minutes, stirring often, then add broccoli and 2 green onions and saute for 3 minutes. Add the kale and ¼ cup water and saute for 2 minutes, stirring, until bright green and wilted. Add 1 pinch kosher salt, chickpeas and 2 tablespoons soy sauce and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and remove the garlic cloves.
- To serve, place vegetables and rice in a bowl and top with green onions and lemon tahini sauce.
Notes
*As a time saver, use white rice and make according to the package instructions, adding the turmeric quantity above.
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Yellow Rice, Yellow Rice Recipe, Turmeric Rice, Bowl Meal, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free, Rice Bowl, Buddha Bowl,
I’m all for stuff-it-in-a-bowl meals, especially ones that are this healthy! Your combination of flavors here sound super delish! Definitely my kind of thing!
Bowls are the best. Thank you so much, and let us know if you give it a try!
You’ve never made “stuff in bowls” sound so appealing! I love the turmeric rice, and you’re right, the turmeric makes both the rice and those greens pop! Lovely bowl for a dreary January day.
Thank you Katie! We’d never tried turmeric and it’s funny how much more appealing it makes the rice!
Bowl foods!!! I’ve been roasting potatoes, brussel sprouts, carrots, and onions and putting them on top of brown rice lately – so good and simple! I’ve been in search for a sauce and lemon tahini sounds like a great choice soooo next time I make a rice bowl that will be happening.
Yum, I love that! So simple and no need for a recipe. Let us know if you try the sauce — it makes any combo of veg into something totally new!
I love that turmeric rice! I bet it goes great with pretty much anything. Yum!
Funny how just adding color makes it so much more appealing! Thanks, Katrina!
Looks delicious! I *still* need to try cooking with turmeric! Thanks for the inspiration :)
Yes! Give it a go — it’s so easy and has great results :)
My culinary upbringing was also very “in the box”… when I went vegetarian, my parents told me I’d have to cook for myself from then on! But now I love discovering now flavors and cuisines. Turmeric wasn’t something I ever had growing up, but I love it now! :D
Haha, yes it’s funny how bringing in more vegetables can bring so much creativity to life. I don’t think I had turmeric growing up either!
Think I could cook the turmeric rice in my rice cooker instead of on the stove?
Hi! It would probably work… but I’m not sure if the spice would damage the rice cooker at all or make it difficult to clean.
Okay making it right now. My husband is a little reluctant to sour or spicy so added a T of honey to the dressing. Thanks for the great no meat options. Keep them coming and bowls are 2016 just sayin’.
Haha! I supposed bowls have been around for ages but I love the idea of making them ‘cool’ again. Bowls FTW!
The turmeric rice looks beautiful here, and everything in this bowl sounds delicious. I’ve yet to go to Modern Times, but it’s heading to the top of my list now.
Ooo fantastic! They have a huge variety of options and we found something for everyone on the menu. Let us know if you try it out!
This is completely my husband and me! I grew up with a three pile plate and realized recently that we hardly ever even use the plates in our household, but we try to cram stuff in bowls and then top with more fresh healthy stuff and it wasn’t working. So, for Christmas we splurged and bought low bowls from Crate and Barrel to accommodate more (since most of our meals are just stuff-in-1-bowl meals). We like to add fresh spinach or herbs to add even more green to our bowls. Our new low-bowls have been in constant rotation.
Also, this recipe looks great and I’m going to try it tonight!
This is a great point! We actually bought new “low” bowls as you mention too for the same reason! I *love* them and how you can stuff more yummy things into them easily. This may have to be the topic of an upcoming podcast!