Seasoned Vegan Baked Rice Recipe
Into the oven, and an hour later you’ll be digging into this delicious, fragrant baked rice recipe. It’s vegan and gluten-free, and is packed full of flavor. Similar to a rice pilaf, our version is made with mushrooms, cashews, and roasted red peppers. It’s seasoned with rosemary, cinnamon, and chili. It can be a full meal on its own or can be a delightful side dish in your favorite meal.
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Hello, Beautiful Casserole Dish
Have you ever been so enthralled with a piece of crockery that you feel inspired to create a recipe just for it? Well I can now say that I have. While I was supposed to be buying a birthday present for someone else, I found and fell in love with a casserole dish. Made locally, it comes to us from Peter Pot’s Pottery, a small Rhode Island pottery studio that’s been around since the 1950’s. I was drawn to their clean and simple designs from when I first started browsing their website, and thought there was something very familiar about them. And that’s when I realized I’ve actually owned a piece of theirs for a few years now, a little plate that I bought at a thrift store and have used in several of my photographs! If you want to get a matching casserole dish, you can get one here (this post is not sponsored or supported by Peter Pot’s, I just recently discovered and love them).
When my sweet casserole dish made it to my door, every time I looked at it, I had the strange but overwhelming urge to make a baked rice dish. I honestly don’t know why seasoned and flavorful rice was what came to mind, but I kept on going back to it as I admired my new piece of handmade pottery. And so I made baked rice- and it was delicious, so we made it again. And that was delicious, so we’re sharing it with you.
Why Do you Rinse Rice?
Many rice recipes (including this one), and instructions for cooking rice have you rinse the rice first. Some people call it washing the rice, but the basic idea is that you run the rice under cool water, swirling it around and changing the water until your rinse water is clear and not foggy. What you’re doing when you rinse rice is removing the excess starch from the surface of the grains, as well as removing any grit or dust that might be present. Without removing the starch, you may end up with gummy or overly sticky rice. There are two methods I used when washing rice. The first is to add my rice to the pot I’m cooking it in, along with some cool water. Swish the rice around a few times, and then drain the water from the rice. Repeat that 2-3 times, or until the water you pour off is relatively clear. The second method I use is to put the rice in a fine metal strainer, and hold it under a running tap. Swirl the rice around with your fingers, until the draining water is clear. Either method works perfectly fine, so choose your favorite.
Looking for Rice Recipes? Try one of these!
- Vegan Brown Rice Congee with Jackfruit and Mushrooms
- Cream of Rice: Homemade Vegan Gluten Free Cereal
- Savory Mushroom Vegan Hot Water Crust Pie
- Leftover Rice Recipe: Faux-Sotto! (Quick “Risotto”)
- Roasted Red Pepper Vegan Paella
- 40 Vegan Rice Recipes from Around the World
- Vegan Black Trumpet Arancini (Air Fried)
- Southwest Tomatillo Vegan Risotto Recipe
How to Make this Baked Rice Recipe
This recipe is similar to a rice pilaf, in that we cook the rice in a flavorful, broth-like liquid. To make it, first measure out and rinse your rice, and throw in some lentils as well – we used black lentils, but green ones would work here too. Just don’t use split lentils, as they’re sure to be soggy and mushy. Throw them in your casserole dish. Next we’re going to sauté onions, garlic, and mushrooms on the stove top. The oil you cook in is going to absorb all that flavor, which we’re going to use to coat the rice with. In addition, we’re going to use marinaded bell peppers for a little pop of color, some herbs and spices, and a few cashews to add some creamy, nutty bites. All of that will go in your beautiful casserole dish in the oven, and after an hour you will have delicious, flavorful rice, studded with lentils, cashews, peppers, and mushrooms. Super simple, and totally worth it. I ate this dish as a meal, but it could also work as a side dish with some roasted tofu and salad.
Seasoned Vegan Baked Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups long grain rice
- ½ cup black or green lentils
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 large shallots, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup shiitake or oyster mushroom, cut into small cubes
- 1 tsp. chili flakes
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. turmeric
- 1 tsp. salt (or more to taste)
- 1 tsp. cracked black pepper (or more to taste)
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- ½ cup marinated roasted red peppers (chopped)
- ½ cup cashew pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Rinse your rice with cool water, until it no longer runs cloudy. Add it to a 2-quart casserole dish with a lid (you can cover with aluminum foil if you don’t have a lid). Add the lentils as well.
- In a skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the shallots, and cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Next throw in the garlic and mushrooms, and sauté until the mushrooms have softened. Add the chili flakes, cinnamon, turmeric, salt and pepper, and stir. Turn off the heat.
- Pour the vegetables and oil into the rice and lentils, and stir to coat the rice in oil. Add the rosemary sprig to the dish, along with the roasted red pepper and cashew pieces. Top off with 3 cups of water.
- Cook your rice for an hour, taking it out once after about 30 minutes to stir. After an hour, all the water should have been absorbed. Take out of the oven, fluff the rice, season with salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!
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