This cheesy lemon-caper rice is so easy to make and so easy to riff on depending on what’s in season and what’s in your pantry. We think this vegetarian rice and capers will become one of your favorite vegetarian rice recipes!
This cheesy lemon-caper rice recipe is just a few easy steps and you’ll have dinner on the table in a jiff. You can use day-old rice or cook the rice as you prepare the vegetables.
This recipe is made of a few components:
- Shallot for the aromatics
- Brussels sprouts and broccoli for the vegetable
- Butter, capers, lemon, and crushed red pepper for flavoring
- Cheese, of course! We use grated manchego
- Fluffy white rice
Want to riff on this? Here are our suggestions:
- Aromatics: Try it with garlic, yellow, or red onion. Scallions would be good too!
- Vegetables: Your favorite vegetable will work here! Try it with sugar snap peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, sweet peppers, or butternut squash!
- Cheese: We liked manchego for its mellow, slightly tangy flavor. Try it with goat cheese or an Italian cheese like Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, or Asiago. You could even try this with a sharp cheddar or pepperjack cheese for some heat.
No matter how you decide to make it, this lemon rice with capers will become your new favorite vegetarian rice and capers recipe!
How to make this cheesy lemon rice with capers:
Making this lemon rice with capers recipe is a breeze. Simply sauté the ingredients in batches. Start with the shallot and add the broccoli. Take them out of the skillet and add the Brussels sprouts and let them cook until charred and transfer them to the bowl with the broccoli.
Melt butter in the skillet and add the capers and crushed red pepper. Add the rice and cook it until it crisps up in spots. From there, simply add the cheese and the cooked vegetables and lemon juice and toss to coat! That’s it!
Looking for more vegetarian recipes? Check my archives!
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Cheesy Lemon-Caper Rice
Equipment
- Skillet
- Small pot with lid
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil plus more as needed
- 1 shallot peeled and diced
- 3 broccoli crowns cut into florets
- 12 ounces Brussels sprouts trimmed, scrubbed, and halved
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon capers drained
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper plus more if desired
- 3 cups cooked rice fresh or day-old
- ½ cup grated manchego cheese plus more for serving
- ½ lemon juiced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Cook the shallot:
- Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3–4 minutes until it begins to soften.
Cook the broccoli:
- Add the broccoli florets and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes until it turns bright green. Do not overcook the broccoli! Transfer the broccoli and shallots to a bowl.
Cook the Brussels sprouts:
- Add another drizzle of oil to the skillet and turn the heat back to medium-high. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook in an even layer for 2–3 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 2–3 minutes until the Brussels sprouts are well-browned all over. Season with salt and pepper and transfer them to the bowl with the broccoli.
Sauté the capers:
- Turn the heat on the skillet to medium. Melt butter into the skillet and add the capers and crushed red pepper. Cook for 2 minutes.
Crisp up the rice:
- Pour the rice over the capers and flatten it into an even layer. Cook without moving for 3–5 minutes, using your spoon to press the rice into the hot skillet, allowing it to crisp up in places.
Add the cheese:
- Pour the cheese over the rice and spread it into an even layer. Pour the cooked broccoli and Brussels sprouts over the cheese. Add the lemon juice and then stir to combine everything together. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 1–3 minutes more until the cheese is melted. Turn off the heat.
To serve:
- Divide the cooked rice between bowls and serve with more grated cheese on top. Enjoy!
