I make this rice or versions of this rice all. The. Time.

It can be served hot, room temperature or cold. It can be made days ahead of time. It can be a side or a main dish. It’s the vegan thing I bring to parties where nothing else is vegan so I have something to eat—that is devoured by all the non-vegans leaving me nothing to eat. It’s easy, it’s special, it’s healthy.

There’s nothing this rice cannot do—well it might not clean your house for you, but then again, I’ve never asked it to.

Basic recipe

Serves 6-8

1 1/2 cups wild rice, cooked with veggie broth or water and 1 bay leaf

3 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp olive oil

Saute veggies in olive oil with a dash of salt until soft, 5 minutes. Mix rice with veggies & salt and pepper to taste.

Winter Holiday version

Add:

1 Golden Delicious or sweet apple, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 tsp poultry seasoning

Morningstar Vegan sausage links, cooked and chopped if desired

Curry and Peanut version

Add:

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 cup chopped peanuts

1/4 cup chopped dried mangos

1 sour green apple, peeled and chopped

Cubes of prepared tofu if desired or cubes of roasted butternut squash (To roast, peel and split squash. Remove seeds. Cut into cubes. Drizzle on 2 t/l olive oil and massage into squash. Season with salt and pepper. Roast 45 minutes in 350 degree oven)

Summer Dill and Lemon version

Add:

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1/4 cup fresh chopped dill

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup chopped pecans

4 green onions, chopped, green and white parts both

juice of one lemon

1 tbl honey + more to taste

Mushroom and Spinach version

Add:

1 lb mushrooms, sliced and sauteed in 1 tbl olive oil until juices release

1 bag baby spinach, sautéed (add to mushrooms after they have cooked and sauté 2 minutes)

1 tbl soy sauce + more to taste

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Cubes of prepared tofu if desired

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Editor: Bryonie Wise