This Quick Vietnamese Pork and Broccoli Bowl is the answer to that ever-recurring problem of what's for dinner tonight. This light but filling meal comes together in just thirty minutes (less if you already have some riced broccoli stored in the freezer), is delicious and satisfying, and makes absolutely fantastic flavorful leftovers for lunch the next day. A grain bowl without the grains.
To make the whole process a lot quicker, and to get on top of your meal prep game, make sure you whip up a big batch of riced broccoli and keep it handy in the freezer for when the urge calls.
Quick Vietnamese Pork and Broccoli Bowl
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This Vietnamese-inspired pork and broccoli rice bowl has been on rotation in this house for years.
Quick and easy to make, it is so full of flavor, is loved by the kids, and makes perfect leftovers to pack for lunch the next day.
I promise you won't regret that little bit of prep.
Don't like broccoli? Try some cauliflower rice instead!
Ingredients
Don't let the long list of ingredients scare you off.
You can have this light but filling nourish bowl on the table in no time.
Like a grain bowl, but without the grains!
You will need:
- coconut sugar: this can be found in the sugar section of most well-stocked grcoery stores. You can substitute brown sugar, or another sweetener or choice if preferred. Please note we want the almost caramel-like flavor you get from a dark sugar, so keep this in mind with any sibstitutions you make;
- fresh lime juice: use fresh or pre-prepared;
- apple cider vinegar: you can use rice wine vinegar here if prefered;
- fish sauce: not all fish sauce is created equally, check the ingredients and go with a good quality brand if you have options available;
- broccoli rice: this is used instead of regular rice for a grain-free alternative. If you prefer you can use regular long-grain white rice, brown rice or wild rice. You could also use cauliflower rice if that is prefered. To make your own broccoli rice please see this tutorial: What is Riced Broccoli: How to Prepare and Use it;
- pork tenderloin: this is a long, thin (almost tubular) cut of pork. To make it easier to cut into thin slices you may want to allow it to rest in the freezer for about an hour or two before cutting with a sharp knife.
- garlic: fresh or pre-prepared depening on preference;
- fresh ginger: fresh or pre-prepared depening on preference;
- fresh mint;
- fresh cilantro;
- shallots: these are found in the same section as onions and garlic. They look almost like a mini brown onion on the outside;
- bell peppers: please feel free to use any color of bell pepper, or a mix of colors if preferred;
- carrot;
- Lebanese cucumber: these are the small cucumbers, however you can sub in with an English cucumber if needed;
- roasted unsalted peanuts.
You may also want some fresh chili, dried chili, and extra cilantro for serving.
Can This Broccoli Bowl Be Vegetarian?
If you aren't a fan of pork, or you would prefer to make this meal vegetarian then you can always sub in some tofu in place of the pork.
Be sure to give the tofu a good press to remove all excess liquid and allow it to marinate in the sauce for at least 30 minutes before cooking to ensure it still has that great flavor.
If you want some proper instructions for how to prepare your tofu, then pop over here and check out this post: Crispy Asian Baked Tofu.
More Nourish Bowl Recipes?
We love a good bowl loaded with lots of veggies and other goodness.
Check out these equally simple and delicious bowl recipes to add to your next weekly meal plan:
- Rainbow Brown Rice and Sesame Veggie Bowl
- Spicy Chipotle Tofu Burrito Bowl
- Baked Almond Crunch Falafel Bowl with Two Second Dressing
- BBQ Roasted Chickpea and Rice Veggie Bowl
- 6 Ingredient Teriyaki Salmon Rice Bowl with Avocado and Pickled Radish
I love to hear from you, so if you try out my Quick Vietnamese Pork and Riced Broccoli Bowl be sure to pop back and leave a comment to let me know your thoughts!
Happy Eating.
xx
Recipe
Quick Vietnamese Pork and Riced Broccoli Bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup warm water
- 2 tablespoon coconut sugar
- ½ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 lb riced broccoli (see notes for link on how to DIY)
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil, divided
- 1 lb pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 cup red bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 cup carrot, thinly sliced or grated
- 1 cup english cucumber, diced
- ½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Combine the water and coconut sugar in a bowl; stir until the sugar dissolves. Add in the lime juice, apple cider vinegar and fish sauced. Mix and set aside
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add in the broccoli rice and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet and cover to keep warm.
- Add to the skillet the remaining 1 tablespoon avocado oil and the pork. Cook over med-high heat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger and a pinch of salt. Cook for one minute.
- Remove from heat and stir in the herbs, shallot and ½ cup of the reserved sauce.
- To serve: divide the broccoli rice between 4 bowls, top with equal measures of the pork mixture, followed by some of the red bell peppers, carrots, cucumber and peanuts. Serve with the remaining sauce if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Kate says
I looooove bowl dinners! They are so easy and delicious. The flavors in here sounds fantastic.
Donna1 says
There's something oddly alluring about bowl dinners!! I always get so excited when I see them on pinterest or in cooking magazines 🙂
Amanda says
I've had riced cauliflower before, but not riced broccoli. Will have to give it a try! Love how quickly this healthy dinner comes together. Perfect for busy weeknight schedules!
Donna1 says
I am a huge riced cauliflower fan, but actually prefer riced broccoli as it adds such a great flavor profile. Both winners in our house though 🙂
Christine says
Love that this is a quick recipe! I'm TOTALLY making this for dinner soon. I think it would be so delicious!
Donna1 says
Yay 🙂 We love it!
Claire @ The Simple, Sweet Life says
I love that you include tofu instructions for this recipe! I've tried adding tofu to a couple of dishes and it never seems to quite turn out. Can't wait to give it another try now that I have a better sense of what I'm doing!
Donna1 says
It took me a LONG time to perfect my tofu cooking skills 🙂
Tina says
This looks deliciously crunchy and with the fresh herbs, sublime. Thanks for sharing, count me in!
Donna1 says
Yay 🙂
Nicoletta @sugarlovespices says
I can imagine why it has easily become a family favorite! I would have it with tofu, but for my husband and stepson, your version with pork is perfect!
Donna1 says
Thats funny, I actually made it with tofu the other day and it was perfect. I pressed the tofu for a couple of hours to make sure it would soak up the sauce flavors, and it was great!
Abby says
I can't believe how quickly this gorgeous bowl came together! It definitely belongs in the dinner rotation.
Donna1 says
Right!! It may have been rotated around here too many times of late, but no one seems to be upset about it 🙂
Kathryn @ FoodieGirlChicago says
I love bowls like this, they are such a perfect solution for lunch and weeknight dinners!
Donna1 says
I know right! For some reason if a meal is all displayed in a bowl like this it is so much more appealing to me 🙂
Michelle says
What an incredibly healthy and satisfying meal this is! I've never heard of broccoli rice! That's brilliant!! I'm saving this one.
Donna1 says
Oh you have to try it! So easy to make and such a great alternative to grains if you want to mix it up, plus the kids (well at least mine anyway) happily devour their greens which is always a huge plus.
michele says
eating well magazine is a favorite of mine... but somehow I missed this recipe... I just put the items on the list to make this weekend! Thanks
Donna1 says
It's a great mag to have on hand. This recipe was on the front cover a few months back and it caught my eye straight away
Jenni says
Oh! I am totally in love with this recipe! I am definitely going to put it on my meal plan soon! Love the idea of the riced broccoli, too!
Donna1 says
It is so good, we have eaten it a few too many times and it is still a favorite 🙂