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Perk up your dinner with this recipe for Easy Mushroom Rice Pilaf. It’s the perfect side dish for busy weeknights.
Mushroom Rice for Any Occasion
Who doesn’t love a good rice dish? A one-pot rice dish is even better! This dish uses dried mushrooms for extra flavor and uses the water they’re soaked in to make a rich mushroom stock.
I have a vegetarian friend who eats this as a main meal, but it’s a great accompaniment for anything from chicken to roast beef.
Why This Recipe Works
- The combination of both fresh and dried mushrooms gives the best possible flavor and texture.
- Using the liquid for soaking the mushrooms as a stock, adds an extra depth of flavor you wouldn’t get with other stock options.
- Using long-grain rice produces firm rice that absorbs the rich mushroom flavor you can’t achieve with instant rice.
White Rice vs Rice Pilaf
The difference between white rice and rice pilaf is white rice is cooked in salted water, while rice pilaf is cooked or baked in stock or broth.
Rice pilaf is often a mixture of rice and pasta, but I find it’s hard to find pasta that has the same cooking time so I omit it altogether.
The Best Rice for Rice Dishes
The best rice to use for rice dishes such as mushroom rice or rice pilaf is long-grain white rice (such as Uncle Ben’s Original Converted, also known as Uncle Ben’s Long Grain Rice outside the US). Quick cook or instant rice often results in soft, flavorless dishes.
Step By Step Instructions
Start with soaking the dried mushrooms in 3 cups of boing water until tender.
Once the desired softness is achieved, drain (reserving the liquid to use as stock) and slice into bite-sized pieces.
Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until tender. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
Add the mushrooms.
Using Pantry or Frozen Items
- If you only have dried mushrooms, just double the measurement of dried.
- Use Frozen Mushrooms by defrosting them and allowing to drain completely.
Saute until the fresh mushrooms are cooked. Add the rice and coat with the mixture.
Add the stock, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is tender and has fully absorbed the stock.
Fluff the rice before serving.
For Best Results
- Cleaning Mushrooms. It’s best to avoid using water to clean your mushrooms because it will water-log them. Instead, wipe them off with a damp paper towel before slicing.
- When cooking mushrooms, don’t overcrowd the pan. Overcrowding the pan will cause the mushrooms to steam as opposed to sauteing.
- The best rice to use for rice dishes such as mushroom rice or rice pilaf is long-grain white rice (such as Uncle Ben’s Original Converted, also known as Uncle Ben’s Long Grain Rice outside the US). Quick cook or instant rice often results in soft, flavorless dishes.
- When reserving the mushroom liquid be sure to discard any sand that collects in the bottom of the bowl.
FAQs
Can I freeze Mushroom Rice Pilaf?
Yes, to freeze rice pilaf put the freshly cooked rice, while it is still steaming (to keep it moist) into an airtight container, then straight into the freezer.
Defrost in the fridge overnight.
Can you re-heat Rice Dishes?
Reheating rice is easily done in the microwave, just ensure it is piping hot before serving. Don’t ever reheat rice more than once!
Other Great Mushroom Recipes
If you’re looking for some great mushroom recipes why not try some of these tried and true dishes:
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Recipe
Easy Mushroom Rice Pilaf
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried mushrooms
- 3 cups boiling water
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 lb fresh mushrooms (sliced)
- 1 cup Parboiled (converted)* Long Grain Rice
- 3 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
- Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Start with soaking the dried mushrooms in 3 cups of boing water until tender.
- Once the desired softness is achieved, drain the mushrooms (reserving the liquid to use as stock. You will need 2 cups. Top up with water or stock as needed). Slice into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
- Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until tender. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
- Add the mushrooms and saute until the fresh mushrooms are cooked. Add the rice and coat with the mixture.
- Add the stock, parsley, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is tender and has fully absorbed the stock.
Tips
- Cleaning Mushrooms. It’s best to avoid using water to clean your mushrooms because will water-log them. Instead, wipe them off with a damp paper towel before slicing.
- When cooking mushrooms, don’t overcrowd the pan. Overcrowding the pan will cause the mushrooms to steam as opposed to sauteing.
- The best rice to use for rice dishes such as mushroom rice or rice pilaf is a long grain white rice (such as Uncle Ben’s Original Converted, also known as Uncle Ben’s Long Grain Rice outside the US). Quick cook or instant rice often results in soft, flavorless dishes.
- When reserving the mushroom liquid be sure to discard any sand that collects in the bottom of the bowl.
Save to favoritesYour saved recipes will be right here waiting for you every time you visit, so you can easily find and make the meals you love.Update Notes: This post was originally published in April of 2019, but was republished with new photos, a video, step by step instructions, tips, and FAQs in March of 2020.
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