Rice with Asparagus and Mushrooms – 15 Minute Meals Series

We love this quick and easy recipe for rice with asparagus and mushrooms. This is one of those recipes that is crowd-pleasing and deceptively vegan. With just a little bit of preparation or purchasing prepared ingredients, it can be an easy addition to your weeknight meals. 

Ingredient Spotlight

Brown Rice

Rice is a staple of many diets around the world and has been in various cuisines for thousands of years. Rice is a grain, and brown rice is the whole grain nomenclature we often use in the US. The grain contains nutrients, fibers, protein, and even some fats. But before the advancements of food distributions, the fiber, protein, and fats within the germ would turn the rice rancid and ruin the flavor. For this reason, many cultures removed the hull of the rice to preserve it for longer. While both white and brown rice are widely available, but the healthier option is to select brown rice for additional fiber and protein content. Learn more about rice here.

Lemon Juice

Adding lemon juice to your meals will elevate your flavors and brighten up the taste of the vegetables in your dish. While the serving size of the lemon in this recipe is not enough to give you many health benefits, know that lemons are a great source of vitamin C and antioxidants. 

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a quick and affordable way to incorporate healthy proteins and flavor into your dishes. If you prepare mushrooms correctly, they can be extremely versatile and delicious. In this recipe, we’re using baby Bella mushrooms since they are relatively inexpensive and versatile. We also purchased them pre-sliced to help us save some preparation time. If you’re interested in using more mushrooms, click here to see our recipe for roasted mushrooms with quinoa or white bean and mushroom veggie burgers.

Asparagus

Asparagus has a reputation for making your pee smell funny, but it provides much more than meets the eye. It’s is a low-calorie vegetable that is an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals, particularly folate and vitamins A, C, and K. With its high fiber content, it can help support your digestive health. There are also flavonoids in asparagus that have been linked to anti-inflammation. If you’re interested in using more asparagus, click here to see our recipe for asparagus in a creamy vegan bean sauce.

Sustaining you and the planet

Rice with mushrooms and asparagus is a quick and easy way to create something deceptively vegan. It doesn’t mimic an animal product, but it stands alone as a great meal. Plus, with a slight bit of preparation, like making the brown rice ahead of time and purchasing pre-cut mushrooms, you can make this recipe from start to finish in about 15 minutes. This way, you can easily incorporate rice with asparagus and mushrooms into your weeknight meals.

This rice with asparagus and mushrooms recipe has no cholesterol, is low in sodium, and it also incorporates both soluble and insoluble fibers. It is also low-calorie if that’s a concern for you. We’ve included the complete nutritional information at the bottom of the recipe for your convenience.

Rice with Asparagus and Mushrooms Recipe

Preparation:

1. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in the pan over medium heat.
2. Cook onion in the pan, and add salt to help it become tender.
3. Next Add the asparagus pieces to the pan.
4. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
5. Then add the sliced mushrooms. Add more olive oil to coat the mushrooms. Cook until tender.
6. Then add lemon juice and stir.
7. Add your rice and mix well until fully incorporated.
8. Add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and/or other desired seasonings.
9. Serve your brown rice with mushrooms and asparagus and enjoy!

Recipe Variations

If you want to add a pop of flavor, try adding a tablespoon of your favorite pesto or hot sauce to the dish during your seasoning process. We used pesto here for a more robust flavor, and it helped amplify the flavor of the dish. While we haven’t tried hot sauce yet, I’m sure a dash of sriracha would work well in this recipe. I would recommending refraining fro using the Italian seasoning if you decide to use hot sauce since the flavors may clash.

If you can’t find brown rice, you can change the grain type to barley, bulgar, or quinoa. Each offer their own unique health benefits, and you can learn more about these grains on our website!

If you don’t like asparagus, you can try to replace the recipe with green beans. We haven’t tested it, but let us know in the comments below how it turns out!

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