Sticky Ginger Rice Bowls with Pickled Veg and Mango

This recipe is sponsored by ALDI

Let me tell you about something that I capital L-O-V-E love to eat.

It’s a sticky ginger rice bowl with hot white rice, sticky-sweet meatballs with a little bit of kick, crunchy quick pickled vegetables, and a fresh juicy ripe mango. Hello flavor, color, and texture. Hello happy, feel-good, full in my belly.

There’s Everything To Love About These Rice Bowls

In addition to being the thing I can’t stop eating lately, it’s also:

vegan (!!)
gingery and fresh
sticky and sweet
just a tiny bit spicy
the right amount of crispy-crunchy
juicy and fresh
and flexible to whatever protein or other vegetables you like.

Speaking of protein, let’s chat for a moment about ALDI Earth Grown Vegan Meatless Meatballs.

When we did the shrimp and cauli rice recipe a few weeks ago, it sparked a conversation on Instagram stories about what you all love to buy from ALDI. Most of the things that you all said were things I already knew and loved: oat milk, cheeses, crackers, tofu, ground beef, seafood, etc.

But one thing that so many of you RAVED about that I had never tried were these meatless meatballs. So obviously, it was an add-to-cart moment for me.

AND OBVIOUSLY, THEY WERE AMAZING! You did not steer me wrong. And you are now responsible for my new obsession. This is on you right now.

Ingredients for Sticky Ginger Rice Bowls

Another good news item to report on the ALDI front: they are now carrying fresh ginger. Shout it from the rooftops! Fresh ginger at ALDI!

So we made this whole thing, totally vegan, including a sticky-sweet ginger-forward sauce using fresh ginger, all from ALDI. Boom. Affordable, practical, delicious. Couldn’t love it more.

Completely Meatless and Vegan

The direct quote from Bjork after he took his first bite: “This is seriously vegan?”

Some of you POY readers are vegan all the time, and some are occasionally trying to eat less meat, and some are… curious? experimenting? with meatless options. Either way – if you are the kind of person who is not only proving to yourself that meatless really can taste awesome, but also working to get a spouse, partner, or child on that train with you, these meatballs (and this sweet-and-spicy sticky sauce, and those pickled veg, and that fresh juicy mango, omg omg omg) might just be your ticket to success.

Sticky ginger rice bowls angle from the side

And if life seems a little SOS-y and you need to save this one for the weekend, should you then also buy the refrigerated tofu and vegetable dumplings from ALDI and pan-fry them and just straight dip them in a double batch of this sauce? Yes. You should. I can recommend.

Sticky ginger rice bowls with mango and pickled veg with a fork in a bowl

Sticky, delicious, meatless summery perfection.

I really love this recipe.

Sticky Ginger Rice Bowls: FAQs

This looks so good! Can this be made 100% vegan?

Totally! To make this 100% vegan, replace the honey with brown sugar, agave, or maple syrup.

How can I make my rice in the Instant Pot?

My standard rice method for the Instant Pot is 1 cup white rice combined with 1 1/4 cups water. Toss both in the Instant Pot on high pressure for 3 minutes. Allow for a natural pressure release (a.k.a. don’t let the steam out yet) for 15 minutes. Done!

Can I make these with regular meatballs?

Sure! This chicken meatballs recipe is SO GOOD. If you can’t find ground chicken, ground turkey will work. The Kirkwood Fresh Ground Turkey from ALDI is everything!