Name: Instant Pot Savory Rice Pilaf with Walnuts
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup long grain brown rice; 1/2 cup wild rice; 1 1/4 cup water; 1/4 cup vegan butter; 2 cups baby bella mushrooms (, sliced ); 1/2 cup sweet onion (, diced ); 2 garlic cloves (, minced); 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes; 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese (, cubed); 2 cups fresh spinach (, chopped); 1/4 cup walnuts (, chopped); 1 tablespoon fresh parsely (, chopped)

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I was gifted Oregon Wild Rice to use in this post. All opinions are mine.

Instant pot savory rice pilaf with walnuts is creamy, the perfect amount of savory and has added crunch from walnuts.

Ingredients in Savory Rice Pilaf with Walnuts

I love making rice in the instant pot because it turns out perfectly every time. I don’t have to worry about adding more and more water to the saucepan or try to keep a close eye on it while it cooks on the stovetop. Wild rice can also take especially long to cook on the stovetop, which is why I love making wild rice pilaf in the instant pot. The instant method for cooking rice takes about half the time.

If you have never made wild rice, it is time to start incorporating this grain into your dinnertime! Wild rice has a nutty taste and is not actually even a true rice. Wild rice is actually a type of grass that produces edible seeds resembling rice. It has a stronger flavor than rice and packs more of a nutritional punch. Wild rice is lower in calories than brown and white rice and is a great source of plant based protein! This nutrient dense grain contains 4 grams of protein per serving. Pair this wild rice pilaf with a protein rich vegetable and your plant based protein needs will be more than met at dinner.

I love how rice pilaf can be so versatile! For this instant pot version we added mushrooms, you could also make a lemon broccoli risotto rice in the instant pot.

Here are the indgredients for this rice pilaf recipe:

Long grain brown rice
Wild rice
Dairy free butter
Mushrooms
Onion
Fresh Spinach
Vegan Cream Cheese
Fresh Parsley
Red Chili Pepper Flakes
Walnuts

I love the combination of pantry staple rice with fresh ingredients such as mushrooms, spinach and parsely!

Instant Pot Savory Rice Pilaf with Walnuts

How to Make Electric Pressure Cooker Mushroom Wild Rice

For any rice dish the first thing you need to do is to rinse your rice really well in a fine mesh colander. Rinsing your rice removes any surface starch which could result in your rice being gummy.

Next, on the instant pot sauté function, melt your butter and lightly sautè your onions, garlic and mushrooms. Add your water, rinsed brown rice and wild rice and close the lid on your instant pot. Set your timer on manual and cook your rice pilaf for 25 minutes.

After your rice is done, slowly let the instant pot release its pressure. I usually like to do this for 20-30 minutes. If you release it to early, steam and hot water will release out of the valve and will not only burn you but make a huge mess!

When the steam has released, open your instant pot lid and stir in your torn spinach and vegan cream cheese. Right before serving, gently stir in your chopped walnuts and fresh parsley.

How to Serve and Store Vegan Instant Pot Rice Pilaf

I love to serve this rice side dish right after I stir in the fresh parsley and walnuts. Leftovers can be refrigerated up to 3 days.

To round out this meal for dinnertime, I love to serve it with Chickpea Loaf and a simple green salad.

This wild rice pilaf will keep your stovetop and oven free during the holidays and is the perfect vegan and gluten free rice side dish!

If you make this rice pilaf, I would love to know! Tag @badtothebowl on social media.

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