Easy golden rice pilaf is a vibrant, flavorful, Mediterranean side dish that is made with tumeric and toasted pine nuts. It will make any meal just a little bit tastier, and it’s so easy to make!
Easy rice pilaf
I’ve been making this easy golden rice pilaf for as long as I’ve been married…maybe longer. The secret to the “golden” part of the rice, is turmeric. While saffron is traditionally used in pilaf, turmeric is often used as a saffron substitute, as they both give rice a beautiful golden color.
Using turmeric in place of saffron gives the pilaf a nice golden color at a fraction of the price. Tumeric has quite a few health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart attacks in patients who have already had bypass surgery. See more health benefits of tumeric here.
Now that we know the health benefits of turmeric, this side dish gets to move into the healthy category!
You can easily substitute brown rice in place of the white rice; just make sure you adjust the cooking time. I use chicken broth for the liquid, but you can substitute vegetable broth for a vegetarian or vegan side dish. Pine nuts add a bit of texture and protein. Sometimes I add a handful of grated parmesan cheese…just because. I often serve this with a Mediterranean Burger, Rosemary Shrimp or Lamb Sliders.
Here is the easy golden rice pilaf recipe. Enjoy!
This simple Mediterranean Rice Pilaf is the prefect side dish for American, Greek or Middle Eastern dishes. Makes 3 cups cooked rice.
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper more to taste
- 2-3 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley for garnish.
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Heat oil and butter in a sauce pan over a medium heat. onions, and sauté 2-3 minutes, add rice and turmeric and continue stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic, stirring 1 or 2 minutes until fragrant.
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Add broth and bring to a boil, turn down heat to low, cover and cook rice until tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15-18 minutes.
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Stir in toasted pine nuts or almonds and adjust seasoning to taste. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Easy Peasy Life Matters says
March 12, 2016 at 10:52 amWe love turmeric at our house! I’m so excited to give this recipe a try!! 🙂
Christina | Christina's Cucina says
August 2, 2016 at 7:14 pmI want to use more turmeric and this is a great way to do it! Not only do we get the health benefits, but it looks gorgeous as well! What a way to add color to a plate! Great recipe!
Maria says
September 23, 2016 at 7:36 amWOW! Love how simple this recipe is and how much flavor is packed into it:)
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
September 23, 2016 at 4:45 pmWhat a great side dish! Love the color, and love the pine nuts, too 🙂 This would be perfect with so many things!
Catherine says
September 26, 2016 at 8:37 amDear Cynthia, what a delightful side dish…it looks beautiful and hearty. Perfect for fall. xo, Catherine
Kendra says
September 27, 2018 at 11:22 amCan you use brown rice instead of white?? This looks delish!
Cynthia says
September 27, 2018 at 6:21 pmsure! But you’d have to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Crystal says
May 10, 2019 at 11:20 amHello, how many does this recipe serve?
Cynthia says
May 11, 2019 at 1:53 pmHi Crystal, It should make about 3 cups, so it could serve 6 1/2 cup portions.