Wild Rice Vegetable Pilaf
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
Wild rice, which is not technically a rice at all, has a toasty, nutty, earthy flavor that makes for a flavorful base to a versatile pilaf.
Ingredients
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- 1-2 tbsp. (15-30 ml) cooking oil (olive, canola, etc.)
- 2-3 cups vegetables, processed for sautéing (e.g. diced onion, celery, celeriac, carrots, squash, peppers; sliced mushrooms; chopped or shredded greens) In this case, I used diced onion, celery, celeriac, and poblano peppers and roughly chopped kale
- 1 cup (240 ml) wild rice, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups (480 ml) chicken, vegetable, and/or beef stock (or water, in a pinch)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) dried cranberries, golden raisins, and/or currants
- 1 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Cook the vegetables: In a large skillet, heat the cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables, starting with heartier, longer-cooking vegetables and moving on to more delicate, quick-cooking ones, and sauté until they’re mostly tender.
- Add and cook rice: Add rice and stock, and add 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower to a simmer. Cook until rice is nearly tender, 30-60 minutes (depending largely on the rice). Stir in dried fruit and cook uncovered for another 5 minutes. Season with salt as needed and serve.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 60 mins
- Category: Side
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 200
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long does wild rice take to cook, and why the wide range?
The recipe gives a range of 30-60 minutes for the rice to become nearly tender, noting the time depends largely on the specific wild rice you use. Wild rice grains vary considerably in size and age, which affects how long they need to simmer in the 2 cups of stock before the grains split and soften.
When should I add the dried fruit?
The recipe instructs you to stir in the 1/4 cup of dried cranberries, golden raisins, or currants only after the rice is nearly tender, then cook uncovered for another 5 minutes. Adding them too early would cause them to break down and dissolve into the pilaf.
