This delicious and colorful Wild Rice Pilaf is packed with nutrients and flavor! It's the perfect side dish to serve at the holidays or to elevate everyday meals.
Whether it's an elegant holiday feast or a casual family dinner, this wild rice pilaf will elevate any meal! This delicious dish features wild rice, which has a unique earthy, nutty flavor and chewy texture. It's a versatile side dish that pairs well with any main dish, like roast chicken, pork, or fish.
I cook a colorful wild rice blend with savory vegetables, herbs, and broth to infuse it with plenty of flavor. Dried cranberries add a touch of sweetness that perfectly complements the savory flavors. For the perfect finishing touch, I top it all off with fresh parsley for bright flavor and chopped pecans, which add a delightful crunch.
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Why You'll Love This Dish
- Colorful and Delicious: This stunning dish is bursting with color and a delicious combination of savory and sweet flavors.
- Nutrient-Rich: Packed with whole grains and colorful vegetables, this tasty side dish is a nutritional powerhouse.
- One-Pan Wonder: This easy rice pilaf is made on the stove top in one saucepan.
- Customizable: Stir in your favorite vegetables and other ingredients.
- Holiday-Worthy Side Dish: This wild rice recipe is the perfect side dish for the holiday season.
What is Wild Rice?
Contrary to its name, wild rice isn't technically a rice at all. Rather, it's the seed of an aquatic grass originally grown by indigenous tribes around the Great Lakes.
Wild rice has an earthy, nutty flavor. Cooked wild rice also has a chewier texture compared to regular rice. Unlike white rice, wild rice retains its individual grains well and doesn't become mushy. So it's perfect for dishes like this wild rice pilaf.
Wild rice also makes a delicious addition to other dishes like wild rice soup, casseroles, salads, meatballs, and stuffed mushrooms.
Because of its strong flavor and high price tag, wild rice is most often sold in a blend, mixed with other rices and grains. For this wild rice pilaf recipe, I use Lundberg wild blend rice, which is a combination of black, brown, red, and wild rice.
Is Wild Rice Healthy?
Yes, wild rice is healthy! It's a nutrient-dense food that's low in calories and high in nutrients.
Wild rice is considered a whole grain. Whole grains have high amounts of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are beneficial for our health. The US Dietary Guidelines recommend that at least half of the grains you eat should be whole grains.
Whole grains have many health benefits and can help reduce your risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.
Wild rice has twice the amount of protein than regular brown or white rice. Wild rice is also a good source of fiber. Fiber has many important health benefits including keeping things running smoothly in your intestinal tract, lowering cholesterol levels, regulating blood sugar levels, and helping to maintain a healthy weight.
Wild rice is a good source of vitamins and minerals including folate, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, zinc, Vitamin B6, and niacin.
Wild rice is also high in powerful antioxidants, which protect your body from disease and help you age healthfully.
Ingredients
Ingredient notes and substitutions (see recipe card at the end of the post for full ingredient list):
- Wild rice blend- I use Lundberg wild blend rice, which is a mixture of black rice, brown rice, red rice, and wild rice.
- Vegetables- I use a classic mirepoix of onions, carrots, and celery.
- Herbs- I use thyme (fresh or dried is fine), bay leaves, and fresh parsley to flavor the wild rice.
- Broth- use vegetable broth to keep this dish vegan otherwise you can use chicken broth; I use low sodium broth to control the amount of sodium in the dish.
- Dried cranberries- I love how their sweetness complements the savory flavors in the dish. You can substitute raisins or other dried fruit like apricots.
- Pecans- optional but I like to sprinkle them on top at the end for a nice crunch. You can substitute other nuts like almonds or walnuts.
How To Make Wild Rice Pilaf Step-By-Step
Scroll down to recipe card at the end of the post for full recipe details.
- Step 1- Melt butter in a medium saucepan with olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrot, and celery. Add the thyme and bay leaf.
- Step 2- Add the wild rice mix and stir to coat all of the grains with the oil. Toast 1-2 minutes.
- Step 3- Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover until rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the rice steam an additional 10 minutes.
- Step 4- Fluff rice with a fork.Stir the dried cranberries. Garnish with fresh parsley and chopped pecans.
Chef's Tips:
- There are many different types of wild rice blends on the market so be sure to follow the cooking instructions on the package and use the ratio of rice to liquid that is recommended. I use this wild rice blend.
- Customize this dish with your favorite ingredients! I like to stir in seasonal veggies like roasted butternut squash and Brussels sprouts for the holidays. You can also sauté a variety of mushrooms and stir them into the wild rice pilaf. Instead of pecans, you can top the dish with almonds or walnuts.
- Leftover wild rice pilaf can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- You can use this wild rice pilaf to make other dishes like stuffed acorn squash or stuffed mushrooms.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, wild rice is a nutrient-dense food that's low in calories and high in fiber. It's also a rich source of many vitamins, minerals, and powerful antioxidants, which are beneficial for our health. Wild rice also has twice the amount of protein than brown or white rice.
Wild rice is one of the most expensive grains because of its unique harvesting needs. Wild rice is actually a type of aquatic grass. True wild rice is hand-harvested from lakes and rivers and can be very expensive. Cultivated wild rice, on the other hand, is grown in farms, and costs roughly half the amount. Additionally, it's often blended with other grains and rices to make it even more affordable.
The main difference between rice and rice pilaf is how they're cooked. Rice is typically cooked by boiling it in water. In rice pilaf, on the other hand, the rice is first browned in oil or butter before it is cooked in liquid. It's often cooked in broth rather than water, and various seasonings are added to it like vegetables, herbs, and spices.
I like to season wild rice by cooking it in chicken or vegetable broth rather than water. This infuses the earthy wild rice with lots of flavor. I also like to cook it with herbs, spices, and vegetables to add even more flavor.
Main Dishes To Serve With Wild Rice
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Recipe
Wild Rice Pilaf
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter (use vegan butter to keep this recipe vegan)
- ¾ cup diced onion (1 small onion)
- ½ cup diced carrot
- ½ cup diced celery
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ½ cups wild rice blend
- 2 â…” cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
Optional toppings:
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook 4-5 minutes until softened. Stir in the thyme and bay leaf and cook another minute until fragrant.
- Add the rice and cook, stirring to coat all of the grains with the oil. Toast 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the rice steam an additional 10 minutes
- Fluff rice with a fork. Remove bay leaf. Stir the dried cranberries into the warm rice. Garnish with chopped pecans and fresh parsley before serving, if desired.
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