The oven makes it easy! This brown rice pilaf bakes to nutty and tender perfection while you do other more important things. Full of texture and heart healthy whole grains, it makes a great side dish for anything with a Mediterranean flavor profile.
1/4cupchopped fresh parsley(ideally flat leaf; leaves and stems both OK)
1/4cupchopped fresh mint leaves
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. If not using a Dutch oven: lightly grease the baking dish that you plan to use.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in your Dutch oven or in a pot. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onion and salt and stir well. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown slightly, 4-5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another approximately 60 seconds, until fragrant.
Stir in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the rice and bay leaf. If not using a Dutch oven, transfer contents to the prepared baking dish.
Cover tightly (using foil in addition to a lid, if needed) and transfer to the oven. Bake until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 60-65 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Discard the bay leaf and stir in the chopped dates. Cover and let sit for a few minutes for the dates to soften. Stir in the pistachios and chopped herbs. Season to taste with additional salt and black pepper.
Notes
If you have a different dried fruit on hand, try using a similar amount of that instead of the chopped dates! Other nuts can also be substituted for the pistachios. The date/pistachio combo is absolutely a 10/10, though!Using all mint or all parsley is also AOK if you want to sharpen the grocery list a bit.