Italian Lemon Basil Wild Rice

This Italian Lemon Basil Wild Rice is bursting with lemon flavor and fresh basil and several Italian dried herbs. It is the perfect side dish or companion to an entree or main dish. It is also oil-free and gluten-free and requires just 5 main ingredients!

ITALIAN LEMON BASIL WILD RICE

If you LOVE lemon and love basil, then this Italian Lemon Basil Wild Rice is for you! Sometimes you want something a little bit more interesting than boring brown rice or plain, fluffy white rice. Don’t get me wrong, I love them both, but this past week I was craving a lemon and Italian herb type of rice, so I through this all together and oh my, it turned out SO delicious! Make this Italian rice recipe next time to go as a side for one of your dinners instead of plain rice. It will liven up the whole meal!

I love the bite of wild rice blends. It has a heartier texture and I love the colors as well of the multiple rices mixed in.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

• Wild rice blend: This is a wild rice blend, not actual black wild rice. They are not the same.
• Salt and water
• Fresh lemon juice
• Garlic cloves
• Italian seasoning (store-bought OR my homemade blend
• Fresh basil leaves

HOW TO MAKE ITALIAN LEMON BASIL RICE

(full details and instructions on recipe card below)

Step 1: First, rinse the rice well in a fine-mesh strainer. This produces fluffier rice.

Step 2: Add all of the ingredients to a medium pot, except the fresh basil. Bring to a boil, give it a quick stir, reduce the heat to low and simmer 15-20 minutes until all the water is completely gone.

Step 3: Return the lid and let the rice sit for only 5 minutes.

Step 4: Fluff the rice with a fork and then stir in the chopped basil. Serve immediately.

WILD RICE BLEND

Ok, now let’s clear something up. There is rice that is called wild rice and then there is wild rice blends. The 2 are very different. If you can’t tell by the photo, this is not actual wild rice, which are long, black grains. This is the wild rice blend that you see in the stores. It contains white Texmati rice, red rice, black rice and brown rice. There are different kinds by small variances. I used the Rice Select Royal Blend and highly recommend it. It can be found at most grocery stores, even Walmart and Target and on Amazon.

All rices cook differently and require different amounts of water and cooking times, so please do not sub another rice, as it may not work here. Only make this recipe as written using the rice I have tested here.

MORE VEGAN ITALIAN RECIPES

• Vegan Stuffed Ricotta Shells
• Hearty Italian White Bean Basil Soup
• Vegan Oil-Free Creamy Italian Dressing
• Vegan Lemon Florentine Pasta
• Easy Vegan Italian Meatballs
• Best Vegan Garlic Alfredo

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If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!

5 from 6 votes

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Italian Lemon Basil Wild Rice

This Italian Lemon Basil Wild Rice is bursting with lemon flavor and fresh basil and several Italian dried herbs. It is the perfect side dish or companion to an entree or main dish. It is also oil-free and gluten-free and requires just 5 main ingredients!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Italian, Vegan

Keyword Italian herb rice, Italian rice recipe, lemon basil rice, lemon wild rice

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Brandi Doming

Ingredients

• 1 cup (140g) wild rice blend, NOT just wild rice (SEE NOTES) I buy this brand
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (store-bought OR my homemade blend)
• 1 cup + 6 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons (30g) fresh lemon juice
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced (8g)
• 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
• 3-4 tablespoons (8g) freshly chopped basil
• I use this scale.

Instructions

1. Rinse the rice first well with room temperature water. This helps produce fluffier rice.

2. Add all of the ingredients to a medium pot, except the fresh basil. Bring to a boil, give it a quick stir, reduce the heat to low and simmer 15-20 minutes, covered, until all the water is completely gone.

3. Return the lid and let the rice sit for only 5 minutes.

4. Fluff the rice with a fork and then stir in the chopped basil. Serve immediately. Do not return the lid at this point, or it can make the rice turn mushy.

Recipe Notes

WILD RICE BLEND: To be clear, there is rice that is called wild rice and then there is wild rice blends. The 2 are very different. If you can't tell by the photo, this is not actual wild rice, which are long, black grains. This is the wild rice blend that you see in the stores. It contains white Texmati rice, red rice, black rice and brown rice. There are different kinds by small variances. I used the Rice Select Royal Blend and highly recommend it. It can be found at most grocery stores, even Walmart and Target and on Amazon.