Wild Rice Pilaf

This rustic wild rice pilaf is a great side for your holiday table or the everyday. You can even make it ahead of time for those busy weeknights when you end up needing a microwavable dinner.

At Ajpal, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

Easy Rustic Wild Rice Pilaf

Pilaf is traditionally a Middle Eastern or Indian rice dish that is cooked in stock and spices. The spices and stock lend their flavor to the rice which is the perfect carrier for flavors. Pilaf has become very popular all over the world since so many cultures have rice as their staple. For this recipe I use a wild rice blend to get a mixture of flavors, colors, and textures.

Pilaf is one of my favorite ways to elevate a plain old bowl of rice on the everyday or for the holidays. I use carrots, celery, and onion to elevate the wild rice blend and get a delicious savory side. If you want to make it into an entree you can easily do so with the addition of some cooked meat.

How To Make Wild Rice Pilaf

To make this recipe, you’ll need:

• Olive oil – olive oil is the fat that gives this rice pilaf a rich flavor and I use it to keep the vegetables and rice from sticking to the pan. You can use whichever oil you prefer.
• Celery, Carrots, Onion – this common vegetable trio adds a sweet rich flavor to the pilaf and enhances the vegetable broth. You can mix this up if you prefer different veggies but I wouldn’t leave the diced vegetables out all together since they enhance the vegetable stock.
• Wild rice blend – wild rice blend should be available at your local grocery store by the other rice varieties. This blend is typically a mix of 4 species of wild rice and usually has some white, brown, and black rice. I like the colors of the rice and their rich flavor. Make sure you rinse your rice just before cooking it to remove extra starch from the outside.
• Vegetable broth – use a high quality broth for this pilaf since the vegetable broth will be the main flavor you will taste. If you want to elevate your broth you can add extra fresh spices.
• Parsley – parsley is very herbaceous so it gives this pilaf a nice crunch and fresh lift. You can substitute cilantro if you don’t have any fresh parsley on hand.

Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, we will use the following method:

• Brown vegetables – Pour olive oil in a large skillet and set it on medium high heat on the stovetop until the oil glistens. Add the diced vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally until they have softened, about 5-7 minutes.
• Toast Rice – Add the rice to the skillet and let it toast in the hot oil for at least 2 minutes or until some oil has absorbed into the rice. Soaking some oil into the rice will give it some fat so it will have a rich flavor.
• Simmer – Next pour the broth in and cover the pot. Bring the rice to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer the rice for 45 – 50 minutes.
• Soak – Remove the pot and let the rice sit and cook in the residual heat for about 10 more minutes, it should soak the remaining liquid.
• Fluff & Enjoy- Fluff the rice with a fork and garnish with parsley, Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks To Perfect Rice Pilaf:

Enjoy these tips and tricks to help you master this recipe.

Add your favorite protein to make it an entree. If you want to make this wild rice pilaf into a main dish you can just add your favorite meat or some cooked garbanzo beans for a vegan pilaf.

This reheats easily. If you make this ahead of time just reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop stirring frequently. You can add a little more stock if it needs it.

Recommended Equipment:

This is my absolute favorite skillet, it’s high quality, super versatile, oven safe, and has a heavy-duty lid.

FAQ’s:

If you still have some liquid after the 10 minutes off the heat stir your rice then heat it again for a few more minutes until the liquid has absorbed.

If you choose to use a different type of rice prepare it as above but adjust the cook time to reflect your rice’s package instructions. For instant rice bring the broth to a boil, add the rice, then set it off the heat for 5 minutes.

Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

What to Serve With Wild Rice Pilaf?

Wild rice pilaf is a fabulous healthy side dish alongside hearty meaty main dishes like Ribeye Roast, Roast Chicken, or Garlic Butter Baked Pork Tenderloin. It’s also a knockout with our Lemon Caper Butter Chilean Seabass, Baked Cod, or Broiled Lobster Tails – or even try alongside a vegan main dish like our Cauliflower steaks!

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Wild Rice Pilaf Recipe

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