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Made with just 8 simple ingredients, this Lebanese rice recipe rocks a delicious deep golden brown color of toasted vermicelli pasta in it. Perfect for meal prep, weeknights, or storming up your mezze table. And? AND?!? It's completely vegan too!
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A cornerstone of Lebanese cuisine, this fluffy white rice with golden vermicelli noodles makes the perfect side dish for a spread. Pile it under Lebanese lentil soup, harissa chickpeas, or juicy vegan shawarma made with baharat roasted oyster mushrooms and call it din din.
Next thing you know, you'll be pairing it with everything before the week's out. Let's friggin' get this rice on the stove!
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🥰Why you'll adore this Lebanese rice recipe
✊ Vegan AF: Like all my vegan Middle Eastern recipes, this one has no butter, no chicken broth, just heart-healthy olive oil, simple seasonings, plus durum wheat vermicelli pasta working overtime.
⏱️ Quick and Unfussy: It cooks in under 30 minutes, and you only need 1 large pot to make it happen! This easy Lebanese rice requires no extra effort to prepare!
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all of my vegan recipes, after multiple test rounds, this vermicelli rice recipe was cooked and loved by hundreds of recipe testers from all over the world.
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🍚Lebanese rice Ingredients
The Rice
My preference is to make this Lebanese rice pilaf with aromatic, super-long-grain, aged basmati rice. It's got a lower starch content that helps it stay fluffy with individualized grains. I also use aged basmati in my nasi minyak and vegan biryani.
Jasmine rice (or regular long-grain rice) can work here too, but it's less perfumed. Some people even use short-grain rice based on personal preference. But if you are a jasmine rice addict (erm, like me), make my Thai basil fried rice or coconut jasmine rice next, OK?
Vermicelli
These thin pasta wheat vermicelli noodles get stir-fried until deep golden brown color as part of traditional Lebanese rice.
If you're gluten-free, you can substitute broken rice spaghetti. Rice vermicelli (the kind you would use to make pad mee) will become too mushy in this recipe.
Vegetable Stock
Use vegetable stock for more delicious flavor, or water if you're a cheap bastid'. If you can't find unsalted stock (I mean, come on, make your own!), you can use regular broth (not chicken stock) and just reduce the amount of added salt in the recipe. The ratio of rice to liquid is important for perfect results.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Moroccan Rice
When it comes to Moroccan rice, basmati meets saffron and dried fruit for a spiced, sweet-savory vibe. It's perfect for serving with Moroccan carrot salad, loubia, or Moroccan lentils.
Persian Rice
Floral and aromatic, with rosewater, cardamom, and pistachios, Persian rice is more about glam layers than the humble simplicity of Lebanese rice.
Turkish Rice
Turkish rice uses orzo instead of vermicelli and leans into mint, Turkish pepper paste, and cozy herbs. It's the right bed for which to lay saksuka, or braised kereviz upon.
Egyptian Rice
Egyptian rice also features vermicelli, but rocks some simple, warm spices for a fantastic partner for matbucha.
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📖 How to make Lebanese rice
Nail this rice dish on your first try by following these step-by-step photos with helpful tips. Don't have time to see yummy photos that will make you hangry? Understandable, since you are a very sensitive person whom I love… Scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card!
Step One
Rub a Dub Dub, Rice in the Tub:
Start by soaking the rice in a bowl of cool water. Gently rub the grains between your fingers to help release surface starch.
Step Two
Rice Goes Wee-Wee:
Drain the rice using a fine mesh strainer and rinse it thoroughly under cool water until it runs clear. Let it sit and dry off for a few minutes before cooking.
Step Three
You Used to Call Me Vermicell-Phone:
In a wide pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. After 90 seconds, when the oil is hot, add the vermicelli and stir continuously until the noodles turn a deep golden brown.
Step Four
Sauté-braham Lincoln:
Toss in the diced onion and garlic. Keep sautéing over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until fragrant.
