Christmas Rice Pilaf
This vegan Christmas rice pilaf recipe is vibrant, festive, and oh so tasty! With fresh herbs and notes of coriander, lemon, and cumin, Christmas Rice Pilaf is easy to make with flavors to complement any holiday meal. And this is coincidentally a vegetarian/vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free recipe, so it lets you can cater to all your holiday guests.
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Why this recipe works
Have you ever seen such a pretty rice pilaf? Pomegranate seeds are surprisingly versatile in otherwise savory dishes. Like, they are legit little pearls of sweetness, but not too sweet, that add a perfect bit of color and interest to a savory side dish like this vegan rice pilaf. And the best part is when I get Pom seeds already culled from the pomegranate fruit for even easier preparation.
I used ginger, garlic, cumin, lemon, and coriander in this pilaf with intention. These flavors are soooo good in basmati rice! Subtle and delicate, this combination just really works for a flexible side dish to let your main course shine.
This recipe is also VERY EASY. We give a quick sauté at the beginning to toast the seasonings, garlic, and ginger, then we cook the rice, and we finish by adding herbs and pomegranate seeds. That’s it. Super simple preparation pays dividends for a holiday meal.
About the ingredients
See the recipe card below for the details, but all ingredients are relatively inexpensive, all vegan, and all readily available at your local store or Walmart.
I used olive oil and vegetable stock in this prep, but you can use unsalted butter and chicken broth or chicken stock with equally delicious results.
Know rice safety!
You will want to serve this rice fresh for the best result. This is because of the fresh herbs and pomegranate seeds, neither of which we want to “cook” or heat too much.
The additional thing about rice though is that you want to cook it and either serve it straight away or keep it very warm until serving. Otherwise, you want to cool it quickly, refrigerate, then reheat quickly and serve straight away then. This is because we want to avoid food-borne illness from the bacteria, Bacillus cereus.
I’m mentioning this because when prepping a holiday meal especially, we look for short-cuts and what can we do in advance, etc. So with rice, you do need to be cognizant of how you treat it after cooking to prevent any issue.
FAQs
This recipe is best served freshly made due to the pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs. It can, however, be made in advance. Prep the ingredients and cook the rice, then cool quickly and refrigerate overnight. Reheat quickly in the microwave, then add the pomegranate seeds, nuts, and herbs for serving.
In the interest of food safety to avoid food-borne illness, keep rice chilled until reheating, then serve right away. Do not leave rice out to sit at room temperature.
TIP: Pine nuts (or slivered almonds, if using), toast very quickly on the stovetop. So just add them to a hot pan, then toss toss toss to keep them moving to toast them until golden without burning them.
Christmas Rice Pilaf
Equipment
- rice cooker optional
Ingredients
- 2 tsp minced ginger
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or unsalted butter
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp fresh lemon zest
- 1 ¼ cups basmati rice
- 2 cups reduced sodium vegetable stock see Notes
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp fresh cracked black pepper
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- ½ tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- ¼ cup pine nuts or slivered almonds
Instructions
- In a small sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, and lemon zest all at once. Toast 1-2 minutes until fragrant and golden. Transfer to medium pot, saucepan, or rice cooker.
- Stir in rice, stock, kosher salt, and pepper. Cover and cook according to rice package directions (if cooking stovetop) or rice cooker instructions (if using a cooker).
- While rice is cooking, toast the pine nuts until golden in a small skillet over high heat.
- Fluff rice with a fork, taste for seasoning, and let stand 5 minutes. Toss in the pomegranate seeds, chopped herbs, and toasted pine nuts.
