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Justine Doiron

just real good food

Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Recipes, Snacks + Sides, Special Diets, Vegan, Vegetarian · May 16, 2023

Broccoli & Herb Rice Balls

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Yes, these broccoli and herb rice balls were designed as a way to use leftover and yes, they don’t necessarily constitute a full meal – but also YES, they are crispy, delicious, and really, really easy. So I felt like they had earned their spot on the blog.

Plus! They are so versatile. You don’t have to do this with broccoli, you can do it with any batch of leftover rice, herbs and roasted vegetable!

I call these the lazy take on arancini, but let’s be honest, these are nowhere close to the traditional Italian risotto street food, but what they are are easy, fun and delicious, plus, ready in no time. It’s just another fun way to make sure I’m limiting my food waste while still enjoying what I cook. And the variations are endless, if you ever try it, I’d love to see your riff on it.

Table of contents

  • Ingredients for these crispy rice balls
  • The best way to prepare these leftovers rice balls
  • Looking for other crispy & easy snacks like these rice balls?

Ingredients for these crispy rice balls

  • 1 cup cooked short grain white rice
  • 1/3 cup roasted broccoli, or any vegetable of choice, leftovers work great here!
  • 2 tablespoons tender herbs such as chives, parsley or dill, very finely chopped
  • 3 tabelspoons Primal Kitchen’s Tangy Whip or a standard mayonnaise or aioli
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil

The best way to prepare these leftovers rice balls

The beauty of these crispy rice balls is how easy they are – and you can do them all from leftovers if you prefer! If the rice is leftover, reheat it with a damp paper towel on top to regain some of its stickiness. If it’s freshly made, you can skip this step.
Then just finely chop the leftover vegetables into pieces no bigger than a bean, the smaller the better. Add the herbs to the vegetables and chop into a big pile. In a large bowl, combine the rice, vegetables, herbs and mayonnaise and stir to make a sticky mixture. Season with a pinch of salt.

Using a slightly damp hand, roll the rice mixture into 6 even sized balls. This takes some practice, but is worth it for these rice balls.
Then just place a nonstick pan over medium heat and add the avocado oil. Pan fry the balls in two batches, rotating the balls every two minutes so that all the sides get nice, golden and crispy.


Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauces!

Looking for other crispy & easy snacks like these rice balls?

Well, snacks is in the name! Here are a few that I am loving recently:

Lemon Parmesan Chickpea Crisps
This recipe is so easy and so fun. And it's the perfect addition to anything! Add it to soups, add it to salads, put it on popcorn – it's the best meal topping or snack, and one of the first things to disappear at parties.
Check out this recipe
Crispy Tofu Fries
These tofu fries are everything you want in a snack, or even the full meal. They taste like Burger King chicken fries and require almost no effort. A perfect protein to meal prep or make for a fun weeknight dinner!
Check out this recipe

And that’s it for these broccoli and herb rice balls!

If you make them, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3

Broccoli & Herb Rice Balls

These crispy rice balls started as an answer of what to do with leftovers, then they turned into a fun and quick take on arancini. While they are nowhere close to the classic risotto balls, they are simple to make, fun to pan fry and really minimal and delicious. Plus, you only need a few ingredients to bring it all together!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time:15 minutes mins
Cook Time:12 minutes mins
Total Time:27 minutes mins
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American, Fusion, Italian
Keyword: broccoli, herbs, rice
Servings: 6 rice balls

Equipment

  • 1 large high-sided nonstick pan

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked short grain white rice
  • 1/3 cup roasted broccoli or any vegetable of choice, leftovers work great here
  • 2 tablespoons tender herbs such as chives, parsley or dill very finely chopped
  • 3 tabelspoons Primal Kitchen's Tangy Whip or a standard mayonnaise or aioli
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil

Instructions

  • If the rice is leftover, reheat it with a damp paper towel on top to regain some of its stickiness. If it's freshly made, you can skip this step.
  • Finely chop the leftover vegetables into pieces no bigger than a bean, the smaller the better. Add the herbs to the vegetables and chop into a big pile.
  • In a large bowl, combine the rice, vegetables, herbs and mayonnaise and stir to make a sticky mixture. Season with a pinch of salt.
  • Using a slightly damp hand, roll the rice mixture into 6 even sized balls.
  • Place a nonstick pan over medium heat and add the avocado oil.
  • Pan fry the balls in two batches, rotating the balls every two minutes so that all the sides get nice, golden and crispy.
  • Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauces!

Posted In: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Recipes, Snacks + Sides, Special Diets, Vegan, Vegetarian

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I'm Justine. A recipe developer, highly dedicated eater, bread enthusiast and overall carb queen. It's a lot to fit into one bio, I know. But I'm so glad you're here! This is where I store all my recipes, feel free to take a look around!

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