Today I am making one of my standards- Easy Wild Rice Pilaf. It is a “dump ingredients in and mix” kind of recipe. Easy Wild Rice Pilaf is a great make-ahead to serve it cold, perfect for potlucks or meal prep. You can adjust many ingredients to add more or less to your tastes. See the ingredient tips and substitutions below.
This easy wild rice pilaf is a go-to based on a recipe from my friend, private chef Bob Sampson from Boulder, CO. Bob taught me the recipe years ago and I’ve been making it ever since. I think I’ve made it 1,000 times, I swear. Let me know if you made it and if it will be a go-to from now on for you too!
Ingredient Tips:
Wild rice is not actually rice, it’s a seed with a nutty, toasty flavor profile. Wild rice is high in fiber with tons of micronutrients and naturally gluten-free. 1 dry cup of wild rice usually yields about 3 cups of cooked rice. Wild rice can be soaked prior to cooking, and you don’t have to have all the water boil off. Just remove from heat and drain when it is tender. Here’s a great tutorial from Spruce Eats on cooking wild rice different ways.
Use the amount of celery and parsley according to your taste preferences. You can use up to 3 stalks if you need to use it up and love celery. I used a handful of Italian parsley in this.
I used dried tart cherries in this recipe, but the original recipe from my friend Bob calls for chopped sun dried tomato. Go ahead and sub that out if you like, but I love the tart cherry flavor in this recipe. Cranberries could work too. You can even soak the cherries in sherry to “re-plump” them before chopping and adding if you like.
Use the best balsamic vinegar you’ve got, because this flavor makes the whole dish. It adds the sweet and sour the pilaf needs. You could even sub out the vinegar with balsamic glaze. Side note-see how I used balsamic in the simplest way in this Easy Garbanzo Bean Dish.
Optional Ingredients:
The citrus zest is up to you-use what you have and like. I think orange zest gives it a great zing, especially paired with the cherries and nuts.
Pine nuts, walnuts or pecans are all great nut options for this pilaf. If yours are untoasted, pop them in a dry sauté pan for a few minutes on the stove watching and smelling for them to be toasted, not burnt.
My favorite ingredients/products for this recipe:
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Wild Rice: The Lundberg brand blend has the following: Long grain brown rice, sweet brown rice, wehani, black japonica and wild rice pieces.
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Balsamic Vinegar: Get the best quality you can! Look out for a dark glass bottle and a PGI certification label that means it is of good quality. This Whole Foods Balsamic Vinegar of Modena has no added caramel coloring, is non-gmo, and is certified for quality.
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Dried Tart Cherries: I got a large organic 20 oz bag from Costco, it’s usually around $10.
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Rate this recipe and let me know how you made your Easy Wild Rice Pilaf in the comments below!
Recipe and how-to video from my YouTube channel below. Make easy wild rice pilaf for an weeknight side dish or main course topped with a grilled protein (like salmon, yum!). Make this advance and serve it cold, perfect for potlucks or meal prep. Let me know how you liked it in the comments below. Rating and commenting helps others find this recipe, too!
Easy Wild Rice Pilaf
Equipment
- Medium saucepot
- Large Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 dry cup wild rice
- 1-3 stalks celery, finely minced, (amount to taste)
- ½ medium onion, diced
- ¼ cup dried tart cherries, chopped
- About ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley, handful, to taste
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Optional
- 1/3 cup pine nuts or other nut like walnuts or pecans
- 1 tsp. Citrus zest, orange, lime or lemon, optional
Method
- Cook 1 cup of wild rice per package instructions, then let cool. The ratio of water to rice is usually 3 cups to 1 cup.
- Put cooked rice in bowl with chopped celery, onion, handful of parsley, handful of chopped dried cherries, nuts, citrus zest, and sea salt. If using toasted nuts other than pine nuts, give them a rough chop before adding.
- Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over all ingredients and mix well.