Wild Rice Pilaf
This simple and easy Wild Rice Pilaf is a tasty side dish that pairs well with a wide variety of main dishes. I love a versatile side dish! This recipe combines brown rice with a wild rice blend which adds nutty flavor and a chewier texture. You’ll flavor the rice with broth (either chicken or vegetable), onions, garlic, carrots, and celery, and garnish it with chopped parsley. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised how good this tastes with such simple ingredients! The rice does take a while to cook, so make sure you start preparing it about an hour before you’re ready to serve. It’s worth the wait! Great paired with chicken, steak, or almost any main course, a 2/3 cup side serving of this Wild Rice Pilaf is just 159 calories or 4 WW Points. To view your current WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here!
As I mention in the ingredients listing, I used a wild rice blend rather than straight wild rice. It’s much cheaper and easier to find in stores. What’s great is that a little wild rice goes a long way in terms of adding nutty flavor and chewy texture in a dish. You don’t need a ton!
I used a traditional mirepoix of onions, carrots, and celery in my Wild Rice Pilaf, but you can add other mix-ins as well! I think diced mushrooms, broccoli or zucchini would be great, and some people like to add raisins or walnuts to their pilaf.
Looking for more tasty comfort food side dishes to warm up to this winter? Check out my Green Bean Casserole, Stovetop Cinnamon Apples, Broccoli Cheddar Twice Baked Potatoes, Stovetop Green Beans with Almonds, Sweet and Spicy Roasted Cauliflower, Creamy Corn with Bacon and Jalapenos, Vegetable Fried Rice, Garlic Herb Mushrooms, Classic Mashed Potatoes, Easy Salsa Rice, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Broccoli Salad, Easy Garlic Knots, and so many more in the Side Dishes category of my recipe index!
Wild Rice Pilaf
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ cup chopped onion
- ¾ cup diced celery
- ¾ cup diced carrots
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¾ cup uncooked long-grain brown rice, (not the quick-cooking kind)
- ¾ cup uncooked wild rice blend, (or wild rice - I used a blend, it’s much easier to find)
- 3 ½ cups chicken broth or vegetable broth, (I often make my own broth using Better Than Bouillon)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Drizzle the olive oil in a large sauté pan or skillet that has a lid and bring over med-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, celery and carrots and stir together. Spread the mix out in the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes until the onion is translucent and the vegetables are softer. Add the minced garlic and stir. Cook for another 30-60 seconds. Add the rice and stir together to mix. Cook for another minute to toast the rice a bit.
- Pour in the broth, stir, and raise heat to bring to a boil. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer on low for 45 minutes until the rice is tender and the broth is absorbed. Uncover, fluff the rice and sprinkle the parsley over top to garnish.
Notes
4 per (2/3 cup) serving (PP calculated using a Weight Watchers PointsPlus calculator and the nutrition info below) Adapted from Campbells and Simply Whisked
Hi! When I click on the link to the WW app it takes me to “my day” page and not the recipe so I can track it. Do I have to manually add all the ingredients myself for every recipe now? That seems like way too much work!
Hi Trish,
Are you outside the US? Unfortunately because WW uses a different site for their program in each country, the link will only work for US members. I’m unable to have a WW account in other countries, so that’s all I’m able to offer! Trust me, I am equally as bummed not to be able to offer personal points values to my international readers. Unfortunately, yes, to calculate your PP you will need to enter the ingredients you’re using into the WW recipe builder if your account with WW is outside the US.
I hope this changes at some point, I have definitely complained to WW about it. Thanks for reaching out.
Thank you so much for the information, I am in Canada so now it makes sense!
It will be a bit of work to enter each recipe but worth it!!
I am glad your older recipes still have the points information, as I am not fond of this new PP plan and continue to track as if I am still on purple!
Thanks for your great recipes and inspiration!!
This wild rice pilaf is soooo good. My son and his middle school friends also loved this recipe and ate every bite. I have already made it twice. Thanks!
Love this recipe! Have had it with shrimp on the barbie and rib eyes!
Love this recipe! We ate it with chicken kabobs. Six of us ate it all. We also had mixed berry crisp! Delicious!
Excellent recipe! Made this side with a pheasant dish and the pairing was amazing. Used straight wild rice and brown rice.