Vegetable Wild Rice with Orange Zest
This was an absolutely delicious grain bowl packed with flavor, protein, and beautiful colors. I used the zest of an orange which gave this bowl a punch of flavor like no other. #eattherainbow
This dish makes for a great side paired with your protein of choice, or for your main over a bed of greens topped with an avocado. Either way, this grain bowl was incredibly delicious and nourishing.
The wild rice gives this dish a great structure, texture, and full bodied flavor. Plus it holds a higher amount of protein and fiber than that of your typical brown or white rice.
If you don’t have all the ingredients, you can easily improvise as shown below! Make this bowl your own :)
Ingredients:
2 cups of Long Grain Wild Rice (I use Lundberg)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup of golden raisins (sub: raisins, craisins, or dried apricots)
1 1/2 cup of chopped carrots
1 1/2 cup of chopped celery
1 small yellow onion
1 cup of fresh parsley (sub: cilantro would also be delicious)
1 cup of chopped almonds (sub: chopped pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts)
Zest from an orange
Prep:
In a cast iron skillet (totally worth the investment especially if you are working with grains often!) or a medium saucepan, cook your long grain brown rice. I make it with vegetable stock! This rice typically takes about 45-50 minutes to cook fully.
In a medium skillet, sauté the onions with olive oil, carrots, and celery with a sprinkle of salt. Add a cover and turn the heat to low until the carrots cook through. Add golden raisins and orange zest and let the flavors cook and merge together for one minute. Remove from heat and set the sautéed mixture aside.
When the rice is fully cooked, stir in the sautéed mixture followed by parsley and chopped almonds. Salt to taste and serve!
