This is one of my favourite side dishes because it tastes amazing, goes well with meat, fish, seafood, tofu or roasted vegetables (so is very versatile) AND you can add ingredients to turn it into a risotto-style entrée.
Ingredients (2 large servings or 4 small):
1 cup wild rice blend (mix of wild and brown rice)
2 cups vegetable broth
½ tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp vegan butter (or dairy butter)
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried rosemary
a good pinch of salt and pepper
Directions:
Combine the rice and broth in a medium saucepan (that has a lid) and bring to the boil.
Cover the saucepan with its lid and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook the rice for 30-45 minutes or until the broth has been absorbed – stir occasionally.
Remove saucepan from heat but keep the lid on!
In a small frying pan, heat the oil on medium-high then add the chopped onion and sauté for about 5-7 minutes or until softened.
Combine the butter, garlic*, dried herbs, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir/mix well to create a compound butter.
Stir the compound butter and the onions into the rice then serve!
*Use as much of the garlic as you like, I typically use 3 garlic cloves!
Great additions to this Herby Rice could be 1 cup of … sliced, sautéed mushrooms or roasted mushrooms | roasted butternut squash | chopped, sautéed asparagus | assortment of roasted nuts | pan-fried tofu | mixed seafood | grilled chicken | sliced, cooked sausages … just create a dish that suits your taste buds!
