Turkish Zucchini Bean and Rice Skillet! Easy to prepare, this one-pot wonder is a wholesome, comforting dish that brings together simple ingredients to create a flavorful, satisfying meal.
Discover the delicious flavors of Turkish comfort food with this hearty Zucchini Bean and Rice Skillet. Packed with tender white beans, fluffy rice, and fresh zucchini, this dish is a nourishing and satisfying meal perfect for any night of the week. The addition of aromatic onions, ripe tomatoes, crisp green bell peppers, and fragrant Turkish spices creates a beautifully balanced, lightly flavored tomato broth that enhances every bite. Whether you’re craving a cozy dinner or looking for a nutritious option to feed the family, this Turkish Zucchini Bean and Rice Skillet is sure to become a new favorite in your recipe collection.
Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.
Hi there, Ameera here!
If you’re on the lookout for a dish that’s not only incredibly tasty but also easy on the budget, then this Turkish Zucchini Bean and Rice Skillet is a must-try! It’s the kind of comfort food that warms your soul and satisfies your hunger without complicating your dinner plans.
I love how versatile and quick it is to make — perfect for busy weeknights when you want something wholesome and flavorful with minimal effort. Plus, it’s a great way to enjoy fresh vegetables and hearty beans in one delicious, budget-friendly dish.
Trust me, once you taste this Turkish favorite, you’ll be hooked. Give it a shot and bring a little Turkish flair to your dinner table tonight!
Tips for Success:
- Flavor Profile: This Turkish Zucchini Bean and Rice Skillet is Turkish comfort food, made with hearty white beans, rice, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, green bell peppers and fragrant spices, all in a lightly flavored tomato broth. Easy to make, it’s both satisfying and wholesome.
- Low-Fat Dish Expectations: This dish was designed to be low in fat. Because it is low in fat, you are not going to experience that endorphin rush associated with eating high-fat foods when eating this dish. It is very tasty for what it is, and that is a low-fat dish. We just want to make sure that our Readers recognize this when contemplating making this recipe.
- Cannellini Beans: We used cannellini beans; however, feel free to use your favorite white bean.
- Tomato: We used a medium-sized tomato that was seeded, and the flesh was small diced. If you can’t find a decent tomato at the grocery store, feel free to use ½ cup of petite diced tomatoes from a can that has been thoroughly drained.
- Spices: This skillet dish is lightly seasoned but has excellent flavor. You can easily ramp up the spices if you wish.
- Zucchini: We used a medium, unpeeled zucchini that was approximately 9 oz. in size. Feel free to use a zucchini between 8 and 10 oz. This equates to approximately 2 cups small-diced zucchini.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda is often used as a neutralizer for dishes that contain a lot of acidity, typically from tomatoes. We use it in this dish to remove some of the tomato acidity (from the tomato paste and diced tomato) without losing the tomatoey flavor. When you add it, the mixture may bubble up, then settle down as it neutralizes the acidity. However, if you prefer that ‘tinny’ flavor that comes from canned tomatoes, then leave out the baking soda or perhaps use a tiny pinch.
- Aleppo Pepper (Optional): The Aleppo pepper is optional. It has beautiful flavor, and we enjoy it. Aleppo pepper can have some heat to it depending on the brand. We suggest that you taste the Aleppo pepper as some brands are very mild and others pack some heat. Based upon your taste test will allow you to make an informed decision on how much to use or even if you wish to use it. Aleppo Pepper tends to hit you on the backend of the palate. If unsure, start out using a tiny pinch and work up from there or simply sprinkle some on individual servings. Note: Do not add the Aleppo Pepper in with the other spices when the other spices are added. Add it at the end.
- Aleppo Pepper Substitutions: You can substitute the Aleppo pepper with crushed red pepper flakes.
- Steamed Rice: The amount of steamed rice (either cold and refrigerated or recently cooked) is 2/3 cup (up to 1 cup) of cooked rice. This appears to be a small amount and it is however, this skillet recipe is not about the rice unless of course, you want more rice, then feel free to add up to 1 cup. This dish is about those hearty beans and veggies (zucchini, green bell peppers, onions, garlic, and tomatoes). Keep in mind that the more rice you add, it will soak up the liquids and become a drier dish.
- Amount of Sea Salt: Our family was completely divided over the amount of sea salt that was used in this recipe. Some felt it needed additional sea salt seasoning. We landed on 1 ¼ teaspoons.
- Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
- Table Salt: If using table salt, you should use less table salt than the amount listed in the ingredients as sea salt crystals are larger than table salt crystals. Since table salt crystals are very fine, less table salt is required to season a dish. We would suggest starting with about 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of sea salt listed. You can always add more salt but cannot take it away. We recommend using sea salt as it is less refined than table salt.
Leftovers and Freezing:
Leftovers will generally keep 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator, undressed. Store in a covered air-tight container.
This dish can be frozen; however, this dish is best when served immediately after making.
Pantry Products:
- Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Kitchen Equipment:
- Large skillet
If you try this delicious skillet meal, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
Print
Turkish Zucchini Bean and Rice Skillet
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 35 Minutes
- Total Time: 50 Minutes
- Yield: 7 Cups 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Turkish Inspired
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Discover the delicious flavors of Turkish comfort food with this hearty, plant-powered Turkish Zucchini Bean and Rice Skillet.
Ingredients
Skillet Ingredients:
- 1 medium yellow onion, fine dice
- 1 medium zucchini (2 cups), small dice *
- ½ cup diced green bell peppers
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth *
- 1 cup water
- 1 medium tomato, seeded, diced *
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Spice/Herb Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika (+/-)
- 1 teaspoon cumin (+/-)
- Pinch to ¼ teaspoon black pepper (+/-)
- ¼ to 1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt (+/-) *
- 1 bay leaf
Other Ingredients:
- 2 – [ 15.5 oz. cans ] cannellini beans, drained and rinsed *
- 2/3 to 1 cup steamed brown rice (or rice of choice) *
- Pinch to ¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper (optional) *
Instructions
- Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients (except the bay leaf) in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
- In a large skillet, add the onions, zucchini, and green bell peppers, sauté over medium-high heat for 7 to 9 minutes to soften, add a splash of water, if needed to avoid burning. Then lower the heat to medium, add the minced garlic and tomato paste sauté, stir constantly for one minute.
- Then add all the remaining Skillet Ingredients (except the baking soda) and the Spice/Herb Mix to the skillet, stir to incorporate, bring the mixture to a boil, then immediately lower to a simmer. Add the baking soda and the beans, stir to incorporate, tuck in the bay leaf, then gently simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, then stir in the cooked rice and Aleppo pepper (if adding) and simmer for several minutes. After several minutes, remove from the stove and allow to stand undisturbed for 8 to 10 minutes to allow the flavors to marry. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Serve with flatbread, pita, or crusty bread.
Notes
Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.
Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Servings: 4. (makes 6 ½ to 7 cups)
This post contains affiliate links, and we may receive a very small commission if you purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures! For more information, see our disclosures here.