Brown Rice is cooked with onions, garlic, and lots of mushrooms. Topped with green onions…oh so delicious! This Mushroom Rice is a vegan and gluten-free dish. This mushroom pilaf can be made with white or brown rice. If you love mushrooms, you will love this easy variation instead of plain rice. It is the best mushroom and rice recipe. Perfect for entertaining or packing for a quick, easy lunch. This Mushroom Rice can easily be made ahead and heated just before serving, similar to my cilantro lime brown rice and Spanish rice recipe.
Why you will love this Mushroom Rice?
It is vegan and gluten-free Easy to make It can be made with white rice or brown rice Includes healthy mushrooms and can add other veggies too! To make this cheesy, add parmesan or cheddar at the end after cooking
Ingredients
This recipe uses very basic ingredients. Slice the mushrooms, peel the garlic, and dice the onions.
Mushrooms: I used cremini mushrooms, but other varieties of mushrooms would work, too. Wash and dry the mushrooms with a paper towel or kitchen cloth. Then, slice them.
Rice: You can use brown rice (not the quick-cooking ones) – basmati, or jasmine. You can also use white rice in this recipe. Note the different cooking times for white rice. I don’t soak the rice. Just rinse them until the water runs clear. However, if you prefer, you can soak the rice in warm water for an hour. It helps to reduce the cooking time for rice.
Onions: I used yellow onions. Dice them finely.
Garlic: Peel and mince the garlic.
Olive oil: Needed to sauté the onions and mushrooms.
Broth: I used vegetable broth, but chicken broth would also work. I have used Better Than Bouillon base to make broth. It is just easier to keep at hand for all my cooking. If using it, you may want to skip adding salt.
Green onions: These are optional. Only for garnish. You can garnish with cilantro or parsley too.
How to make Mushroom Rice Pilaf?
Sauté Mushrooms & Keep Aside
This is an optional step. Sauté half of the mushrooms in a large saucepan and take them out to top the pilaf at the end. This gives a crunchy taste of the mushrooms. Of course, you could also cook them all with the rice. But I like the sautéed crunchy mushrooms on the rice when serving.
Cook Mushroom Rice
To the same saucepan, we will then add some oil, sauté onions, garlic, and the rest of the mushrooms. The mushrooms will first release water, let the liquid dry, and brown the mushrooms. Then add in the rice and broth. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 35-40 minutes until there is no residual liquid. Stir in between, starting at about 25 mins. (If using white rice, cook for 15 minutes) I like to cook the mushrooms with the rice so the rice can absorb the mushrooms’ amazing flavors.
Instant Pot Method
Follow the same steps in the stovetop method. The amount of broth used is reduced when cooking in the instant pot, as less liquid is needed to cook in the closed pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 22 minutes on high pressure (4 minutes for white rice). Then, release the pressure 10 minutes after the beep. Fluff the rice and enjoy! This was so good; each grain was separate and perfectly cooked. We enjoyed it as our lunch, and the two of us finished it all. I like to sprinkle some lemon juice to give the pilaf a slightly tangy taste.
Pro-Tips
Mushrooms: Don’t slice the mushrooms too thin, as they might disintegrate when cooking with the rice. Veggies: You can add green peas to this pilaf too. I like to use frozen peas and add them at the end when the rice is almost cooked. For the instant pot method, after the pressure cooking is done, add the peas, close the lid, and let the rice rest for 5 minutes. Storage: You can store the mushroom rice in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can also freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Reheat the rice in the microwave.
What to serve with Mushroom Rice?
Mushroom rice is great on its own, but for a well-rounded meal, pair it with Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks, Baked Salmon, or Lemon Roasted Chicken. I hope you enjoy this easy, healthy mushroom brown rice pilaf!
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