Need a change from plain white rice? This Brown Lentil and Mushroom Rice makes for a very tasty side dish but would also be perfect as a light vegetarian meal!

This Brown Lentil and Mushroom Rice makes for a very tasty side dish but would also be perfect as a vegetarian meal!

If you’re tired of eating plain white rice as a side dish, I’ve got a fairly easy and super tasty alternative for you…

Even better yet, this Brown Lentil and Mushroom rice could even be served as a light vegetarian meal, if you felt like it! Just maybe serve it with a little bit of steamed broccoli or sauteed sugar snap peas on the side and you’d be all set! 

Or, if brown lentils weren’t really your thing and you were more in the mood for meat, you could even turn it into a complete carnivore meal by substituting cooked ground meat for the brown lentils! 

Frankly, this is the kind of dish that you can have tons of fun playing with and that you’ll always be happy to whip up whenever you’re feeling a little low on inspiration! 

Brown Lentil and Mushroom Rice by Sonia! The Healthy Foodie | Recipe on thehealthyfoodie.com

To start, cook the rice according to the instructions on the package. Now I chose to use white basmati rice, but of course you can feel free to use your favorite kind of rice.

When your rice is almost done cooking, heat some avocado oil (or any other healthy cooking fat of your choice) in a saute pan set over medium-high heat. Add the onions, mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook, stirring from time, until the vegetables are soft and golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Brown Lentil and Mushroom Rice by Sonia! The Healthy Foodie | Recipe on thehealthyfoodie.com

Now deglaze the pan with about a quarter of a cup of white wine, or water if you prefer to keep this booze free or don’t have any wine on hand. 

In case you’re not familiar with the term, deglaze is just a fancy way of saying: scrape the bottom of the pan real well until all the bits and pieces have detached and mixed with the hot liquid.

Brown Lentil and Mushroom Rice by Sonia! The Healthy Foodie | Recipe on thehealthyfoodie.com

Now add the fresh rosemary and continue cooking until all the liquid has evaporated.

If you’re not a fan of rosemary, feel free to substitute your favorite herb, or even leave it out entirely! 

Brown Lentil and Mushroom Rice by Sonia! The Healthy Foodie | Recipe on thehealthyfoodie.com

By now, your rice should be good and cooked and ready to use. Add it to the pan, along with the brown lentils.

Here you can choose to use canned lentils or to cook your own. Personally, when it comes to lentils, I prefer to cook my own, as they don’t need to soak overnight like other legumes do and only require 25 to 30 minutes of cooking time. But ultimately, the choice is totally yours! I say canned lentils are very decent… like all legumes tend to be! 

Whatever you decide, just be certain to drain your lentils really well before you add them to the pan!

Brown Lentil and Mushroom Rice by Sonia! The Healthy Foodie | Recipe on thehealthyfoodie.com

All that’s left to do now is give everything a good stir until all the ingredients are well combined and heated through. 

This Brown Lentil and Mushroom Rice makes for a very tasty side dish but would also be perfect as a vegetarian meal!

That’s it! You’re practically done!

As a final step, remove your pan from the heat source, stir in a handful of chopped parsley and serve without delay.

This Brown Lentil and Mushroom Rice makes for a very tasty side dish but would also be perfect as a vegetarian meal!
This Brown Lentil and Mushroom Rice makes for a very tasty side dish but would also be perfect as a vegetarian meal!
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4.88 from 8 votes

Brown Lentil and Mushroom Rice

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
This Brown Lentil and Mushroom Rice makes for a very tasty side dish but would also be perfect as a vegetarian meal!
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked basmati rice, (or rice of your choice)
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil, (or other fat of your choice)
  • 1 pint white mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 1/2 tsp salt, I use Himalayan salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine, (or water)
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves
  • 2 cups cooked brown lentils, (or canned, drained and rinsed)
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley

Instructions

  • Cook the rice according to the instructions on the package.
  • When rice is almost cooked, heat the avocado oil in a saute pan set over medium-high heat. Add the onions, mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook, stirring from time, until the vegetables are soft and golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Deglaze* the pan with the white wine (or water) then add the rosemary and continue cooking until all the liquid has evaporated.
  • Add the brown lentils and rice then stir until well combined and heated through. 
  • Remove from heat, stir in parsley and serve without delay.

Notes

*Deglaze is just a fancy term to say scrape the bottom of the pan real well until all the bits and pieces have detached and mixed with the hot liquid.

Nutrition

Calories: 404kcal, Carbohydrates: 64g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 19mg, Sodium: 307mg, Potassium: 887mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 660IU, Vitamin C: 16.5mg, Calcium: 63mg, Iron: 5mg
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Author: Sonia! The Healthy Foodie

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