Recipes

Brown Rice Pilaf

Prep time: 5 minutes

Total time: 50 minutes

Serves 4

Naturally nutty and slightly chewy when cooked, brown rice is a terrific whole-grain choice. Try our easy recipe that’s flavored with garlic and bay leaf—it will go with just about any dish. No thinking necessary!


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Step-by-Step Photos

Brown Rice Pilaf
Remove 1 clove of garlic from a head of garlic.
Smash the garlic using your open palm and the flat side of your chef’s knife. This is one quick movement.
This is what smashed garlic looks like.
Peel. It’s ok if the pieces are different sizes.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the smashed garlic clove.
Cook, stirring, until fragrant (do not let brown), about 1 minute.
Add 1 cup brown rice or brown rice blend.
Stir to coat the rice with the oil.Cook, stirring, until fragrant (do not let brown), about 1 minute.
Add 2 cups of water.
Add 2 bay leaves.
Add ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
Bring to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low.
Cook until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed, 45 to 50 minutes.
Gently stir a few times.
Enjoy. And remember not to eat the bay leaf!

ingredients

1 tablespoon
olive oil
1 clove
garlic, smashed
1 cup
brown rice or brown rice blend
2
bay leaves
½ teaspoon
kosher salt

directions

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant (do not let brown), about 1 minute. Add the rice and stir to coat in the oil. Add 2 cups water, the bay leaves and salt and bring to a boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and cook until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed, 45 to 50 minutes.


 

helpful hints

  • While bay leaves are extremely fragrant and impart beautiful flavor, they are bitter, so be sure not to eat them
  • When smashing your garlic, be sure to give it a good whack so the garlic pieces are small—that way you won’t bite into a big piece
  • We tend to under salt, so after you’ve made this, be sure to double-check the seasoning is to your liking—you may want to add salt

tools needed

Medium saucepan with lid, cutting board, chef’s knife, measuring cups, measuring spoons, wooden spoon