All-in-one-pan roasted vegetable rice pilaf

Succulent, flavoursome roasted vegetables and fluffy, perfectly cooked rice! Roasted vegetable rice pilaf is baked in one pan for an easy side dish or tasty vegetarian dinner.

I am always on the lookout for a better way to cook rice. 

Easy rice – less washing up!

It’s not that rice doesn’t come out nicely when I cook it, it’s just that it always generates such a lot of clearing up! No matter how careful I am it always seems to boil over.

That means there’s starchy residue to clean off both the inside AND the outside of the pan, and the lid of the pan too. And then the stove needs cleaning where the boiled-over rice water has burned on. Ugh.

And if we have our rice with roasted vegetables – a popular combination – that’s another oven tray to clean. Plus there’s whatever serving dishes these things end up in before they make it to the table. So much washing up! There has to be a better way. And I think I’ve found it…

Roasted vegetable rice

I was convinced that it was possible to cook rice in the oven. I love my baked risotto recipe, and if you can make creamy and delicious, perfectly cooked risotto that way, then why not lovely fluffy vegetable pilaf, too? How hard can it be?

A few hours of research and several roasted-vegetable-rice-based experiments later, and I reckon I’ve cracked it. This recipe uses only ONE oven dish to cook both the rice AND the roasted vegetables, and produces delicious fluffy grains and delectable roasted veggies every time. Use a respectable baking dish and you can stick it straight on the table and save yourself washing a serving dish too. Hooray!

We all loved this easy vegetable pilaf and I’m sure your family will too.

What vegetables can you roast?

I used the selection of vegetables that we happened to have in the fridge – peppers, red onion, aubergine (eggplant) and sweet potato. But I think any veg that’s good roasted would work well here. I’ll be having a go with courgettes (zucchini), carrots, parsnips, mushrooms, cauliflower, maybe even beetroot for a pretty pink pilaf. There are plenty of opportunities to mix it up and make something uniquely yummy.

I recommend choosing a mixture of vegetables that you enjoy eating! Keep it bright and colourful and you can’t go far wrong.

Ingredients for roasted vegetable rice pilaf

This tasty rice dish is made with a selection of vegetables, plus a few pantry staples. To whip up a batch yourself, all you will need is:

• Rice – obviously! I use brown basmati rice but you can use whatever kind of long-grain rice you prefer
• Olive oil – or whichever vegetable oil you prefer
• Vegetable stock – plus some hot water so the flavour isn’t overpowering
• Herbs – I used mixed dried herbs for ease but you can use your favourites or experiment with different kinds
• Garlic – makes everything tasty, right?
• Vegetables for roasting – I used aubergine (eggplant), pepper, red onion and sweet potato here as you can see in the photos, but you can add courgettes (zucchini), mushrooms, squash, cauliflower florets, fennel, carrots… whatever vegetables you like!

Vegetable rice pilaf – side dish or main?

We ate this roasted vegetable rice as a terrific veg-packed side dish alongside some tasty baked salmon. However I think this vegetable pilaf would be the basis of a fabulous vegetarian main dish with the addition of a few chick peas or maybe some crumbled feta and a little chopped fresh mint or parsley sprinkled on top. Or maybe both. Yum.

Covered or uncovered

Since I first shared this recipe for roasted vegetable rice, I’ve had quite a few people asking whether the dish should be baked covered or uncovered. The answer is UNCOVERED. The vegetables will get nice and browned and roasty, and the layer of veg prevents the rice from getting too dried out. I’ve updated the recipe to make this clearer. 

The best way to cook rice

Now that I’ve perfected this easy pilaf recipe, I don’t think I’ll go back to cooking rice on the stovetop! Delicious roasted vegetable rice and less washing up – that’s what I call a win-win situation!

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📖 Recipe

More fabulous rice recipes

If you’re looking for other delicious ways to use rice, try:

• easy smoked mackerel kedgeree
• tasty mejadra (Middle Eastern rice and lentils)
• delicious Iraqi tebit-inspired rice
• creamy baked mushroom risotto.

I’m linking up this recipe with the Weekend Potluck.