What Vegetable Goes With Dirty Rice

When planning to have a get-together and invite your family and friends, you might want to consider dirty rice as one of the menus.

Although it can be pretty filling on its own, you may wonder what vegetable goes with dirty rice to make your meal perfect and healthier.

Here is the thought; any Cajun-style vegetable side will be a lovely addition to your rice-based dinner. 

What are they? Let’s find out!

What Vegetable Goes with Dirty Rice?

Spicy Coleslaw

This is a great side dish for any meal! You can use a store-bought mix of veggies from the supermarket.

It’s also the perfect way to use leftover coleslaw from your favorite restaurant or deli. You can make this recipe as spicy as you like by using more red pepper flakes, jalapeno, or cayenne in the dressing.

Seasonal Steamed Veggies

Steamed veggies are also perfect to accompany the rice dish. You can steam broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, carrots, and even zucchini.

If you have some fresh herbs, don’t add them to the steaming water. Basil, mint, oregano, thyme, parsley, chives, and rosemary all work well.

Crispy Fried Okra

Now crispy fried okra is a southern side that goes with dirty rice perfectly.

Okra is a mallow family member, including squash, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and gourds. It has a mild flavor and is usually eaten raw.

The best part about okra is that it cooks quickly, so you don’t need to worry about overcooking it.

It goes well with dips, like a Cajun ranch sauce, adding an incredible but spicy flavor to this delicious dish!

Cajun Corn Salad

If you love corns, this Cajun corn salad is perfect for eating with. 

This salad includes grilled corn, bell peppers, and onions tossed with sweet and spicy season­ings.

With this Cajun Corn Salad, you get a light flavor from the corn salad and a rich taste. It gives you a nice balance of tastes and freshness.

Tossed Green Salad

It’s not Cajun-style salad, but nothing can go wrong with a tossed green salad. Added with crouton, bacon bits, blue cheese, and other toppings, this salad is sure to please.

You can serve this salad alongside. The crunchy texture of the greens will complement the soft texture of the rice.

Is Dirty Rice White Rice?

Yes. It is made of white rice cooked with small pieces of pork, beef, or chicken, green bell pepper, celery, and onion, and spiced with cayenne and black pepper.

It gets the nickname because of the appearance of the finished product. The finely chopped or grated meat and Cajun seasoning blend give the dish the impression of the rice looking “dirty.”

FAQs

How to make dirty rice with ground sausage?

To make it with ground sausages, follow these steps:

Ingredients

• 4 ½ cups chicken broth
• 2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork sausage
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 rib celery chopped
• 1 green bell pepper seeded and chopped
• ½ cup finely minced chicken livers (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley and onions, finely sliced
• Salt and pepper to your taste

Instructions

1. Put four cups of chicken broth into a large pot. Add the rice and the bay leaf. Stir to combine and cook until the rice is tender; about 20 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat, fluff with a fork, remove the bay leaf, and let it cool down.
3. Cook the ground beef and pork sausages in a large skillet until browned. Add the onions, celery, and peppers when they’re half done. Then add the chicken livers if you’re using them.
4. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for one minute while stirring at medium heat. Add the Cajun seasoning and the chicken broth, then add the rice.
5. Add the chopped parsley and green onions, and then season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve warm.

Can you make dirty rice without meat?

Yes, you can make a vegetarian version of the rice dish. You can cook the rice with green bell pepper, celery, onion, and spice with cayenne and black pepper. Serve it with jambalaya, gumbo, and red beans.