Carrot and Mushroom Brown Rice

Carrot and Mushroom Brown Rice-15Rice is a staple side dish at our house, and the addition of carrot, onion and mushroom is the ultimate Slavic spin that is so hearty and autumnish. I totally just created that word.

Even my husband is a huge fan of this version, even though he’s still not too crazy over the brown rice on its own. I love how fluffy the rice turns out and it’s completely clump free. The carrots, onion, garlic and mushrooms are an awesome addition and I love serving it with a roast chicken or even fish. Since it’s just the two of us, I usually freeze the other half of the rice and then just reheat it later for a super easy side dish down the road. 

Ingredients:

Oven Baked Brown Rice:

1 1/2 cups brown rice

1 Tablespoon butter or oil

2 1/3 cups boiling water

1/2 teaspoon salt

Carrot and Mushroom Addition:

1 Tablespoon butter or oil

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and grated

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups dry chanterelle mushroom (you can also use about 8-10 oz fresh mushrooms, any kind)

1 spring of thyme

1 -2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

salt, ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Carrot and Mushroom Brown Rice-1-16Oven Baked Brown Rice:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread the rice out in an 8 inch square baking dish. Add the butter, boiling water and salt on top of the rice.

Zucchini Brown Rice-1-33

Cover the baking dish with a lid or foil and bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven.Zucchini Brown Rice-1-31 Fluff with a fork.

Zucchini Brown Rice-1-30
Zucchini Brown Rice-1-26Place the cooked brown rice into a large bowl. Carrot and Mushroom Brown Rice-8
While the rice is baking, prep the rest of the ingredients.
Rehydrate the dry mushrooms by pouring boiling water over them and allowing to stand for at least 15 minutes. Since chanterelles are on the tougher side, I actually prefer to place them in a small saucepan, cover the mushrooms with water, bringing to a boil and cooking for about 15 minutes. Carrot and Mushroom Brown Rice-2Scoop the mushrooms from the top of the liquid. The sand will settle to the bottom of the saucepan, so you don’t want to drain the mushrooms, because that will pour all that sand back over the mushrooms. Drain the mushroom liquid through a sieve lined with a coffee filter, paper towel or cheesecloth. Reserve the liquid.
Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat the butter or oil.  Add the onion, season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat until the onions are tender and starting to turn lightly golden. Carrot and Mushroom Brown Rice-3Add the carrot and garlic, seasoning with salt and ground black pepper, and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until the carrots are tender. Carrot and Mushroom Brown Rice-4Add the thyme sprig and the rehydrated mushrooms. Mix to combine. Carrot and Mushroom Brown Rice-5Pour the reserved mushroom liquid into the skillet, or use water. The liquid should cover the carrot and mushroom mixture at least halfway. Carrot and Mushroom Brown Rice-6Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover the skillet, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and have absorbed all of the liquid. Carrot and Mushroom Brown Rice-7Discard the thyme sprig.
Add the carrot and mushroom mixture to the cooked brown rice. Add the chopped fresh parsley. Carrot and Mushroom Brown Rice-9Mix to combine and serve. Carrot and Mushroom Brown Rice-10Reheat the rice in a skillet or the microwave. It freezes really well too, so you can eat half of the rice and freeze the other half.
Carrot and Mushroom Brown Rice-11
Carrot and Mushroom Brown Rice-13
Carrot and Mushroom Brown Rice
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Sides
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
Oven-Baked Brown Rice:
  • 1½ cups brown rice
  • 1 Tablespoon butter or oil
  • 2⅓ cups boiling water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
Carrot and Mushroom Addition:
  • 1 Tablespoon butter or oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, peeled and grated
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1½ cups dry chanterelle mushroom (you can also use about 8-10 oz fresh mushrooms, any kind)
  • 1 spring of thyme
  • 1 -2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • salt, ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Oven Baked Brown Rice:
  2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread the rice out in an 8 inch square baking dish. Add the butter, boiling water and salt on top of the rice.
  3. Cover the baking dish with a lid or foil and bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Fluff with a fork.
While the rice is baking, prep the rest of the ingredients.
  1. Rehydrate the dry mushrooms by pouring boiling water over them and allowing to stand for at least 15 minutes. Since chanterelles are on the tougher side, I actually prefer to place them in a small saucepan, cover the mushrooms with water, bringing to a boil and cooking for about 15 minutes.
  2. Scoop the mushrooms from the top of the liquid. The sand will settle to the bottom of the saucepan, so you don't want to drain the mushrooms, because that will pour all that sand back over the mushrooms. Drain the mushroom liquid through a sieve lined with a coffee filter, paper towel or cheesecloth. Reserve the liquid.
  3. Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat the butter or oil. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat until the onions are tender and starting to turn lightly golden.
  4. Add the carrot and garlic, seasoning with salt and ground black pepper, and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until the carrots are tender.
  5. Add the thyme sprig and the rehydrated mushrooms. Mix to combine.
  6. Pour the reserved mushroom liquid into the skillet, or use water. The liquid should cover the carrot and mushroom mixture at least halfway. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover the skillet, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and have absorbed all of the liquid. Discard the thyme sprig.
  7. Add the carrot and mushroom mixture to the cooked brown rice. Add the chopped fresh parsley. Mix to combine and serve.
  8. Reheat the rice in a skillet or the microwave. It freezes really well too, so you can eat half of the rice and freeze the other half.

16 Comments

  • Anna

    That’s exzectly what I am going to cook tomorrow! Thanks for your yammy resepice and your hard work. (And by the way, I found your blog not long agow and I realy like it. I am so happy for you about your miracle baby and so happy to see him growing healthy and strong. Gods blessings to your family and strong health for you.)

  • Inna

    Hi Olga! My husband loves brown rice, but I can never cook that right. For some reason it never cooks through. I tried stove top, oven, rice cooker, still it’s not cooked through. I was convicted that that’s how brown rice is, but after purchasing the organic cooked brown rice from Costco I realized it is actually cooked through. My mother in law suggested I soke it overnight and instead of adding 2 cups of water to add 4. Anyways after trying everything I think I purchased a “wrong rice” lol. What kind of rice are you using?

    • Dawn

      Brown is the hardest and takes the longest to cook. My mom likes hers soft and pretty close to mushy whereas I am the opposite I like it a bit chewy. My mom has this trick that she learned when she was living in Hawaii.It works for her and she has tried 2 different rice cookers, and a pressure cooker. Put your rice in and then the water, and here is her trick measure the water up to the line on your middle index finger and cook on low heat for about 35-45 minutes. She even stirs it middle way. It works for her every time.

      Me, I add a about 1/3-1/4 cup more water to the rice cooker. As long as there is water in the rice cooker it will keep cooking. I even do this with Quinoa.

  • Brittany

    Olga, thank you for all of your Thanksgiving inspiration. I’m using your fuss-free turkey recipe and this one. For the rice dish, how do I incorporate fresh mushrooms since the dry mushrooms always give such a flavorful broth? Do I just cook with the carrots?

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