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Homemade Brown Rice Pilaf
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Brown Rice Pilaf

The best brown rice pilaf recipe with vegetables and herbs. Healthy bell peppers, carrot, celery and onion alongside Italian parsley infuse this easy whole grain rice dish with a divine savory and herbaceous aroma.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword Plant-Based, rice pilaf, vegetables
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 414kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place the brown rice in a mesh sieve and rinse under cold running water. Drain well and set aside.
  • Preheat a heavy bottom skillet over medium low heat with a good drizzle of olive oil (about one tablespoon or so). Add the onion with a pinch of salt and sautee until translucent. Add the diced carrot and celery and cook until they begin to soften.
    1 small yellow onion, 2 celery ribs, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 carrot
  • Add the brown rice to the skillet with the vegetables and stir well making sure to coat it all over the oil. Toast for a few minutes then stir in the red bell pepper, nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt and chili flakes.
    2 cups brown rice, 1 red bell pepper, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 pinch red chili flakes for heat
    how to make rice pilaf process images
  • Pour in the vegetable stock or water and bring to a simmer. Add the bay leaves, half of the parsley and lovage or celery leaves. Cover with a lid and cook on medium low heat for 20 minutes. (Remember to adjust timing depending on which type of rice you are using, check the package instructions to make sure).
    2 bay leaves, 3.5 cups vegetable stock or water, 1/2 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, 1 Tbsp dried lovage
  • Remove the rice pilaf from heat but allow it to sit covered for 10 minutes and continue cooking in its own steam.
  • Discard the bay leaf and use a fork to fluff up the rice pilaf. Mix in the remaining fresh parsley, adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and enjoy with the red chili flakes for some heat!
    1/2 cup Italian flat leaf parsley
    Best Brown Rice Pilaf Recipe

Notes

  • Do you wash the rice before making pilaf? Washing the rice is definitely recommend In order to obtain a fluffy pilaf with separate rice grains. From a health perspective it's very important to rinse the rice in a few changes of water to remove as much of the arsenic as possible. Even organic rice has high levels or arsenic nowadays so it's best to rinse it before cooking every time. 
  • Add ins - Roasted carrots and broccoli, slivered almonds, toasted pine nuts, grilled zucchini, green peans, asparagus and chickpeas. Cooked lentils, quinoa, orzo and even dried fruit like cranberries or raisins can be mixed into the final dish for a heartier more nutritious meal.
  • Mushroom Variation - For an earthy and savory pilaf the bell pepper in the recipe can be replaced with 2 cups of chopped button mushrooms. If going this route it's also nice to mix in about one or two teaspoons of porcini mushroom powder with your veggie stock if available.
  • What is Lovage? - Otherwise known as European celery with a very fragrant herbaceous aroma. It's usually added to soups, stews and pilaf style dishes and can be replaced with regular dried celery leaves.

Nutrition

Calories: 414kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 618mg | Potassium: 506mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4148IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 3mg