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Southwest Garlic Cilantro Rice Bowls

Build-your-own rice bowls with black beans, charred corn and a garlic cilantro balsamic dressing poured over everything.

  • 40 min total
  • 20 min prep
  • 20 min cook
  • Easy
  • Serves 4
  • Vegetarian
Olive Tree Marketplace recipe — Southwest garlic cilantro rice bowls — sliced chicken over rice with black beans, corn, peppers and lime

Ingredients

  • 2 cups long-grain rice, cooked and warm
  • 5 tbsp Garlic Cilantro Dark Balsamic, divided
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1.5 tsp salt, divided
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
  • 1/2 cup crumbled cotija or feta
  • Lime wedges, to serve

Let’s make it

  1. Whisk 4 tbsp Garlic Cilantro Dark Balsamic with 3 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and the pepper to make the dressing. Set aside.
  2. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over high. Add the corn in one layer and char 4-5 minutes without stirring, then stir and char 3 minutes more.
  3. Add the black beans, cumin and 1/2 tsp salt to the pan and warm through for 2 minutes.
  4. Fluff the warm rice with the last 1/2 tsp salt, half the cilantro and 2 tbsp of the dressing so it seasons from underneath.
  5. Build the bowls: rice, then the corn and beans, tomatoes, avocado and red onion.
  6. Spoon the remaining dressing over each bowl and finish with cheese, the rest of the cilantro, the last tablespoon of dark balsamic and lime wedges.

Why it works

Dressing the rice while it is warm means it absorbs the seasoning instead of sitting under it, which is the difference between a composed bowl and a pile of toppings. Charring the corn hard in a dry-ish pan builds flavour that beans alone cannot.

The OTM finish

A last tablespoon of Garlic Cilantro Dark Balsamic over each built bowl.

Make it your own

Add the garlic cilantro grilled chicken or steak, swap rice for quinoa or cauliflower rice, or add pickled jalapeños and shredded cabbage.

Quick tip

Dress the rice while it is still warm. Cold rice will not take up the dressing.

Shop the recipe

The bottle this recipe is built on.

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