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Rice Pilaf
No more boring rice! This simple and easy Rice Pilaf recipe is a flavorful side dish that pairs nicely with just about any entrée!
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 312 kcal
Course:
Side Dish
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- ½ cup finely diced onion
- ½ cup finely diced celery
- ¼ cup finely diced carrot
- 2 cups chicken broth (or sub with vegetable broth)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
- kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large skillet (that has a lid) or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring regularly, until the rice is browned – about 2-3 minutes. Add the onion, celery and carrot; cook, stirring regularly, until the vegetables start to soften – about 4 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper, to taste. If you’re using salted chicken broth, you probably won’t need too much extra salt. If you’re using low-sodium or homemade unsalted broth, you may need up to ½ - ¾ teaspoon of salt.
- Add the broth to the skillet with the rice and vegetables. Add the bay leaf; bring the liquid to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and let the rice simmer for 18-20 minutes. Once the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender, turn off the heat, discard the bay leaf, fluff the rice with a fork, and stir in the fresh parsley and toasted almonds.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- Scale the recipe up or down to suit your needs. For instance, double all of the ingredients to make 8 servings, or cut all of the ingredients in half for just 2 servings.
- For a vegetarian option, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Use any vegetables that you prefer. Sautéed mushrooms, frozen peas and corn would all be delicious additions to the rice. The peas or corn can be stirred in at the end of the cooking time so that they don't get brown and mushy.
- Season the rice with your favorite fresh herbs other than parsley. For instance, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil or chives would all be great.
- For lemon rice pilaf, add a little bit of freshly-grated lemon zest to the rice.
- Instead of the toasted almonds, replace them with other nuts of choice -- such as walnuts, pistachios or pecans. You can also omit the nuts altogether.
- For a touch of sweetness, add dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, golden raisins or dried currants to the pilaf.
- Do not substitute with brown rice, instant rice, or other varieties of rice, since the amount of liquid and the cooking time in this recipe is specifically tailored for long-grain white rice.
Nutrition Information
Serving
1/4 of the recipe
Calories
312kcal
(16%)
Carbohydrates
45g
(15%)
Protein
9g
(18%)
Fat
11g
(17%)
Saturated Fat
3g
(15%)
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
8mg
(3%)
Sodium
81mg
(3%)
Potassium
368mg
(11%)
Fiber
3g
(12%)
Sugar
2g
(4%)
Vitamin A
1797IU
(36%)
Vitamin C
7mg
(8%)
Calcium
75mg
(8%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 312
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1/4 of the recipe | |
| Calories | 312kcal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 45g | 15% |
| Protein | 9g | 18% |
| Fat | 11g | 17% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 8mg | 3% |
| Sodium | 81mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 368mg | 8% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 1797IU | 36% |
| Vitamin C | 7mg | 8% |
| Calcium | 75mg | 8% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.