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Brown Rice Bowl with Roasted Carrots, Kale, and Fried Eggs

By Sara Mayer

Published on April 1, 2019

Time

1½ hours

Yield

Serves 4

Brown Rice Bowl with Roasted Carrots, Kale, and Fried Eggs

Ingredients

2 cups boiling water 1 cup long-grain brown rice, rinsedSalt and pepper 5 carrots, peeled, halved crosswise, then halved or quartered lengthwise to create uniformly sized pieces⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons za'atar 8 ounces kale, stemmed and chopped into 1-inch strips2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 small shallot, minced4 large eggs

Before You Begin

Medium-grain or short-grain brown rice can be substituted for the long-grain rice.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine boiling water, rice, and ¾ teaspoon salt in 8-inch square baking dish and cover tightly with 2 layers of aluminum foil. Bake rice on lower rack until tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove rice from oven, uncover, and fluff with fork. Cover with dish towel and let sit for 5 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, toss carrots, 1 tablespoon oil, za'atar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Spread carrots onto parchment paper–lined baking sheet, cover with foil, and roast on upper rack for 20 minutes.
  3. Toss kale, 1 tablespoon oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Remove foil from carrots and spread kale on top. Continue to roast vegetables, uncovered, until carrots are spotty brown and tender and kale is crisp and edges are lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
  4. Portion brown rice into individual bowls and top with roasted vegetables. Whisk vinegar, shallot, and 3 tablespoons oil together in bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle vinaigrette over rice and vegetables; cover and set aside.
  5. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over low heat for 5 minutes. Crack eggs into 2 small bowls (2 eggs per bowl) and season with salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high and heat until oil is shimmering. Working quickly, pour eggs into skillet, cover, and cook for 1 minute. Remove skillet from burner and let sit, covered, 15 to 45 seconds for runny yolks, 45 to 60 seconds for soft but set yolks, and about 2 minutes for medium-set yolks. Top each bowl with fried egg, and serve.
Brown Rice Bowl with Roasted Carrots, Kale, and Fried Eggs
Styling by Marie Piraino.

Brown Rice Bowl with Roasted Carrots, Kale, and Fried Eggs

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Time

1½ hours

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups boiling water
1 cup long-grain brown rice, rinsed
Salt and pepper
5 carrots, peeled, halved crosswise, then halved or quartered lengthwise to create uniformly sized pieces
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons za'atar
8 ounces kale, stemmed and chopped into 1-inch strips
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
4 large eggs

Ingredients

2 cups boiling water
1 cup long-grain brown rice, rinsed
Salt and pepper
5 carrots, peeled, halved crosswise, then halved or quartered lengthwise to create uniformly sized pieces
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons za'atar
8 ounces kale, stemmed and chopped into 1-inch strips
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
4 large eggs

Ingredients

2 cups boiling water
1 cup long-grain brown rice, rinsed
Salt and pepper
5 carrots, peeled, halved crosswise, then halved or quartered lengthwise to create uniformly sized pieces
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons za'atar
8 ounces kale, stemmed and chopped into 1-inch strips
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
4 large eggs

Why This Recipe Works

Rice bowls are a healthy, hearty dish in which a combination of flavorful components are arranged on a bed of rice. We were after a version that paired nutty brown rice with roasted vegetables. First we tossed sweet carrots with za'atar, a spice blend commonly used across both the Middle East and Mediterranean, and roasted them until they were tender and spotty brown. We started cooking them covered to soften them, then we uncovered them for the last 15 minutes to get a nice roasted flavor and some caramelization. When we uncovered the carrots, we also spread some chopped kale over the top. Briefly roasting the kale gave it great flavor and a crispy texture that provided the dish with nice contrast. Taking advantage of the time the vegetables spent in the oven, we baked the rice alongside, which was a conveniently hands-off method that gave us great results. To round out the rice and vegetables, we topped each bowl with a fried egg, which, when broken, moistened the rice and added another layer of richness to the dish. A simple red wine vinegar and shallot vinaigrette finished the dish.

Before You Begin

Medium-grain or short-grain brown rice can be substituted for the long-grain rice.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine boiling water, rice, and ¾ teaspoon salt in 8-inch square baking dish and cover tightly with 2 layers of aluminum foil. Bake rice on lower rack until tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove rice from oven, uncover, and fluff with fork. Cover with dish towel and let sit for 5 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, toss carrots, 1 tablespoon oil, za'atar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Spread carrots onto parchment paper–lined baking sheet, cover with foil, and roast on upper rack for 20 minutes.
  3. Toss kale, 1 tablespoon oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Remove foil from carrots and spread kale on top. Continue to roast vegetables, uncovered, until carrots are spotty brown and tender and kale is crisp and edges are lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
  4. Portion brown rice into individual bowls and top with roasted vegetables. Whisk vinegar, shallot, and 3 tablespoons oil together in bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle vinaigrette over rice and vegetables; cover and set aside.
  5. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over low heat for 5 minutes. Crack eggs into 2 small bowls (2 eggs per bowl) and season with salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high and heat until oil is shimmering. Working quickly, pour eggs into skillet, cover, and cook for 1 minute. Remove skillet from burner and let sit, covered, 15 to 45 seconds for runny yolks, 45 to 60 seconds for soft but set yolks, and about 2 minutes for medium-set yolks. Top each bowl with fried egg, and serve.

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