Easy Rice Pilaf with Peas

Easy Rice Pilaf with Peas is an simple side dish to complement your favorite dinner entrees. The recipe consists of five simple ingredients – white rice, broth, butter, onions and peas. This is an easy way to add some vegetables to your kids’ diet without complaints.

Easy Rice Pilaf with Green Peas Recipe:

As a mom, I am always on a mission to find recipes that encourage my kids to eat vegetables – without a fight, without complaining, without having to plead and bargain.  Well as luck will have it, I stumbled upon this easy rice pilaf recipe in my tried and true Savory Samplings cookbook.

Some of my favorite recipes have come from this same vintage cookbook, including my family’s absolute favorite Fresh Broccoli Casserole with 4 Ingredients.

Many of these old-fashioned recipes have few ingredients that are pantry staples, and that is exactly why I fell in love with Easy Rice Pilaf with Green Peas. This simple recipe only has 5 ingredients – white rice, onions, butter, chicken broth, green peas and water (we are calling this a freebie ingredient). It just so happens that I almost always have all of these on hand.

About Rice Pilaf:

What is rice pilaf? It typically is a rice that is cooked in a seasoned broth. Oftentimes, it is served as a vegetable rice pilaf which is what we do for this particular recipe. This recipe calls for green peas, but it is not uncommon to see it with carrots, mushrooms or other vegetables.

Rice pilaf is a great side dish alongside an entree such as Chicken Crescent Bake, Sheet Pan Ranch Chicken, or Baked Cranberry Pork Chops.

How to Make Vegetable Rice Pilaf:

1. Heat butter in a skillet; cook onions.
2. Add uncooked rice, and saute for 5 minutes.
3. Turn down heat, and add broth; cover and cook for 25 minutes.
4. Add additional butter and cooked peas.

For the full recipe for vegetable rice pilaf, scroll to the bottom of this post.

Notes About This Recipe:

• Be sure to use uncooked white rice for this recipe. Do NOT use the instant white rice.
• Only cook the onions until softened, not browned.
• During step two, you are only lightly toasting the rice in the butter and onion mixture; stir it frequently.
• The amount of peas in vegetable rice pilaf can be adjusted depending on what you have. I cooked my peas according to the package instructions in the microwave.
• I love how versatile this easy rice pilaf recipe is.  If you don’t love peas, swap in something else, or use up leftover vegetables that you already have cooked in the refrigerator.
• Rice casseroles are great side dishes.  French Onion Rice Casserole is another of our favorites!

Looking for some more ways to get your kids to eat vegetables. Try these:

• Sesame Broccoli
• Cheesy Cabbage Casserole
• Cheesy Squash Casserole
• Beef Fried Cauliflower Rice
• Baked Zucchini Fries from Served Up with Love

Note: We use referral links to products we use and think you might enjoy too.

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Easy Rice Pilaf with Peas

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

 

Easy Rice Pilaf with Peas is an easy side dish to complement your regular dinner menu.  The recipe consists of five simple ingredients--white rice, broth, butter, onions and peas.  This is an easy way to add some vegetable to your kids diet without complaints. 

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Easy Rice Pilaf, Rice Pilaf, Rice Pilaf with 5 ingredients, Rice Pilaf with Peas

Servings: 6 people

Author: Barbara

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 medium onion, diced or chopped
• 1 cup uncooked white rice (NOT instant)
• 2 cups chicken broth, boiling
• 1 cup green peas
• 1 Tablespoon butter (additional)

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, saute onion in 1 Tablespoon butter until onions are soft but not brown, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Add uncooked white rice, and cook on low heat for five minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Meanwhile, heat chicken broth until boiling; add to the rice.

4. Lower heat to the lowest setting, and cover. Cook for approximately 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Meanwhile, cook peas according to package instructions; do not over cook.

6. Once rice has finished cooking, add additional 1 Tablespoon butter and drained peas; fluff with a fork.

Recipe Notes

• Be sure to use uncooked white rice for this recipe. Do not use the instant white rice either.
• Only cook the onions until softened, not browned.
• During step two, you are only lightly toasting the rice in the butter and onion mixture; stir it frequently.
• The amount of peas in vegetable rice pilaf can be adjusted depending on what you have. I cooked my peas according to the package instructions in the microwave. 
• I love how versatile this easy rice pilaf recipe is.  If you don't love peas, swap in something else, or use up leftover vegetables that you already have cooked in the refrigerator.
• Rice casseroles are great side dishes.  French Onion Rice Casserole is another of our favorites!