Summer Vegetable Bowl (Printable)

Vibrant seasonal vegetables sautéed and served over fluffy rice with fresh basil.

# What You'll 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 fresh lemon juice

# How To Make:

01 - Cook rice according to package instructions and keep warm until ready to serve.
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 just tender.
04 - Stir in cherry tomatoes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more until tomatoes begin to soften.
05 - Drizzle with lemon juice if using. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes as desired.
06 - Divide cooked rice evenly among four bowls and top each portion with the sautéed vegetable mixture.
07 - Crown each bowl generously with torn fresh basil leaves and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you'd think, leaving you time to actually enjoy your evening instead of standing over the stove.
  • Every vegetable stays just tender enough to taste fresh, never mushy or overdone.
  • The basil at the end hits like a flavor reset button that makes everything taste bright and alive.
02 -
  • If you add the cherry tomatoes too early, they'll cook down to nothing and your sauce becomes watery instead of cohesive—patience on this step changes everything.
  • Torn basil tastes completely different from chopped, less bitter and more like the herb actually wants to be there.
  • The vegetables don't need to be soft, just warm and slightly tender—overcooked and you've lost the reason to eat fresh produce.
03 -
  • Prep everything before you turn the heat on—this is a fast cook and there's no time to chase down a cutting board mid-sauté.
  • If your skillet isn't large enough, use two instead of crowding everything in—vegetables need space to develop color instead of steaming in their own moisture.
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