This ground beef with vegetables recipe comes to mind when I need to save time, when I am in a hurry or simply feeling lazy, as it is easy to prepare and cook. This is good if you want a quick dinner recipe that is also a complete meal.
Is ground beef with vegetables healthy?
Beef has protein, while vegetables, depending on your choice, are low in calories and good sources of many nutrients, including potassium, fibers, vitamins A and C.
Ingredients
Ingredients for this recipe depend on whatever vegetables are available in your kitchen.
The following are the veggies I used in the recipe:
- green beans – can be replaced with string beans
- carrots – do not omit this; this is nice!
- zucchini – young bottle gourd, chayote are possible replacements; bottle gourd will take a bit more time to cook, so should go along with carrots
- pumpkin – sweet potatoes, potatoes, or squash are possible replacements
- bell peppers – green or the sweet variety (red, yellow, orange)
- cauliflower or corn kernels
How to cook ground beef with vegetables
This recipe is straightforward. It is more like sauteing garlic and onions at the beginning of cooking, however, you would add more time for the onions to cook, i.e., until they are golden. Then the baharat goes after that and before the vegetables in the order of which ones cook longer. In any case, the recipe is done in less than half an hour – about 20 minutes.
How to serve ground beef with vegetables
I serve this dish with pita bread; however, it is also good with rice – steamed white rice, or fried rice, even brown rice, and cauliflower rice.
How to keep leftover ground beef with vegetables
This can be kept in a tight-lid container in the fridge for about a week. This can also be kept in the freezer for about a month, thawed, and reheated in a casserole dish or deep pan over medium heat.
Cooking tips:
- Let the baharat and turmeric cook with the onions, while stirring, for about a minute. this elicits all the nice flavors the dish can potentially give.
- Add chopped tomatoes with the first set of vegetables for thicker and saucier results; or half a cup tomato sauce near the end of cooking.
- Skip salt altogether would not tamper with the taste of the dish completely. I cheat by putting another type of seasoning (LOL), like beef cubes.
- Replace water with a cup of beef broth and forget about the cubes!
- Adding a pinch of sugar will give this recipe a nice twist.
- Lean ground beef, apart from being a healthier choice, will lessen cooking time.
- Pepper flakes can be added before serving; completely optional.
- Frozen mixed vegetables.
- Convert this into soup very easily by adding more water, oatmeal or sour cream, and a bit more spices (or simply season with salt, if you feel that the spices you have there are already enough).
Ground Beef with Vegetables
A savory Saudi-style ground beef with vegetables—simple, hearty, and perfect for everyday meals.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 k lean ground beef
- 1 medium-sized onion (diced)
- 1 small tomato (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/2 cup diced carrots
- 1/2 cup diced zucchini
- 1/2 cup diced sweet potatoes
- or 1/2 cup diced pumpkin
- 1/2 cup green beans (cut to 1/2″)
- 2 tbsps vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp baharat
- 4 tbsp chopped parsley or coriander
- 1-1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup tomato paste (mixed with 1/2 cup water)
Instructions
- Sautee garlic and onion in oil until golden.
- Add turmeric and baharat and stir for 1 minute (or more, but not less).
- Add ground beef, stir while cooking, breaking them apart and till all the juices have evaporated.
- Add salt, ground black pepper, water, and all the vegetables, except parsley/coriander; continue to stir for a few seconds; simmer till vegetables are almost limp.
- Add the tomato paste mixture then let simmer over medium heat for a few more minutes.
- Top with chopped parsley or coriander before serving over steamed rice or with khobuz.
