Give white rice a delicious and sneakily nutritious makeover with this Zucchini Rice Recipe. Featuring fragrant jasmine rice, delicate shreds of riced zucchini, sweet sautéed garlic and onion, bright lemon, salty parmesan, and whatever fresh tender herbs you prefer, this easy rice and zucchini side dish is the ticket to upping your veggie intake without compromising on flavor!Recipe can be scaled up or down by using the slider if you hover your mouse over the number of Servings.
Sauté aromatics: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and season with Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds.
Deglaze pan: Add the wine to the pan and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the wine is evaporated, about 3 minutes.
Add rice, then broth: Add the rice to the pot and sir. Then add the vegetable or chicken broth the pan and stir once to combine.
Bring to simmer: Immediately increase the medium-high and bring the broth to a rapid simmer (low boil) WITHOUT stirring. Once the broth is simmering, stir the rice ONCE to combine.
Cover and cook: Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to LOW. Gently cook rice (NO PEAKING) for 10-12 minutes, or until all the liquid is evaporated. (Note: At 10 minutes you can peak to check on the water.)
Add zucchini and flavor: Remove the rice from the heat and dump the shredded zucchini, lemon juice, lemon zest, parmesan, and the remaining tablespoon of butter on top of the rice. Immediately cover the pan and let the zucchini rice sit 5 minutes.
Fluff rice and adjust taste: Remove the lid and use a fork to fluff the rice and stir everything together. Add the fresh herbs, if using. Taste the rice and adjust for seasonings as necessary.
Serve: Serve zucchini rice immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Rice: I typically use Jasmine rice; but basmati works great too. However, you can swap in your favorite variety of long-grain white rice. Alternatively, you can use a different variety, such as brown rice or even quinoa. Just make sure you cook the rice according to the instructions on the package.
Zucchini: Smaller zucchini are sweeter in flavor and have less moisture; so, I prefer to use those. You’ll need about 3 cups or 300-330 grams of shredded zucchini – pre-dried. Please note that you can absolutely use more shredded zucchini if you prefer a veggie-heavy side dish.
Drying shredded zucchini: You don’t have to aggressively dry the zucchini, just pat it thoroughly dry and call it a day.
Broth: You can substitute water if you prefer. I typically use a bouillon cube dissolved in water because I prefer the flavor.
Wine: You can omit this ingredient and step entirely if you prefer.
Optional Mix-ins: This is a basic rice recipe that can be easily jazzed-up for fancier palates. Below are some ingredients that you can easily add to this zucchini rice for more sustenance and/or flavor:
Diced Roasted Bell Peppers
Diced Avocado
Jalapeno Peppers
Pine Nuts
Scallions
Pesto
Serving suggestions: Pairs great with chicken, shrimp, scallops, sausage, salmon, meats, eggplant
Recipe Serves: 4-6 people
Nutritional information is an estimate based upon 6 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.