Step Five
Rice to Meet You:
Add the rinsed rice and stir to coat. Pour in the broth or water, sprinkle in the salt and black pepper, and bring everything to a boil.
Step Six
The Lid Mermaid:
Once the pot reaches a boil, cover tightly, drop the heat to low, and let it simmer for 17 minutes.
Step Seven
It Was All A Steam, I Used to Read Word Up Magazine:
Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered for another 10 minutes. After that, fluff the rice with a fork or rice paddle.
Step Eight
Your Fave American Writer-Washington Serving:
Top with garnishes if using: fried onions, parsley, and mint.
💡Serving Ideas
This rice is a ride-or-die for just about any Middle Eastern main dish.
Tuck it under vegan kofta or harissa carrots. Serve it alongside harira, or let it ride next to a pile of harissa cauliflower and batata harra.
Got kuboos or msemen? Perfect for scooping. Add a hit of tarator or zhoug to make even the plain rice into a kinda dope meal. You won't even remember how many cups of rice you've had!
👉Top tips
- Rinse It For Realsies: Don't just give the rice a splash and call it a day-really work it. Soak, swish, and rinse until the water runs clear. That's how you keep the grains from clumping and help them cook up all separate and lovely. Removing excess starch is crucial for fluffy rice.
- Don't Fear The Toast: Vermicelli wants to go golden. Push past beige but don't go full espresso roast. Nasty burnt-up bitterness is not what makes this dish iconic. Stir constantly and trust your eyes (and nose).
- Keep The Lid Closed: I know. It's unbearably tempting to peek, but don't do it. Control yourself. Steam is doing the hard work in those 10 minutes after the cooking is done. Patience pays off in perfectly tender grains.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
You can, but it won't hit the same. That's called plain ol' rice instead. Vermicelli brings all the toasty, nutty depth that gives this rice its signature vibe.
Nope, not by default, but you can absolutely make it work. Swap in your fave gluten-free noodle, just make sure it's something delicate enough to toast and not turn to mush. Broken rice noodles or gluten-free spaghetti cut short should do the trick.
No measuring cup? No problem. A traditional method to measure water is using your index finger-add water until it reaches the first joint of your finger when touching the top of the rice. This water ratio technique has been passed down through generations.
You could, but I wouldn't. Brown rice needs more water, more time, and brings a chewier, heavier feel that kind of hijacks the whole point of this dish. This rice wants to be light, fluffy, and just a little luxurious. Save the brown rice for a heartier recipe. There are many types of rice you could use, but stick with aged basmati rice for authenticity.
🧊Refrigerating:
Let the rice cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
🔥Stovetop Reheating:
Transfer the rice to a saucepan and sprinkle with a few tablespoons of water. Cover with a lid and warm over low heat for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
⚡️Microwave Reheating:
Place the rice in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with a plate or microwave-safe lid. Microwave on medium power for 1-2 minutes, adding a splash of water if it seems dry.
✌️You'll love these vegan Middle Eastern recipes too:
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Lebanese Rice
Equipment
- Wide pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup aged basmati rice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ⅓ cup durum wheat vermicelli
- ½ cup onion small diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups unsalted vegetable stock or water
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
Optional garnishes:
- Fried onions
- Parsley leaves chopped
- Mint leaves
Instructions
- Submerge the rice in a bowl of cool water and squeeze it in your hands to release starch.
- Drain and rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cool water until the water runs clear. Let it drain and dry thoroughly for a few minutes.
- Set a wide pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. After 90 seconds, when the oil is hot, add the vermicelli. Stir-fry continuously until the noodles turn deep golden brown.
- Add the diced onion and garlic and continue cooking over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the rice to the pot and stir to coat it evenly in the oil. Pour in the vegetable stock or water, then add the salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Once boiling, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 17 minutes without lifting the lid.
- After 17 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and gently fluff the rice with a fork.
- If using garnishes, top the rice with fried onions, chopped parsley leaves, and mint leaves before serving.
Notes
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Reshyll says
I ate this straight from the pot and have zero regrets!! It's simple but goes well with everything.