Wild Rice Pilaf with Mushrooms is the best vegetarian wild rice pilaf recipe I’ve found so far. It is a hearty, flavorful dish that brings the nutty taste of wild rice and the earthy richness of sautéed mushrooms. This easy-to-make recipe is perfect as a side or a light main dish, with its satisfying texture and aromatic blend of herbs and spices. Whether you’re serving it for a holiday meal or a weeknight dinner, this pilaf is a delicious way to elevate any table setting.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I love my recipe for wild rice pilaf with mushrooms. I think you’ll love it too, for the following reasons:
- A perfect fall or winter recipe.
- Completely vegan, and designed to be so, with no meat substitutes.
- Very adaptable to different types of mushrooms.
- Showcases wild mushrooms at their best!
- A family friendly side dish, and a favorite with kids.
- Beautiful colors from the yellow chanterelles.
- It’s the best wild rice side dish I’ve eaten so far.
Inspiration Behind Wild Rice Pilaf with Mushrooms
I – ahem – may have gone a bit mushroom crazy… You see, there was this big box of wild chanterelle mushrooms at the farmers market… and I might have bought more than I really needed. But I can’t say I’m sorry, because they forced me to find creative ways to use them up! This was my favorite way of all — a wild rice pilaf with wild mushrooms. I loved it so much that I made it again, this time with a variety of different mushrooms, and it was just as good. So even if you can’t find chanterelles, don’t let that stop you.
Wild Rice Pilaf With Mushrooms Ingredient List
To make wild rice pilaf with sautéed mushrooms, you’ll need the following ingredients:
To serve
Ingredient Substitutes
If you’re missing any of the above ingredients, you can sub in one of the following:
- Vegetable stock: If you’re not vegetarian, chicken stock will work.
- Wild rice: I love the chewiness of wild rice, but regular brown rice will do.
- Rosemary: Thyme is also lovely here.
- Chanterelles: Any type of mushrooms will still be tasty. Brightly colored ones look better on the plate, though.
Variations
- If you’re not vegan, try sautéing the chanterelles in butter instead of olive oil. It lends a lovely richness to the flavor.
- Other types of grains can also be delicious here. Quinoa is especially good, but I have also had success with bulgur wheat.
How to Make Wild Rice Pilaf Recipe With Easy Cooking Steps
Cooking Tools
To make this recipe, you’ll need:
- Chopping board
- Kitchen knife
- Large saucepan
- Small frying pan
- Sieve or strainer
Cooking Method
- Simmering
- Frying
Preparation Steps
- Assemble all the tools and ingredients.
- Peel and dice the onion and mushrooms.
- Peel and mince the garlic.
- Rinse the rice in several changes of fresh water.
- Chop the rosemary.
- Chop the parsley.
- Tear or cut the chanterelles into pieces.
Cooking Steps
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat, and add the onions and rosemary with a generous pinch of salt. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened and starting to color at the edges.
- Add the chopped mushrooms and garlic and carry on frying for about 4 more minutes.
- Add the rice, stir to mix in, then add about ⅔ of the stock.
- Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes, uncovered, until the rice is tender. Top up with additional stock as required; you may not need it all.
- Meanwhile, heat the additional oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat, and add the chanterelles. Sauté for about 4-5 minutes, until softened and slightly crisp at the edges.
- Stir the chopped parsley and the balsamic vinegar through the pilaf and season to taste.
- Transfer to a serving plate and top with the fried chanterelle mushrooms.
Best Tips to Ace This Recipe
- Don’t add all the stock at once. I find wild rice varies quite a lot in the amount of liquid it absorbs, and you don’t want to end up with a soggy pilaf.
- Use a good quality vegetable stock. It makes a big difference to the flavor. The best type of vegetable stocks for this dish are those made with the soaking liquid of dried mushrooms.
Time-Saving Tips
- Chop all the vegetables in advance and keep in the fridge for up to a few hours until ready to cook.
- Or you can even make the whole dish in advance and reheat when needed. It keeps beautifully in the fridge, so no need to do all the work at the last minute.
What to Serve with Mushroom Rice Pilaf?
I’ve been known to eat this just as it is –- it’s that good! But it is designed to be a great side dish for any hearty vegetarian main dish. It’s good as a variation if you’re just a bit fed up with plain rice. Try it with one of these mains:
How To Store Wild Rice Pilaf with Mushrooms?
Wild rice pilaf mushrooms keeps very well in the fridge. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. It should stay good for up to a week. You can eat it as a cold rice salad, if you like, or reheat, as you prefer.
To reheat, add to a pan with a small splash of water in the bottom. Place over medium-low heat until warmed through, stirring regularly to prevent sticking.
Alternatively, put the pilaf in a microwave-safe dish and cover. Heat on medium wattage until hot throughout, stirring every 30 seconds.
This recipe is not recommended for freezing.
Conclusion
Stop by your farmers market and see if you can find a big box of wild mushrooms there, like I did! Wild Rice Pilaf with Mushrooms is the perfect recipe for using them up. Let me know in the comments if you find it as delicious as I do!
More Healthy Vegetarian Mushroom Recipes
Looking for more healthy vegetarian mushroom dishes? Try out one of these:
FAQs
Pilaf is a sautéed rice dish involving simmering rice in a flavorful liquid like stock, rather than plain water. Herbs or spices are usually added to the dish, and often other ingredients as well.
Wild rice pilaf is a healthier choice than white rice, owing to the increased fiber and nutritional value from the unrefined rice.
There is no difference between pilaf, pilav, and pilau; they are just variant spellings of the same dish.
Wild Rice Pilaf with Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 3 ¾ cups of vegetable stock
- 1 ½ cups wild rice rinsed
- 2 cups mixed mushrooms diced
- 1 onion peeled and diced
- 4 cloves of garlic peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon rosemary finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
To serve
- 1 cup chanterelles roughly torn
- 1 bunch of parsley roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Assemble all the tools and ingredients.
- Peel and dice the onion and mushrooms.
- Peel and mince the garlic.
- Rinse the rice in several changes of fresh water.
- Chop the rosemary.
- Chop the parsley.
- Tear or cut the chanterelles into pieces.
Cooking Steps
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat, and add the onions and rosemary with a generous pinch of salt. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened and starting to color at the edges.
- Add the chopped mushrooms and garlic and carry on frying for about 4 more minutes.
- Add the rice, stir to mix in, then add about ⅔ of the stock.
- Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes, uncovered, until the rice is tender. Top up with additional stock as required; you may not need it all.
- Meanwhile, heat the additional oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat, and add the chanterelles. Sauté for about 4-5 minutes, until softened and slightly crisp at the edges.
- Stir the chopped parsley and the balsamic vinegar through the pilaf and season to taste.
- Transfer to a serving plate and top with the fried chanterelle mushrooms.
