Rainbow rice is a delicious way to “jazz up” plain white rice with the colors and flavors of carrots, bell peppers, onions and spices.
I don’t know about you, but we eat a lot of rice in our home. Usually it is steamed white rice, only seasoned with butter, salt and pepper.
HOWEVER… that is only because it is so easy to make in our rice cooker, and is a simple side dish to serve with chicken, pork, or fish. Occasionally we have wild rice, rice pilaf, rice salads, and other delicious rice side dishes.
The recipe I am sharing today is for Rainbow rice, which gets its name from the colorful addition of red and green peppers, carrots, and onions.
This original single serving recipe came from an old “Taste of Home” magazine I got way back in 2005, and so I adapted it to serve 4 people. The recipe is not only delicious… it is super easy to make and we really enjoy it! Here’s how to make this delicious side dish:
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Pre-Cook The Rice
The recipe calls for 2 cups of pre-cooked long grain white rice, which will need to be hot when you add the additional ingredients, so plan accordingly. You can make the rice in a rice maker or on the stovetop.
Use whichever method you prefer, but only cook the rice in water. DO NOT add additional butter or seasonings when you cook it. Those will be added later!
Once the rice is done cooking, place it into a medium sized serving bowl, and fluff it with a fork.
Cooking The Veggies
While the rice is being prepared, cook the veggies to get them tender, before adding them to the rice. Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a large skillet on medium-low heat.
Add finely chopped onion, red and green bell peppers, and finely chopped carrots to the melted butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4-5 minutes, or until the veggies become tender.
Pour the cooked veggies (and any remaining butter in the skillet) onto the rice. Stir well, to fully incorporate the veggies (and butter) into the rice.
Season and Serve The Rainbow Rice
Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the rainbow rice, and stir well, to combine. Take a taste, and add more seasonings to suit your taste. Now the rainbow rice is ready to serve! See how easy this dish is to make?
The rice has great flavor from the melted butter, seasonings, and the tender (and did I mention colorful?) veggies.
Make sure to serve this dish HOT, and enjoy it served alongside a favorite meat dish. It’s really quite delicious!
I hope you try this simple recipe for Rainbow Rice, and trust you will enjoy it as much as we do. Leftovers will keep up to 2-3 days in the fridge, if stored in an airtight container, and can be easily microwaved to reheat.
Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope you will come back for more yummy recipes soon. Have a great day!
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You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have some yummy recipes featuring rice you’ll enjoy, including:
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Recipe adapted from: “Taste of Home” magazine, August/September 2005 edition, page 57, published by Reiman Publications, Inc.:
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Rainbow rice is a delicious way to "jazz up" plain white rice with the colors and flavors of carrots, bell peppers, onions and spices.
- 2 cups cooked long grain rice
- ½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
- ½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- ¼ cup finely chopped carrot , peeled
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅙ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
Recipe calls for 2 cups of pre-cooked long grain white rice, which needs to be hot when you add cooked veggies, so plan accordingly. Cook the rice in water. DO NOT add additional butter or seasonings. Once done, put rice in serving bowl; fluff with a fork. Set aside (keep hot).
Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in skillet on medium-low heat. Add onion, red and green bell peppers, and carrots to skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes, or until veggies become tender.
Pour cooked veggies (and any remaining butter in skillet) onto the rice. Stir well, to combine. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir again, to combine. Taste- add additional salt and pepper, if desired. Serve rainbow rice hot, and enjoy!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!