Caramelized Vegetable Brown Rice Bowl
These caramelized vegetables are savory and sweet and rich enough to make a hearty meal. I served them over steaming brown rice which was a great compliment, though quinoa or millet would do nicely as well. You could change the selection of vegetables with any that would caramelize well. Additional options include green bell pepper, carrots, and butternut squash.
These caramelized vegetables are savory and sweet and rich enough to make a hearty meal. I served them over steaming brown rice which was a great compliment, though quinoa or millet would do nicely as well. You could change the selection of vegetables with any that would caramelize well. Additional options include green bell pepper, carrots, and butternut squash.
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 zucchini, sliced into half moons
- 8 oz baby bella or white button mushrooms sliced
- cooked brown rice or grain of choice
- Carbohydrate 187.0597368736 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 7.32492166956135 g
- Fiber 5.36583328278859 g
- Protein 3.61387500022426 g
- Saturated Fat 1.04331166706636 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (2148g)
- Sodium 5697.66117390885 mg
- Sugar 181.693903590811 g
- Trans Fat 0.484166666745057 g
- Calories 816 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook brown rice while you chop and cook the vegetables.
- In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium heat; add in the sliced onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until onion is soft.
- Add in the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and stir well. Reduce heat to low.
- Stir in the brown sugar and vinegar and simmer, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes.
- Add in the stock, red bell pepper, and zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until zucchini has let out its water and the vegetables begin to caramelize.
- Add in the mushrooms and cook until they begin to caramelize, about another 5 minutes.
- Serve caramelized vegetables over hot brown rice in bowls and enjoy!
True caramelization requires the controlled breakdown of sugars, which occurs when reducing apple cider vinegar and brown sugar alongside aromatics in a wide skillet over medium heat. When adapting this dish for dietary restrictions, the base grain offers immense flexibility; brown rice provides a chewy texture, but quinoa or millet serve as entirely suitable grain swaps at a one-to-one volume ratio. Maintaining precise heat control prevents the garlic and spices from burning during the initial five-minute sauté. Adding vegetables with high water content, such as sliced zucchini and red bell peppers, demands patience because the produce must release its internal moisture before surface browning can begin. Judge doneness visually rather than by timer alone by watching for the mushrooms to shrink by roughly half their initial volume and develop a deep golden-brown exterior hue. This visual cue indicates that the excess water has evaporated and the natural sugars are properly concentrating. Leftovers keep safely in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, though the vegetables will soften further upon reheating.
