This recipe was featured on “Best Side Dish” category by FeedFeed 2/23/2016
This Wild Rice recipe makes a healthy and delicious side dish with meat, seafood, or vegetarian dishes. A blend of wild rice, brown basmati rice and red rice has been used in this recipe, but it can also be prepared using only one of these varieties if preferred.
Wild rice grains are long and can be black or dark brown. This rice is very popular for its nutritional value and taste. It is high in protein, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals such as iron, potassium and zinc. It has a chewy texture and nutty flavor. Wild rice is grown in India, Australia and United States.
Red rice is whole grain with nutty flavor and soft texture. It is rich in vitamins and minerals. The grains are short and flat with dark reddish brown color. Red rice is partially hulled and the bran gives this rice its chewy texture.
The brown Basmati is a long whole grain rice with a mild nutty flavor and is chewier than white rice. Only the outer most layer of this rice is hulled and it is not milled and polished. Brown rice is also rich in vitamins and minerals such as manganese, selenium and copper.
A variety of wild rice blends are available in the supermarkets; I got this one from Costco. Pick through the rice and rinse it under cold water. This Wild Rice recipe has shallots, celery and carrots. I have used chicken stock instead of water and this gives the rice a richer, more delicious flavor for the pickier eaters! Vegetable stock may be substituted for chicken stock for a vegetarian version.
The vegetables are diced small and sauteed in olive oil and butter until the shallots are translucent. Then the rice is added and sauteed with vegetables for another couple of minutes. The chicken broth, salt and crushed red pepper flakes are added. After it comes to a boil the temperature is reduced to low, the pot is covered and the rice is simmered for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the grains are tender and chewy. Do not overcook.
Serve warm with meat or vegetable dishes for a healthy side dish. This Wild Rice recipe nicely complements Chicken Tarraon, Chicken Piccata, BBQ Ribs, or Salmon, as well as vegetarian meals.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: About 1 hour
- 1 celery stick, diced small
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced small
- 1 medium shallot, peeled and diced small
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1 TBSP butter
- 1 ½ cups uncooked wild rice/brown rice blend
- 2 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Pick through the rice. Rinse under cold water and drain. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a nonstick 3-Qt pot over medium heat and saute the diced vegetables until the diced shallots are translucent.
- Add 1 ½ cups wild rice to the pot and stir for 2 more minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes to the pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the rice is tender and chewy and all the liquid is cooked off. Do not overcook.
- Serve warm with meat recipes such as Chicken Piccata, Chicken Tarragon, BBQ Ribs, Salmon, or vegetarian entrees.
This is a special rice dish, and I love the colorfulness of it. Adding broth instead of water sure gives it a notch! 🙂
Thank you Fae! I was so happy when I came up with this recipe when my children were little. This was after I found out that getting them to eat this wonderful rice without any added ingredients (colors and flavor) was out of question 🙂
Beautiful Homa Khanoome aziz, as always. Just got some wild rice this week, will try this combination. It looks like jewel studded rice. Although that turnip Aash might be first in the menu with our cold weather too. More snow on the way for Monday.
سنجاقک عزیز Thank you so much for your kind words. I love this rice, I hope you enjoy it. I will be posting my recipe for the Turnip Aash very soon! Couldn’t agree more, nothing hits the spot like Aash when there is a foot of snow on the ground and more on the way. Have a great weekend dear Sanjagak.
Love Ashe !!! Nowrooz was always a time for this amazing soup.
Brown rice is one of my favorites and I recently found brown Basmati in my local market. It is fabulous. Another saved recipe that I will use often. I normally don’t eat meat or dairy and often have a rice dish for my meal, then the leftovers are mixed with salad vegetables the following day for a perfect lunch.
Dear Vicki, I’m so glad you were able to find brown Basmati, it is fabulous! It is wonderful to hear that you like my recipe and will be using it regularly. I do eat meat but mixed rice with vegetables is my favorite also. Thank you for your continuous support and lovely comments 🙂