Mince & Vegetable Rice Bowl
By Mira Sefton
Calcium & vitamin D +
Canned salmon (with bones)Sardines (with bones)Fortified oat milkOmega-3 fats +
SalmonSardinesCanned tunaThree lenses: how gentle on the gut, how nourishing, how tasty — because gentle isn't the same as healthy. How the scores work →
A soft, mild beef mince and vegetable rice bowl built without onion or garlic bulb — gentle, filling and easy to share with the family.
A rice bowl is one of those meals you can lean on when your gut wants nothing surprising. The trouble is most mince recipes start with a pile of onion and garlic, then a good shake of chilli — all things that can ramp up gas and urgency.
This version keeps the savoury, comforting feel but swaps the harsh bits out. You'll use garlic-infused oil for that round garlicky note without the fructans (a carb that ferments quickly), the green tops of spring onions for a mild oniony lift, and carrot and courgette cooked soft so there's less rough fibre to deal with.
It's mild on purpose. That's the point. You can always nudge the flavour up once you know it sits well.
Ingredients
- 300 g lean beef mince
- 1 Tbsp garlic-infused oil
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced
- 1 medium courgette, peeled and finely diced
- 4 spring onions, green tops only, sliced
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp gluten-free soy sauce (or tamari)
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 250 ml onion-free stock (or water)
- 1 tsp ground ginger or 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 300 g white rice (uncooked)
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: a little sesame oil to finish
Method
- Rinse the rice, then cook it in plenty of water until soft. Drain and keep warm.
- Warm the garlic-infused oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium heat.
- Add the carrot and courgette. Cook gently for 6–8 minutes until soft, stirring now and then.
- Push the veg to one side, add the mince, and break it up with a spoon. Cook until browned all through.
- Stir in the tomato paste and ginger and cook for 1 minute so they lose their raw edge.
- Pour in the stock, soy sauce and brown sugar. Stir to combine.
- Let it simmer for 8–10 minutes until the liquid reduces to a glossy coating and the veg is very tender.
- Add the green spring onion tops and a pinch of salt. Stir through for the last minute.
- Spoon the rice into bowls and top with the mince and veg. Finish with a few drops of sesame oil if you like.
Gentler swaps
- Courgette feeling rough? Swap it for more peeled carrot or some peeled, diced potato — both cook down very soft.
- Soy sauce too salty or you want it lower-sodium? Use half the amount and top up with extra onion-free stock.
- Sesame not your friend? Skip the sesame oil and finish with a tiny knob of butter or plain oil instead.
- Want it richer without spice? A spoon of smooth peanut butter stirred into the sauce adds body — only if nuts sit well for you.
For the family
Cook once — your gentle version, plus how to pep it up for everyone else.
Cook the whole pot mild, exactly as written — soft veg, gentle sauce, no chilli. That's the base everyone shares.
Serve yourself first. Then let the family build up their own bowls at the table: a spoon of chilli crisp or sriracha, a scatter of fresh chopped chilli, some quick-pickled onion, or a handful of crunchy slaw on top. A shake of garlic powder or a few raw sliced spring onions (the whole onion, not just tops) gives them the bolder hit you're leaving out.
Same pot, same dinner — you get the calm version, they get the punchy one, and nobody's eating a separate sad plate.
Scores are modelled estimates, not medical advice. Everyone's gut is different, and tolerance changes over time. Reintroduce foods one at a time, and follow your own medical team's advice.