Rice is one of those easygoing side dishes that’s perfect for entertaining and takes easily to having a few posh ingredients stirred in. Serve it piping hot from the pan or at room temperature – it tastes just as good, and there’s one less thing to worry about during the last-minute serving rush.
Asparagus rice pilaf
1
PREP TIME
8 min
Makes
5 cups (1.25 L)
* PLUS Cooking time: 20 minutes, Standing Time: 5 minutes

Roberto Caruso
Ingredients
- 1 jalapeno , optional
- olive oil
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 3/4 cup water
- 284-mL can undiluted chicken broth
- 1/2 bunch asparagus
- 1 green onion
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch white pepper
Instructions
- Core and seed jalapeño. Finely chop. Lightly coat a large saucepan with oil and set over medium-high heat. Add jalapeño and rice. Stir until all grains are well coated with oil, then stir in water and broth. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer, without stirring, 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, snap tough ends from asparagus and discard. Slice asparagus into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces. Thinly slice onion. Set each aside separately.
- Once rice has cooked 15 minutes, stir in asparagus. Continue to cook, covered, until rice and asparagus are tender and liquid is absorbed, about 5 more minutes. Then remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in green onion. Taste and stir in salt and pepper, if needed. Great hot or at room temperature.
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories
- 167,
- Protein
- 6.1 g,
- Carbohydrates
- 30.7 g,
- Fat
- 1.9 g,
- Fibre
- 0.8 g,
- Sodium
- 383 mg.
FILED UNDER: Dinner side dishes stovetop