Tiki-Style Charred Vegetable Rice Bowl with Spicy Pineapple Salsa

By AislePrompt Test Kitchen · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-06-13 · Updated 2026-06-13

A vibrant vegetarian rice bowl featuring charred seasonal vegetables and a bright, spicy pineapple salsa inspired by tiki flavors. This caribbean-inspired vegetarian (vegetarian) ready in about 30 minutes blends rinsed jasmine rice, water, medium, sliced into rounds zucchini into a versatile sauce that lifts everything from grain bowls and roasted vegetables to grilled proteins — a small-batch staple worth keeping in the fridge. Each serving lands at about 310 calories and feeds 4, so a small batch covers several meals across the week without taking over the fridge. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 cup, rinsed jasmine rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 large, sliced into strips red bell pepper
• 1 medium, sliced into rounds zucchini
• 1 small, sliced into rings red onion
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp, divided kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp, divided black pepper
• 1 cup, finely diced fresh pineapple
• 1 small, seeded and minced jalapeño
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp honey

Instructions

1. Step 1: In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup rinsed jasmine rice with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is tender.
2. Step 2: While rice cooks, preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat until hot and lightly smoking. Toss 1 large sliced red bell pepper, 1 medium sliced zucchini, and 1 small sliced red onion with 3 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
3. Step 3: Grill the vegetables for 3-4 minutes per side until charred marks appear and they become tender but still crisp. Remove and set aside.
4. Step 4: In a small bowl, mix 1 cup finely diced fresh pineapple, 1 minced jalapeño, 2 tbsp fresh lime juice, 3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, 1 tsp honey, and remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper until well combined to create a spicy pineapple salsa.
5. Step 5: Fluff the cooked rice with a fork, then divide into four bowls. Top each bowl with the grilled vegetables and spoon generous amounts of spicy pineapple salsa over the top to serve.