- Sohla El-Waylly’s one-pot vegetarian rice pilaf is a quick and easy option for a weeknight dinner.
- To boost the protein and make it more filling, consider adding a fried egg on top of the pilaf.
- Additionally, you can enhance the flavor of the dish with soy sauce, hot sauce or chili crisp.
If there’s one thing we could always use more of, it’s great ideas for simple dinners. We all have those days when we just don’t have the energy to make dinner, and running up a take-out tab isn’t all that appealing either.
That’s why we were thrilled to see chef, restaurateur and author Sohla El-Waylly share this easy, yummy one-pot meal. Her simple, 30-minute veggie rice pilaf is the ideal last-minute supper—it’s adaptable so you can use ingredients you have on hand, it’s hearty and it’s packed with a serving of veggies. Sohla broke down her dinner for two (including some great tips for making your pilaf the best it can be) on Instagram.
To kick things off, you’ll want to rinse your rice and let it soak for a few minutes. Sohla does this off-camera, and it’s a great way to clean your rice and get rid of the starchy residue that can make your pilaf gummy and sticky. You can use a bowl for this: Agitate the rice and water with your hands, then change the water out until it runs clear. But you could also use a fine mesh sieve and hold your rice under running water for a minute or two. White rice will need more rinsing than brown, so if you opt for whole grains in this recipe, you’ll shave a little time off your rinsing period—though you’ll more than make it up in cooking time.
Sohla opts for white rice in this recipe, and once it’s rinsed and drained, she adds it to a tall pot with a couple of tablespoons of butter and crushed garlic cloves. This phase of the pilaf process is called parching—you’ll want to toast your rice in the butter over medium heat, tossing it together so the grains are evenly coated. Toasting your rice can help boost the flavor and ensure a fluffier pilaf.
When your rice is aromatic, add in your vegetable stock or chicken stock—you can even use water, if that’s what you have on hand. (As Sohla notes, stock definitely brings lots of flavor to this recipe, and you can use vegetable stock or water to keep the meal vegetarian-friendly.) Season the mixture with a big pinch of salt and bring it up to a vigorous simmer. Then drop the heat down to low and pop the lid on your pot.
Sohla opts for white rice in this recipe, and once it’s rinsed and drained, she adds it to a tall pot with a couple of tablespoons of butter and crushed garlic cloves. This phase of the pilaf process is called parching—you’ll want to toast your rice in the butter over medium heat, tossing it together so the grains are evenly coated. Toasting your rice can help boost the flavor and ensure a fluffier pilaf.
When your rice is aromatic, add in your vegetable stock or chicken stock—you can even use water, if that’s what you have on hand. (As Sohla notes, stock definitely brings lots of flavor to this recipe, and you can use vegetable stock or water to keep the meal vegetarian-friendly.) Season the mixture with a big pinch of salt and bring it up to a vigorous simmer. Then drop the heat down to low and pop the lid on your pot.
If you’re using short-grain white rice, it should take just about 15 minutes for the rice to cook, which gives you time to prepare whatever veggies you want to use. Sohla opts for a crown of broccoli, trimming the florets to be thin and no more than three inches in length. She also thinly slices some chives for a flavor boost. But this recipe is pretty customizable—you can use any quick-cooking vegetable in place of the broccoli, so if you love veg like zucchini, spinach or Swiss chard, feel free to swap them in. And while the chives are a flavorful touch, you could swap them out for any herb you have on hand or even a sprinkle of green onions.
When the rice has finished cooking, add your chives to the pot and give everything a nice toss with a fork to fluff up the rice. Pile your veggies on top, then pop the lid back on and let the residual steam cook your veggies. (You can also opt for a mixture of items, if you need to clean out the fridge—anything from loose broccoli and shredded carrots to sugar snap peas and asparagus could be tossed in).
While the veggies get their steam on, you’re free to tidy up the counter, get your plates out or go for a bonus step: frying an egg. This will turn your one-pot pilaf into a one-pot, one-pan pilaf, but it will also add some staying power to the meal. Sohla cooks her egg sunny-side up, with a soft yolk that had our mouths watering. But you’re welcome to cook your eggs however you like. When the veggies have had time to cook, pile them on top of your plate, scoop on a side of rice, and let your egg be the star of the show right on top.
Sohla dresses her plate with a dash of soy sauce on the veggies and some chili crisp on her egg, but you could also add flavor with a sprinkling of your favorite seasoning blend on the veggies or a spoonful of your favorite hot sauce or salsa. However you serve it up, you’ll be thrilled at the easy cleanup and quick cook time.
