Brown rice pilaf with orzo is the side dish that goes with everything! Serve this easy whole grain side with everything from roast chicken to curry. 132 calories and 3 Weight Watchers SP
Brown Rice Pilaf with Orzo
Brown rice pilaf is one of those side dishes that everyone should have in their cooking repertoire. There’s minimal chopping required (hello, easy weeknight recipe!), it can be used as a base under bolognese sauce or vegetarian curry or served alongside a wide variety of dishes, from baked pork chops to roasted chicken. For lunch yesterday, I stirred in some sautéed kale and chickpeas for an easy vegan meal. I love versatility in my side dishes!
How to make brown rice pilaf:
- Whether or not you like to mix spices, nuts or dried fruit into rice pilaf, the same basic formula can be followed.
- Start by sautéing some aromatics in olive oil oil or unsalted butter. If you’re aiming for an Indian- or Thai-spiced pilaf, you could also start with ghee or coconut oil. Examples of aromatics include onion, garlic, shallots, carrot and celery. In this recipe, I sautéed the aromatics with the orzo, but if you’re not using orzo, use the aromatics as part of the base for the rice.
- Next, stir in the rice and sauté until the rice is glistening and lightly toasted. In this recipe, I chose to toast the orzo rather than the rice. This is where you can also add in any dried herbs and spices.
- Pour in the liquid. For the most flavor possible, use vegetable or chicken broth. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until all of the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the rice rest, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Fluff and serve, mixing in any dried herbs.
Tips for making this recipe:
- I used whole wheat orzo (affiliate link) for the most fiber punch, but regular orzo will work.
- The orzo is cooked with aromatics (shallots, celery and carrot) until the orzo is lightly toasted, which will take about 10 minutes. Give it a stir occasionally so that the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the skillet or burn.
- Be sure to maintain a simmer while cooking the rice. For a gas stove, you’ll likely be able to maintain a simmer on low heat, but it may be necessary to turn up the heat slightly on other stovetops. You know your stove best! The important part is that the liquid continues to simmer.
- When there are about 10 minutes of cooking time left for the rice, stir in the toasted orzo mixture, cover the saucepan again and continue to simmer.
Other brown rice recipes:
Greek Turkey, Rice & Feta Casserole {Cookin’ Canuck}
Toasted Brown Rice with Mushrooms & Thyme {Cookin’ Canuck}
Southwest Turkey, Vegetable & Rice Skillet {Recipe Runner}
One-Pan Pesto Chicken & Brown Rice {Yummy Toddler Food}
Brown Rice Pilaf with Orzo
Ingredients
- 2 2/3 cup vegetable broth (or chicken broth if not vegetarian/vegan)
- 3/4 cup brown basmati rice (or other brown long grain rice)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large shallot minced
- 1 large carrot cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1 large celery stalk cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 3/4 cup whole wheat orzo (regular orzo can be substituted)
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- 2 tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Combine the chicken broth and basmati rice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes (orzo mixture will be added in after 35 minutes - see next steps). ***Be sure the liquid continues simmer. If you have a gas stove, this likely can be achieved with low heat. Otherwise, turn up the heat slightly to maintain a simmer.
- Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Add the shallots, carrot, celery and orzo.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper, and cook for 30 seconds.
- Once the rice has cooked for 35 minutes, stir in the orzo mixture. Cover the saucepan and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the parsley. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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