Wild rice pilaf is a delicious and flavorful rice dish with fresh veggies. The perfect side dish for chicken, salmon, or even Thanksgiving!
I'll be honest here. This rice pilaf with wild rice is another one of those recipes I grew up eating. My dad always makes wild rice pilaf recipes when he's cooking salmon for dinner and it wasn't until I decided to share this recipe with you all that I even found a name for it! We just called it wild rice and veggies.
Sometimes we add in mushrooms and have a wild rice mushroom pilaf, but my kids are picky and I can't hide those in this dish as easily as I can others. Either way, this recipe is easy to make and packed full of flavor.
🥘 Ingredients
- Wild rice
- Onion
- Carrots
- Celery
- Broth (vegetable or chicken)
- Olive oil
- Fresh thyme
- Fresh sage
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.
🍽 Equipment Needed
BeeyondCereal is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.
- Saucepan
- Wooden spoon
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Measuring cups
🔪 Instructions
Check out how to cook wild rice pilaf with these simple step-by-step instructions:
- In a large saucepot, add your olive oil and fresh herbs over medium high heat until it begins to sizzle.
- Toss in your onions, carrots, and celery, stirring until the onions are translucent and the carrots and celery are softer (not too soft).
- Add your rice and mix until the white grains are brighter in color.
- Pour in your broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
- Place the lid on top and reduce the heat to low. Let simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the water looks absorbed.
- Turn off the heat, remove the lid and fluff with a fork.
- Serve and enjoy.
🍴 Recipe Tips
If you want a little more flavor from this easy wild rice pilaf, you can choose to use salted butter instead of olive oil for sauteeing the veggies in. Margarine and plant based butter also work (I've tried).
Chicken broth is my go-to for making this instead of water, but vegetable broth also works great and helps to add in more flavor. You can also use bullion and water to DIY a broth.
💭 FAQs
This recipe can easily be vegan by choosing vegetable broth instead of chicken and sticking with the olive oil or plant based butter for the veggies.
It's a side dish made from sauteed veggies and a rice cooked in broth or stock. With some seasonings mixed in, this dish is delightful and aromatic.
Check out these other great side dish recipes!
- Honey Lime Fruit Salad
- Easy Cornbread With Cake Mix
- Crispy Fried Tuna Patties
- Easy Canned Corn Recipe
- Old Fashioned Creamed Corn
- 20 Delicious Summer Squash Recipes
- Easy Oven Roasted Broccolini
📖 Recipe
Wild Rice Pilaf
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Knife
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil ($0.26)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme *optional ($0.10)
- 2 leaves fresh sage *optional ($0.10)
- ½ onion, diced ($0.30)
- 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced ($0.28)
- 2 stalks celery, chopped ($0.24)
- 2 cups Wild Rice Rice-a-Roni boxes ($2.00)
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth or stock ($0.99)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large saucepot, add your olive oil, thyme, and sage over medium high heat until the oil sizzles.
- Toss in the chopped celery, carrots, and onion. Stir until the onions are translucent and the vegetables are softer. They'll continue to cook in the broth so you don't want them too soft or they'll be mushy!
- Add in your rice and stir until the white grains clear in color.
- Pour in the broth and add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil.
- Place the lid on the pot and reduce the heat to low. Let simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed.
- Remove from heat. Remove the lid. Fluff with a fork and serve.
Leave a Reply