Wild Rice Pilaf

A Side Dish Recipe That Will Get People Ask For Seconds

If you’ve followed Foolproof Living for a while, then you know just how much I adore wild rice. Since 2016, I have shared many recipes using wild rice, including basic how-to posts like How to Make Wild Rice on the Stovetop and How to Cook Wild Rice in Instant Pot, and simple recipes like Vegan Wild Rice Salad, Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Mushroom Soup and even my go-to Thanksgiving side dish, Wild Rice Stuffing for Turkey.

I just can’t get enough!

In today’s recipe, we add to the collection of wild rice side dish recipes with a brand new one you can make all year long. This easy wild rice pilaf recipe is packed with veggies and cooked in vegetable broth for extra flavor. It is relatively easy to make and a great alternative to rice pilaf.

Ingredients

What is the Best Wild Rice for this recipe?

One of the best things about this recipe is that it uses a wild rice blend (also referred to as wild rice mix) instead of raw wild grain rice, which means no soaking. Plus, blends are typically cheaper. It’s a win-win!

I love Lundberg Wild Blend Rice (affiliate link) because of its rich col­or, full-bod­ied fla­vor, and variety of long-grain brown rice, sweet brown rice, wild rice, Wehani® red rice, and black rice (source) — all in one convenient package that you can find in most grocery stores or online. It’s also a certified organic, non-GMO, Kosher, refined sugar-free, and gluten-free option.

With that being said, you can make this recipe using raw wild rice as well. The cook time might change, but you would still get the delicious earthy and rich flavors that wild rice offers.

Rest of the Ingredients:

• Vegetable Oil: For sauteing your ingredients.
• Veggies: In total, you’ll use 1 large onion (chopped), 2 medium carrots (cut into small ½ inch pieces), 2 celery stalks (cut into small ½ inch pieces), 8 oz. mushrooms (button, baby Bella or wild mushrooms would all work), 2 cloves of garlic (minced), 2 cups of wild rice blend (rinsed)
• Herbs: For this wild rice mushroom pilaf recipe, you’ll use ½ a cup of fresh chopped parsley. However, if you want to venture out and use other herbs like chives or thyme, that would work as well. 
• Vegetable Stock: You’ll use 3 cups in total. I used vegetable stock to keep this recipe vegan- and vegetarian-friendly, but chicken stock would also work. You can also use 3 cups of water instead of stock.

How To Season Wild Rice?

When it comes to wild rice pilaf seasoning, I find basic flavoring agents like fresh parsley, mirepoix (onion, celery, and carrot combo), garlic, mushrooms, salt, and pepper work the best. 

If you’d like to spice it up, you could also add a couple shakes of crushed red pepper flakes, chile powder, paprika, or a couple drops of hot chile oil. 

Cooking Instructions

1. Sauteé Vegetables: Start by heating vegetable oil (olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil would all work) in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add in onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, approximately 4-5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.

2. Stir in the Wild Rice Blend & Stock: Give your wild rice blend a quick rinse under cold water and add that in along with the vegetable stock, salt, and pepper. If you’d like to add some spice to this dish, this is the time to add it now.

3. Allow it to Cook: Secure the lid on your pot and bring it to a boil. Then, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 45-50 minutes, or until the liquid is mostly absorbed.

4. Let it rest, garnish & serve: Once the mushroom wild rice pilaf is cooked, let it rest for 5 minutes. Give it a taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Garnish with parsley, serve, and enjoy!

What Is the Water to Rice Blend Ratio for This Recipe? 

For this pilaf recipe, you’ll use 2 cups of uncooked Lundberg wild rice blend and 3 cups of vegetable (or chicken) stock to yield 3 cups of cooked wild rice blend.

However, if you use a different blend, follow the cooking directions on the packaging instead.

Can You Make This Recipe Ahead of Time?

Yes! Like my wild rice stuffing recipe, this wild rice pilaf can be made ahead of serving. 

Follow the instructions below for storing, freezing, and reheating:

• Store any leftover wild rice pilaf in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• To freeze, cook this wild rice pilaf as directed in the recipe, then let it cool completely and come to room temperature. Freeze the pilaf in an airtight, freezer-safe container or freezer bag for up to three months.
• To reheat, allow the frozen wild rice pilaf to thaw completely in the fridge overnight. On the day of serving, remove it from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. Reheat at 30-second intervals in your microwave or until warmed through (likely 3 minutes total, depending on your microwave). Have some chicken or vegetable stock (or even water) nearby to add to the pilaf as it reheats if it starts looking a little dry, but not so much that it won’t evaporate in the microwave. Place in the desired serving platter, garnish with fresh parsley, and enjoy!

Full disclosure, the texture for the frozen and thawed pilaf may not be exactly the same as it is fresh. Ensuring that it doesn’t dry out during the reheating process will help the wild rice not become spongy and retain its flavor.

Serve Your Rice Pilaf with One of These Main Dishes:

If you liked this mushroom wild rice pilaf recipe, be sure to check out all our side dish recipes. Also, here are a few dishes that would pair well with this recipe:

• Whole Roasted Chicken
• Turkish Meatballs
• Cornish Game Hen Recipe
• Braised Lamb Shanks with Mustard and Gremolata
• Mediterranean Lemon Chicken