Embellished Rice Pilaf – Gluten-Free & Vegan

mbellished Rice Pilaf with my Cheezy Zucchini & Onion Bake and a special treat of chicken wrapped in bacon.

As a child, I loved rice pilaf – the kind that came out of a box.  The rice always seemed perfectly cooked, and the little orzo pieces were the savory equivalent of the marshmallows in Lucky Charms (in other words – the best part)!  Unfortunately, not only can I no longer eat gluten, I also try to pick brown over white rice and avoid packaged foods when I can make something from scratch.  

Luckily, I discovered this recipe for Embellished Rice Pilaf through a happy accident.  I decided to have a go at making dolmas (these stuffed grape leaves were a fun experience if you have never tried it, but definitely a considerable time investment).  There was a little extra filling after stuffing all my grape leaves, and upon tasting it, I realized I was just a few tweaks away from the from-scratch version of the rice pilaf from my childhood!

I have adapted the recipe a bit since then to make it a simple to make side dish.  While it is packed full of flavor, it would be just as delicious in an Italian, Middle Eastern, or Mexican meal!  This recipe is one of my favorite ways to elevate rice from a basic carb to a stand out side dish.  

This is how far you want to take the onion before adding the rice and sunflower seeds/pine nuts.

Serving Suggestions

Often I serve this rice pilaf with chicken or fish and a heaping pile of vegetables.  It would also be great with baked tofu (and again the heaping pile of vegetables).  I also like to add leftovers to a salad to help add some sticking power to what would otherwise be a lighter meal.  

Optional Additions

I encourage you to cook the recipe as is before adding in additional ingredients.  While the ingredients look simple, they come together in a way that has bags of flavor.  

If you do decide you want to add additional ingredients, I would suggest starting with fresh or dried herbs and spices that are being used in the other parts of your meal.  You could also add some finely diced vegetables (again I would take a cue from the ingredients in your other dishes) at the same time as the onion.

Finally, the sunflower seeds and pine nuts should be raw.  If they are already roasted, they can end up tasting a little off once they have been cooked in the pilaf.  Since these are the stand-in for the orzo, you want to make sure they shine!  I prefer pine nuts in this recipe, however they are not always easy to find, and sometimes when I do find them, the price can be a little hard to stomach.  Sunflower seeds don’t give you quite the same shape as the orzo, but they have a similar taste and are both much easier to find and more affordable than pine nuts.

Hoping this delicious side dish becomes one of your family favorites too!