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Slow Cooker Lentil Rice Bowl with Plantains

13 January, 2017 by Giselle Rochford 13 Comments

This Trini-style slow cooker lentil rice bowl is filled with Caribbean inspired plant-based flavours and is a great healthy gluten-free, vegan lunch or dinner.

This Trini-style slow cooker lentil rice bowl is filled with Trinidad inspired plant-based flavours and makes the perfect healthy vegan buddha bowl for lunch or dinner | ExSloth.com

I wasn’t always a big fan of rice and avoided it as often as my mother would allow. However, rice was a staple in my house, so I ate much more of it than I cared to.

But as I got older and my tastes evolved, rice was one of the many things I reintroduced into my diet. I don’t eat it everyday but when I do, I actually enjoy it now. I mean what’s not to love about burrito bowls, buddha bowls and now this Trini-style slow cooker lentil rice bowl? Oh, and we can’t forget about rice pudding.

This Trini-style slow cooker lentil rice bowl is filled with Trinidad inspired plant-based flavours and makes the perfect healthy vegan buddha bowl for lunch or dinner | ExSloth.com

One of my main issues with rice what how bland it is so I’m always looking for ways to add flavour to rice based dishes. Usually, I rely on other part of my meal to provide that flavour. But this time I decided to get a little fancy and jazz up the rice itself.

One of the few rice meals I actually enjoyed when I was younger was black eyed peas and rice. My mother made it every new year for luck and would force us to eat it. Luckily, it tasted so good that it wasn’t really a hardship.

Since I spent the new year in Canada, I made my own vegan version back in December and fell in love all over again. So I decided to base this lentil rice bowl off of that.

This Trini-style slow cooker lentil rice bowl is filled with Trinidad inspired plant-based flavours and makes the perfect healthy vegan buddha bowl for lunch or dinner | ExSloth.com

The lentils and rice part of this recipe is pretty simple and calls for just 10 ingredients and 1 – 2 hours in the slow cooker. You can also prep this part of the rice bowl on the stove top or even in the oven in just 25 – 35 minutes.

The slow cooker version is my favourite since the rice and lentils mixture doesn’t turn out too moist (stovetop) or too dry (oven). It does take longer though, so the other methods are ideal if you’re pressed for time.

This Trini-style slow cooker lentil rice bowl is filled with Trinidad inspired plant-based flavours and makes the perfect healthy vegan buddha bowl for lunch or dinner | ExSloth.com

I also included some boiled plantains and broccoli when I was assembling the lentil rice bowl but that’s optional. You can totally eat the lentils and rice on its own or with a side salad.

The avocado however, is non-negotiable. Because what self-respecting rice bowl doesn’t come with ‘cado?

This Trini-style slow cooker lentil rice bowl is filled with Trinidad inspired plant-based flavours and makes the perfect healthy vegan buddha bowl for lunch or dinner | ExSloth.com

If you make this lentil rice bowl, I’d love to hear what you think. Leave a comment and rate the recipe or take a pic and tag it @ExSloth on Instagram!

More bowls:

  • pumpkin falafel bowl
  • chickpea taco bowl
  • fall harvest salad
Vegan slow cooker lentil rice bowl with plantains
 
Print
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
30 mins
Total time
40 mins
 
This Trini-style slow cooker lentil rice bowl is filled with tonnes of Caribbean inspired plant-based flavours and is a great healthy vegan lunch or dinner
Author: GiselleR @ ExSloth.com
Recipe type: Lunch, Dinner
Cuisine: Vegan, Trini
Serves: 4 rice bowls
Ingredients
For the lentils and rice:
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ cup chopped onion
  • ⅓ cup chopped sweet peppers
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped carrots
  • 1 tsp chopped cilantro
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • ¼ cup chopped tomato
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 2½ cups vegetable stock
  • 1 18oz can lentils, rinsed and drained
Optional add-ons for the bowls:
  • 1 plantain, boiled or steamed and sliced
  • 1 head of broccoli, boiled or steamed
  • avocado
  • pepper sauce and cilantro
Instructions
For the crockpot:
  1. Grease crockpot with olive oil to avoid sticking
  2. Add remaining ingredients to the crockpot and cook on high for 1½ - 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked
If cooking on the stovetop:
  1. Heat oil in a large pot and saute onions, sweet peppers and carrots until softened, about 3 - 4 minutes. Add the garlic, cilantro, thyme, tomatoes and rice and saute for another 2 - 3 minutes, until fragrant
  2. Add the lentils and stock and stir to combine
  3. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and allow to simmer for 20 - 30 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked. Add more stock or water as necessary
  4. Taste and add salt or pepper sauce, if desired
  5. If you haven't already cooked your plantain and broccoli, you can do so while the lentil and rice mixture is simmering
For the oven:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F
  2. Follow steps 1 - 3, ensuring that you use an oven safe pot, preferably cast iron
  3. Bring the mixture to a boil after adding stock, then cover with foil and transfer to the oven
  4. Bake for 25 - 35 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked
Assemble the bowls:
  1. Divide rice into 4 bowls, add plantains, broccoli and avocado
  2. Drizzle with pepper sauce and top with more cilantro, if desired
3.5.3226

Want more rice? Try this wild rice burrito bowl:

Vegan Wild Rice Burrito Bowl with Cilantro-Lime Avocado Dressing via @ExSloth | ExSloth.com

Filed Under: Mains, Apps & Sides, Recipes

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Comments

  1. annie says

    13 January, 2017 at 8:53 am

    My husband loves rice and beans and probably would be happy having them for dinner every night. But I would get sooooo bored in the kitchen, I gotta try new things. I’m definitely trying this next time we have a rice and bean (well, rice and lentil) night. And plantains make EVERYTHING better.
    annie recently posted…Little Nutty Citrus Bites + Citrus Granola + Snack-it-Forward

    Reply
  2. Christine | thyme and toast says

    13 January, 2017 at 10:21 am

    Oh, I love this! Looks amazing.. I am totally going to try it as soon as I get my hands on some plantains…
    Christine | thyme and toast recently posted…Chai Spiced Almond Granola Bars

    Reply
  3. Emily says

    14 January, 2017 at 10:51 am

    I LOVE THE LOOK of this; I’m thankful that God, in His mercy, made rice and has blessed so many countries with rice as a cheap staple food. It can be so so tasty especially when you add lots of delicious spices and you made a huge bomb bowl here with rice. 🙂
    Emily recently posted…The Difference Between Doing Things out of Guilt or Grace

    Reply
  4. Chrissa - Physical Kitchness says

    15 January, 2017 at 5:35 pm

    Avocados are never ever negotiable in my world either. But neither are plantains. I’m obsessed with them fried!!!
    Chrissa – Physical Kitchness recently posted…Easy Home Booty Workout

    Reply
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    18 October, 2021 at 6:13 am

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    Reply
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  7. coxatif423 says

    29 May, 2023 at 6:20 am

    This recipe is so delicious and looks so healthy I tried it at home and after eating it i feel fresh. I was really thankful to you that’s why I give you some winter outwear ideas try this Star Trek Picard Field Jacket for the upcoming winter.

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  8. coxatif423 says

    29 May, 2023 at 6:21 am

    great post

    Reply
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    16 July, 2023 at 9:36 pm

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  11. geometry dash says

    22 January, 2025 at 2:58 am

    nice idea for my dinner. Thank for your sharing

    Reply
  12. sprunki retake says

    8 April, 2025 at 6:10 am

    Received this recipe from a palestinian family late last year and has now become a staple in my diet, i love it so much!

    Reply

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