Wild Rice Pilaf

There is something about wild rice that just make me think of a hearty meal on a blustery day. It has such a great depth of flavor, without needing too much doctoring to get it there. Wild Rice Pilaf is an amazing side dish to give any weeknight meal a boost. But did you also know that wild rice has a few really great benefits that white rice doesn’t have? It’s actually lower in Fat, Calories and carbs – so really a win all the way around.

When looking for a wild rice blend, it can get a little daunting. I, personally, prefer Lundberg’s Wild Rice Blend. It has black, brown, red and wild rice all packed into one blend. If you cannot find that particular brand, look for one that has black (sometimes called forbidden rice) rice in the mix. It has a delicious flavor to it. Red and brown rice also are great additions to this recipe.

I use chicken broth in my a lot of my rice dishes, because we love the flavor of it. If you prefer to use vegetable broth, it will be very good too. Of course, just using water is fine too, it really is all about preferences. If you are not familiar, Vermicelli is basically just thin spaghetti cut into 1/2-inch pieces. If you can’t find it, you could create it from thin spaghetti. All you do it lay your thin spaghetti flat in a kitchen towel and roll it up. Then gently but firmly, while holding both ends of the towel, pull it over the edge of your counter top. It will break the long pieces up into short pieces super easy. You could also swap it out for orzo, if that is easier to find.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

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Wild Rice Pilaf

A hearty and flavorful pilaf using wild rice and vermicelli that has a great flavor for any protein side dish.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken broth, easy sides, rice pilaf, rice side, rice side dish, rice sides, Side Dish, vermicelli, wild rice

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• ½ cup Butter
• 4 Garlic Cloves minced
• 1 tbsp Dried Minced Onion
• 1 cup Vermicelli
• 2 cup Wild Rice
• 2 tsp Italian Seasoning see recipe below
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 5½ cup Broth chicken or vegetable
• 1 cup Parmesan Cheese grated

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Instructions

• In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add butter. Once melted add garlic and minced onion. Cook for 2 minutes. Then add vermicelli and rice, and let toast for 3 minutes. (it's okay if it starts to get a little brown)
• Add seasonings and broth. Bring just to a boil and cover pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes. .
• Remove lid and stir in parmesan until fully incorporated. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Notes