Recipe

7 Simple Side Dishes That Pair Well With Rice

By Tessa Domzalski at University of Canberra

As an Asian, I'm a firm believer that you can eat anything with rice. Yes, anything. Rice is absurdly cheap and is a great base for any meal — I still haven't found a single thing that doesn't taste great on rice. In case you also wanna hop aboard the grain-train, here are seven simple side dishes that go great with rice.

Pesto Shrimp

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 25 mins
  • Servings: 2
Ingredients
  • Package shrimp
  • 4 tablespoons homemade or jarred pesto
  • Garlic
  • Lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Tessa Domzalski

Step 1

Clean shrimp. Remove tails. Chop garlic.

Step 2

In a large bowl mix shrimp with pesto sauce. Add salt and pepper. Marinate at least 15 minutes.

Step 3

Add garlic to oiled pan. Cook on medium heat until garlic is fragrant.

Step 4

Add shrimp. Stir on medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until shrimp is pink and cooked.

Step 5

Drizzle with lemon juice.

Sauteed Shrooms & Spinach

  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 10 mins
  • Servings: 1
Ingredients
  • 4 button mushrooms
  • 1 handful spinach
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Tessa Domzalski

Step 1

Slice mushrooms and chop garlic.

Step 2

Add garlic and mushrooms to an oiled pan. When the mushrooms have gotten a bit soft with a light sear, add the spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted.

Step 3

Salt and pepper to taste.

Quick-Pickled Carrots & Cucumbers

  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 25 mins
  • Servings: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 large carrot
  • 1 large cucumber
  • 1/2 cup vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Optional: chili flakes

Tessa Domzalski

Step 1

Thinly slice, cube or spiralize the carrot and the cucumber. Doesn't matter what cutting technique you use as long as you get them thin.

Step 2

Add vinegar and water to pot. Cook on high heat. Stir in salt and sugar. When it begins to bubble remove from heat.

Step 3

Pour vinegar mixture over vegetables until covered. Chill in fridge for at least 15 minutes.

Bell Pepper Medley

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 25 mins
  • Servings: 2
Ingredients
  • 3 peppers various colors
  • 1 onion
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Salt to taste

Tessa Domzalski

Step 1

Slice peppers to uniform size (1/4 in). Thinly slice onions.

Step 2

Add peppers and onion to oiled pan. Cook on medium-high heat until onions are caramelized and peppers cooked to a soft-but-crisp state.

Step 3

Add cayenne, salt and pepper to taste.

Buttered Broccoli

  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 15 mins
  • Servings: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 head broccoli
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Xara Brianna

Step 1

Wash broccoli and cut into florets.

Step 2

Add water to a pan until it is a 1/4 inch full, then set to a boil. Salt water then add broccoli florets. Add lid to pan and steam broccoli for 3-8 minutes or desired softness.

Step 3

Drain water from pan. Mix butter, salt and pepper with broccoli until well-incorporated.

Sausage & Potato Hash

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Total Time: 35 mins
  • Servings: 2
Ingredients
  • 1-2 sausage your choice
  • 1/2 onion
  • 2 small potatoes or 1 large potato
  • Butter/oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Tessa Domzalski

Step 1

Poke a couple of holes in a potato (with a knife or a fork) then put in the microwave for 5 on high. Remove when cooked. Allow to cool.

Step 2

While potato is cooking in microwave throw sausages of choice (chorizo or kielbasa is good) into a pot or pan with boiling water. Simmer sausage for 8-10 minutes until mostly cooked. Remove from water, allow to cool.

Step 3

Cube potato. Slice sausage. Dice onion.

Step 4

Add enough butter or oil to coat pan. Add onion, potato and sausage. Cook on medium-high until onions are browned, sausage is cooked-through and potatoes have a crispy exterior.

(Feel free to experiment and add other herbs or vegetables: celery, parsley, garlic, carrot, cabbage, etc. )

Step 5

Serve on rice.

Soft-Boiled Soy Sauce Egg

  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 20 mins
  • Servings: 2
Ingredients
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

Tessa Domzalski

Step 1

Boil water in pot on high heat. Add eggs when water is bubbling. Cook for 6-8 minutes. Remove and IMMEDIATELY dunk eggs into a bowl of ice water. Wait for eggs to cool down, then peel off the shell.

Step 2

In a large bowl combine soy sauce and sugar. Mix until sugar dissolves.

Step 3

Add peeled eggs to soy sauce mixture. Let soak for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.

Step 4

Eat eggs whole or slice in half.

Now you have seven side dishes that not only taste great with rice, but also on tons of other stuff. Try them out and see what works for you and what doesn't!