This simple and delicious one-pot vegan pilaf is made with brown rice, lentils, mushrooms, and lots of spices. It is perfect for a hearty and flavorful meal.
The recipe for this one-pot vegan pilaf couldn't be easier or healthier. It's a pot full of rice, lentils, and vegetables, nicely spiced and so easy to put together.
I first made this brown rice recipe with veggies years ago, and it’s become a regular in my kitchen whenever we need something healthy and simple.
You can use any veggies you have on hand, like leftover celery, carrots, peas, or green beans. Plus, with rice, lentils, and spices already in the pantry, you likely won't need to go shopping, which is always a plus for me.
Just chop the veggies, throw them in a pot together with the rest of the ingredients, pour in some vegetable stock, and there you have it: a tasty, healthy, vegan pot of food full of vegetables, spices, and energy.
Try the Romanian Vegetable Pilaf, Vegan Rice with Tomatoes, or the Spanish Rice and Beans, too. They are perfect recipes for when you want a delicious pot full of rice and veggies.
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Ingredients
Rice: Brown rice is best for this recipe because it takes about the same time to cook as brown lentils, ensuring both are perfectly tender without becoming mushy. Plus, the nutty, chewy texture of brown rice complements this dish well.
Lentils: I've made this rice dish with both brown and red lentils over the years, and I love both versions, though they differ in taste and texture. Brown lentils hold their shape during cooking, resulting in a well-defined, chewy, and hearty dish.
On the other hand, red lentils break down almost completely, creating a creamy, comforting texture that’s quite different from the brown lentil version. You can also try using beluga (black) or green lentils, which would work well too.
Vegetables: When it comes to choosing vegetables, the sky is the limit. You can use any veggies you have in the fridge or freezer. This time, I used mushrooms, carrots, and red bell peppers, but you could also try eggplant, zucchini, green beans, peas, cauliflower, or celery sticks (just a few, as they can be overpowering). You could add tomatoes and a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste for a tomato-flavored rice dish.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make vegan pilaf?
- Step #1: Place washed rice, chopped vegetables, grated garlic and ginger, and spices in a heavy-bottomed pot or medium-sized Dutch oven.
- Step #2: Stir to combine.
- Step #3: Pour enough vegetable stock into the pot to just cover the ingredients about ¾ of the way up (see the picture in the blog post). Stir well, cover, and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Step #4: Check that the rice and lentils are tender but not mushy. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed, and sprinkle with finely chopped chives or parsley before serving.
Check: If the pilaf appears to be dry, you could add a small amount of extra vegetable stock, but I usually don't find it necessary.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freeze the vegan pilaf for up to 3 months and defrost it in the fridge.
Reheat before serving again. When reheating, add a small amount of water or vegetable stock and stir often until the brown rice pilaf is piping hot.
Reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes or until hot.
How to serve?
I love serving this rice with lentils with kimchi or other pickled vegetables, such as pickled green tomatoes, sweet and sour zucchini pickles, or gherkins.
One-Pot Vegan Pilaf
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed pot or medium-sized Dutch oven.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice
- ½ cup brown lentils
- 1 large onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon ginger fresh, grated
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 medium zucchini about 200 g/ 7 oz
- 10 mushrooms about 250 g/ 9 oz, Note 1
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon curry powder Note 2
- ½ red chili flakes more to taste
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt or Kosher, more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups vegetable stock Note 3
- a small bunch of chives or parsley
Instructions
- Wash and drain the rice and the lentils. Place them in the pot. 1 cup brown rice/ 200 g + ½ cup brown lentils/ 100 g
- Chop all the vegetables and add them to the pot. Grate or finely chop the garlic and the ginger and place them in the pot as well. Add the spices and stir everything until well combined.1 large onion + 2 medium carrots + 1 large red bell pepper + 1 medium zucchini + 10 mushrooms + 3 garlic cloves + 1 teaspoon ginger + ½ teaspoon turmeric + 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin + 2 teaspoons ground coriander + 1 teaspoon curry powder + ½ red chili flakes + 1 teaspoon fine sea salt + ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Simmer pilaf: Pour enough vegetable stock into the pot to barely cover the ingredients, about ¾ of the pot (see the picture in the blog post). Stir well again, cover, bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 40-45 minutes, stirring from time to time.3 cups vegetable stock/ 700 ml
- Check: If the pilaf appears to be dry, you could add a small amount of extra vegetable stock, but I usually don't find it necessary. Check to see that the rice and the lentils are tender; they should not become mushy.
- Adjust the taste with salt and pepper, if necessary. Sprinkle with finely chopped chives or parsley before serving.
Notes
- Vegetable choice: You can vary the vegetables and use eggplants, zucchini, cauliflower, cabbage, peas, green beans, etc for a change.
- Spiciness: If the curry powder is hot, adjust the amount of chili flakes you are using.
- Vegetable broth: As much as required to fill about ¾ of the pot, the ingredients should be barely covered with stock.
Rabbit says
I only have white rice..will it still work OK?
Adina says
Hi. It won't work well with white rice. White rice has a much shorter cooking time and the lentils and vegetables need longer. By the time the lentils would be cooked, white rice would be completely mushy. You could cook the lentils and the veggies separately and mix them with the rice before serving.
Lisa Landsverk says
Easy and lovely flavor. Next time I would add softer vegetables a little later so they don't get mushy, but overall very good.
Adina says
Thank you for the feedback, Lisa. I am happy you liked it.
Di says
1/2 red chilli flakes- I assume this is half a teaspoon?
Adina says
Yes, I seem to have missed the word. However, when it comes to chili, you should always better use it to taste.
Mary Unger says
This pilaf is really delicious and easy to make. I changed the veggies a bit to use what I had - carrots, green peppers, cabbage, and a few tomatoes - and it turned out great.
Thanks for this easy, quick, and good recipe. Mary
Adina says
Hi Mary, thank you so much for the feedback. That's the best thing about this recipe, you can use most anything you like.