Summer Vegetable Bowl (Printable)

Fresh zucchini, tomatoes, corn, and peppers sautéed and served over rice with basil.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 medium zucchini, sliced into half-moons
02 - 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup sweet corn kernels, fresh or frozen
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 yellow bell pepper, diced

→ Base

06 - 2 cups cooked white or brown rice

→ Aromatics and Garnish

07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
11 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
12 - 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

→ Optional

13 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice

# How to Make It:

01 - Cook rice according to package instructions and keep warm.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add zucchini, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and corn to the skillet. Season with salt and black pepper. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender-crisp.
04 - Stir in cherry tomatoes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until they begin to soften.
05 - Drizzle with lemon juice if desired. Adjust seasoning with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.
06 - Divide warm rice equally among four bowls. Top each portion with the sautéed vegetable mixture.
07 - Crown each bowl generously with fresh torn basil and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like summer on a plate without any heavy cooking or complicated techniques to slow you down.
  • You can prep this while having an actual conversation instead of being chained to the stove.
  • Every vegetable keeps its own personality instead of getting mushy or forgettable.
02 -
  • Don't cook all the vegetables at the same time in one sad clump; adding the tomatoes at the end keeps them from releasing all their water into a braise.
  • Fresh basil is not a garnish you can add an hour early, so if you're making this for guests, have the basil ready to tear at the last possible moment.
03 -
  • Cook your rice in vegetable broth instead of water and you've changed the entire mood of the bowl without extra effort.
  • If your tomatoes aren't as flavorful as you'd hoped, add a tiny pinch of sugar to round out the flavor—this is a kitchen trick I learned from someone's grandmother and it works every single time.
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