Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (160g) 100% Pure Wild Rice
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 small Yellow Onion, finely diced
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 stalk Celery, finely diced
  • 1 small Carrot, finely diced
  • 1/2 tsp (3g) Sea Salt
  • 1/4 tsp (1g) Cracked Black Pepper
  • 3 cups (710ml) Low-sodium Chicken Broth
  • 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
  • 1 Dried Bay Leaf
  • 1/4 cup (25g) Toasted Slivered Almonds
  • 2 tbsp (8g) Fresh Flat-leaf Parsley, chopped
  • 1 tsp Fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

  1. Place the wild rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water for 30 seconds to remove excess starch and debris.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrot. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables are softened.
  3. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the rinsed rice to the pan and stir for 2 minutes to toast the grains and create micro-cracks in the bran layer.
  4. Pour in the chicken broth, salt, pepper, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil.
  5. Reduce heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 50 minutes until the rice kernels 'bloom' and the liquid is absorbed.
  6. Remove from heat. Keep the lid on and let the rice rest for 10 minutes to allow residual steam to fluff the grains.
  7. Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Fluff with a fork and stir in the toasted almonds, fresh parsley, and a squeeze of lemon juice before serving.