Wild Rice Pilaf
Dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and more flavor this delish side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup carrots, small dice
- 1 cup onion, small dice
- 1 cup celery, small dice
- 1 tablespoon garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 cup diced pimento peppers, or diced roasted red peppers
- zest of 1 small lemon, optional
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock, or vegetable stock
- 1 1/2 cups wild rice blend
- kosher salt or sea salt, to taste
- freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries, or cherries
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped and toasted
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, see Notes
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with the oil.
- Once melted, add the carrots, onion, and celery. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Sauté until softened and caramelized, approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (You can cook the vegetables for a shorter amount of time, just until softened, if you’d prefer.)
- Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, being careful not to burn.
- Add the pimento peppers, lemon zest, stock and rice. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. You want your mixture to have a lot of flavor since your rice will be absorbing this liquid.
- Place a tight-fitting lid on the skillet and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is fully cooked. Pull the rice off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes, still covered.
- Add the peas, cranberries, pecans, parsley, and thyme. Gently toss together, taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. The peas will thaw in the very hot rice.
- Serve warm.
Notes
If you use dried thyme instead of fresh, use 1 1/2 teaspoons and add to the rice mixture along with the stock. The dried thyme will need to rehydrate.
To cook in a rice cooker, you will still need some stovetop cook time for the vegetables. Saute your carrot, onion, celery, and garlic on the stovetop as directed above. Transfer this mixture to the rice cooker along with the peppers, zest, stock, and rice. Adjust the amount of stock according to your rice cooker instructions. Cook according to the cooker’s instructions. When the rice is cooked, add the peas, cranberries, pecans, parsley and thyme. Adjust any seasonings.
Nutrition Facts
Wild Rice Pilaf
Amount per Serving
Calories
324.56
% Daily Value*
Fat
11.29
g
17
%
Saturated Fat
2.14
g
13
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
2.58
g
Monounsaturated Fat
5.93
g
Cholesterol
4.9
mg
2
%
Sodium
414.75
mg
18
%
Potassium
437.05
mg
12
%
Carbohydrates
50.88
g
17
%
Fiber
6.42
g
27
%
Sugar
14.98
g
17
%
Protein
8.82
g
18
%
Vitamin C
27.92
mg
34
%
Calcium
46.9
mg
5
%
Iron
1.66
mg
9
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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