Canada • Regional Dish • Side Dish

Canadian Wild Rice and Mushroom Pilaf

Nutty Canadian wild rice, browned mushrooms and herbs come together in a cozy pilaf with deep forest flavor.

Servings4

Prep Time15 min

Cook Time60 min

DifficultyEasy

Print Recipe

Ingredients

US Metric

1 1/4 cups wild rice, rinsed

3 cups low-sodium chicken, beef or vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp canola oil

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

10 oz cremini or button mushrooms, sliced

2 1/2 oz wild mushrooms, sliced, optional

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried sage

1/2 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp lemon juice, optional

1/4 cup toasted walnuts or hazelnuts, chopped, optional

200 g wild rice, rinsed

750 ml low-sodium chicken, beef or vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

30 g unsalted butter

15 ml canola oil

1 small yellow onion , finely chopped

1 celery stalk , finely chopped

2 garlic cloves , minced

300 g cremini or button mushrooms, sliced

75 g wild mushrooms, sliced, optional

2.5 ml dried thyme

2.5 ml dried sage

2.5 ml fine salt, plus more to taste

1 ml black pepper

30 ml chopped fresh parsley

5 ml lemon juice, optional

35 g toasted walnuts or hazelnuts, chopped, optional

Instructions

Combine the wild rice, stock and bay leaf in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 45–60 minutes, until the grains split open and turn tender but still chewy.
Check the rice near the end of cooking. If it’s tender but liquid remains in the pan, drain off the excess. Remove the bay leaf, cover the rice and let it rest for 5 minutes.
While the rice cooks, heat the butter and canola oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and their liquid has mostly evaporated.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and celery to the skillet and cook for 4–5 minutes, until softened.
Stir in the garlic, thyme, sage, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant.
Add the cooked wild rice to the mushroom mixture and toss gently. Cook for 2–3 minutes so the rice picks up the buttery mushroom flavor.
Stir in the parsley, lemon juice if using, and toasted nuts if using. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve warm.

Cultural Context

Wild rice has deep roots, especially around the lakes and waterways of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and northwestern Ontario. It’s not technically rice, but the seed of an aquatic grass, and it’s been harvested and valued by Indigenous communities.

Its flavor feels distinctly northern: nutty, earthy and a little smoky, with a chewy texture that stands up well to mushrooms, herbs and rich stock. This kind of pilaf fits Canadian cooking beautifully because it’s practical, seasonal and comforting without showing off. Very Canadian, really.

Fun Fact

Wild rice naturally blooms as it cooks, splitting open to reveal a pale, tender interior.

Cook’s Tip

Use all cremini or button mushrooms if wild mushrooms are unavailable. True wild rice takes longer to cook than most rice blends.

Trivia

Traditional hand-harvested wild rice remains prized for flavor, texture and cultural importance.

A fresh serving of global recipes, food stories, quizzes and delicious discoveries.

Canadian Wild Rice and Mushroom Pilaf

Instructions

Cultural Context

Fun Fact

Cook’s Tip

Trivia

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