20 minutes is all you need for the most flavorful and easy side dish! Greek rice pilaf with orzo is flavored with fresh lemon zest, loads of fresh dill and toasted pine nuts and pistachios for extra crunch.
Greek rice pilaf with orzo is a simple rice dish that is all made in one pot and done in nearly 20 minutes! This is the easy side dish I like to make for weeknight dinners alongside herb and citrus roasted salmon or lemon herb roast chicken.
This lemon rice pilaf is flavored with loads of fresh herbs, toasted pine nuts and simmered in a savory broth instead of water, for even more flavor. My next favorite side dish is my Mujadara with Chickpeas, the lentils in this dish are wonderful.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Everything cooks in one pot! The toasted nuts, rice and orzo all cook in the same pot!
- Cooks in nearly 20 minutes! Making this a perfect side dish for weeknight dinners.
- Lots of textures and Flavors! The tender orzo, nutty basmati rice and toasted pine nuts give the simple dish big flavors and great textures.
🍋 Ingredients
After a quick scan of the pantry, a few staples produces the most delicious, buttery and nutty rice dish.
- Ghee and Olive Oil: Both are used to create a lovely depth of flavor. If you are keeping the side dish dairy free, use just olive oil, though I do love the richness that ghee offers.
- Shallots: Shallots are milder than onions and have great flavor. If shallots aren't available, substitute with ¼ of a red onion.
- Toasted Pine Nuts and Pistachios: Both gently toasted in the olive oil and ghee mixture. A good substitute would be slivered almonds.
- Orzo: Orzo is a small shaped pasta that looks similar to rice. Orzo cooks quickly and is common in a Greek ride pilaf.
- Basmati Rice: Look for long grain basmati rice, which will be lighter and more flavorful. My favorite basmati rice is India Gate, which has long grains and is incredibly light.
- Fresh Herbs: Fresh dill and parsley give the simple side dish a bright of freshness.
- Lemon Zest: Both lemon zest and fresh lemon juice give the Greek pilaf a hit of brightness. Use a microplane to grate the lemon zest.
- Vegetable Stock: Use either vegetable stock or chicken stock to flavor the pilaf. I like using a stock base with condensed flavor.
📋 Instructions
- Melt olive oil and ghee over medium heat and saute shallots for 2-3 minutes until the shallots begin to soften.
- Add the pine nuts and pistachios and saute for another 2 minutes, tossing the nuts around the olive oil so they toast evenly.
- Stir in the garlic and saute for another minute until fragrant.
- Add in the basmati rice and orzo and saute so all of the grains are coated with the oil, then add in the lemon zest and lemon juice.
- Pour in stock, give everything a good stir and bring up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Place the lid on the pot and cook for 15 minutes or until all the liquid as absorbed and the rice and orzo is tender.
- Once done, turn off heat and add chopped herbs and fluff everything together with a fork and serve.
Variations
- Substitute slivered almonds instead of pistachios or pine nuts.
- For a vegan option, omit ghee and just use olive oil.
- Substitute other fresh herbs such as mint and basil.
Recipe Tip
Keep an eye when you are toasting the nuts. Use a spatula to move them around and evenly toast the nuts with the oil. As soon as they become fragrant, either remove the toasted nuts or add your next ingredient.
Adding too much liquid or overcooking can cause rice pilaf to become mushy. A good rule of thumb is 2:1, liquid to rice ratio.
You don't have to, but washing the rice removes any excess debris as well as excess starch, making for a fluffier and airier rice. To wash rice, rinse the rise under cool water until the water runs clear.
What to serve with Greek Rice Pilaf
Because the rice pilaf has bold Greek flavors of garlic, dill and pine nuts, it will pair with anything Mediterranean. Serve alongside preserved lemon and yogurt marinated chicken or olive oil braised chicken with citrus and fennel.
Lemon Rice Pilaf with Dill and Pistachios
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small shallot finely chopped
- ½ cup pine nuts
- ¼ cup pistachios
- 2 garlic cloves chopped finely
- ¾ cup basmati rice
- ¼ cup orzo
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- Small bunch of fresh dill roughly chopped
- Small bunch of fresh parsley roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a medium sized pot, melt the ghee and olive oil together and add chopped shallots. Saute for 2-3 minutes until the shallots begin to soften.
- Add the pine nuts and pistachios and saute for another 2 minutes, tossing the nuts around the olive oil so they toast evenly.
- Add in the garlic and cook for another minute, tossing everything together.
- Add in the basmati rice and orzo and saute everything together so the rice and orzo get coated with all of the other flavors. Add in the lemon zest and lemon juice and give it another stir.
- Pour in 2 cups of stock, give everything a good stir once more and bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Place a lid on the pot and cook for 15 minutes or until all the liquid as absorbed and the rice and orzo is tender.
- Once done, turn off heat and let cool for a few minutes. Then add chopped herbs and fluff with a fork, gently stiring the herbs in the rice and serve.
Siobhan says
I’ve made this delicious pilaf regularly since learning how to make it via Samantha’s virtual cooking lesson during lockdown. Highly recommend this as a quick and tasty side!
Samantha says
Thank you so so much!!!