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

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 solid carrier for flavors. Pilaf has become popular all over the world since so many cultures have rice as their staple. For this recipe we use a wild rice blend to get a mixture of flavors, colors, and textures.

Pilaf is one of our favorite ways to elevate a plain old bowl of rice on the everyday or for the holidays. We use carrots, celery, and onion to elevate the wild rice blend and get a good 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 we 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 we 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. We like the colors of the rice and their rich flavor. Make sure you rinse your rice 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 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!

Kitchen notes

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 add your favorite meat or some cooked garbanzo beans for a vegan pilaf.

This reheats easily. If you make this ahead of time 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 our absolute favorite skillet, it's high quality, versatile, oven safe, and has a heavy-duty lid.

FAQ's:

What if the liquid isn't absorbed after it sits off the heat for 10 minutes?

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.

Can we use regular rice or instant rice for this recipe?

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.

How long does leftover wild rice pilaf last?

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

Serve it with

Wild rice pilaf is a fabulous healthy side dish alongside hearty meaty main dishes like Ribeye RoastRoast Chickenor Garlic Butter Baked Pork Tenderloin. It's also a knockout with our Lemon Caper Butter Chilean SeabassBaked Codor Broiled Lobster Tails – or even try alongside a vegan main dish like our Cauliflower steaks!

Wild Rice Pilaf Recipe

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup diced celery
• ½ cup diced carrots
• ¾ cup diced onion
• 1 ½ cups wild rice blend
• 2 ⅔ cup vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley

Method

1. Heat a large skillet to medium-high and add olive oil. Allow it to heat and add celery, onion and carrot the the pan.
2. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions appear to be translucent and the vegetables have softened (this should take about five minutes).
3. Add rice and stir to combine. Allow the rice to toast until the oil is absorbed.
4. Pour in the broth and cover the pot. Bring the rice to a boil and then immediately reduce heat to low.
5. Let the rice simmer for 45 – 50 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and allow the rice to set for about 10 minutes, allowing the rice to absorb any remaining liquid.
7. Fluff the rice with a fork and garnish with minced parsley before serving. Enjoy!