Silvia
Looking for simple and tasty black rice recipes?
This distinctive dark-colored rice has a characteristic flavor that pairs well with many different ingredients, making it perfect for creating dishes that are a little different from the usual.
Here you’ll find some ideas for serving it in simple and delicious ways, perfect when you feel like experimenting with new flavor combinations.
Black Rice: Simple Recipes and Ideas for Seasoning It
Black rice works well in very simple recipes because its distinctive flavor makes it easy to create tasty dishes without using many ingredients. You can pair it with vegetables, legumes, and other plant-based ingredients, choosing different combinations each time.
It’s delicious both hot and cold, which makes it perfect for first courses, rice salads, and complete meals. You can also season it with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, herbs, spices, or lemon juice, depending on the ingredients you choose.
One of the simple black rice recipes I make combines it with zucchini and plant-based tuna, which we’ll see shortly, but you’ll also find my black rice salad with vegetables on the blog.
Black Rice Recipes: Ingredients
Serves 2:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 onion
- 1/2 jar plant-based tuna (about 3.1 oz)
- about 2/3 cup black rice
- 1 zucchini (about 5.6 oz)
- parsley
- salt
- water.
Preparation
First, place the sliced onion in a large, wide pot with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté until golden, then add about 1 cup of water to soften it. Meanwhile, chop the zucchini and add it to the pot along with a sprinkle of parsley.
Add about 3/4 cup of water and 3 pinches of salt, cover, and cook until the water has been absorbed, stirring occasionally.
Bring the water for the rice to a boil in a medium-sized pot. Fill the pot halfway with water, add 2 teaspoons of salt, and cover. Once the water is boiling, add the black rice. Check the cooking time on the package, as it can vary. I use Scotti black rice, which is ready in about 10 minutes.
While you’re waiting, why not prepare the main course too? I recommend cooking tofu, which is light and pairs perfectly with this hearty first course.
Once the rice is ready, drain it, add it to the pan, then add the plant-based tuna and toss everything together for a few seconds.
Serve immediately.
Enjoy your meal!
Black Rice Recipes with Vegetables
Vegetables are among the easiest ingredients to use when preparing a variety of black rice recipes. In my version, I chose zucchini, which I cook in a pan with onion and parsley before adding the rice, but you can change the combination based on what you have on hand.
For example, you can try bell peppers, eggplant, broccoli, carrots, or a mix of vegetables. If you prefer a cold dish, you can take inspiration from my black rice salad, which is also ideal when you want to prepare the rice ahead of time.
Black Rice Recipes with Plant-Based Tuna
Another very simple combination is black rice and plant-based tuna. I add the plant-based tuna only at the end of the preparation and briefly toss it together with the rice and zucchini.
You can also make this combination as a cold dish: let the rice cool after draining it, then mix it with the other ingredients. This way, you can prepare it ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it.
To complete the dish, you can add vegetables, herbs, or a few drops of lemon juice.
Hot Black Rice Recipes
Black rice isn’t just for classic rice salads. You can also use it to prepare hot dishes, just like the recipe I’ve shown you.
Once boiled, you can transfer it directly to a pan and toss it with the other ingredients for a few minutes to let the flavors combine. This is also a convenient way to use cooked vegetables or ingredients you’ve prepared in advance.
For example, you can pair it with zucchini and onion, broccoli, mushrooms, or legumes, then complete the dish with spices and herbs.
Black Rice with Cherry Tomatoes
If you’re looking for another simple idea, you can prepare black rice with cherry tomatoes. You can use raw cherry tomatoes for a fresh dish or sauté them for a few seconds in a pan with extra virgin olive oil and onion.
You can then add other vegetables, olives, capers, or legumes to create a different combination each time.
Again, you can serve the rice hot or let it cool and use it as a base for a salad.
Fall and Winter Recipes
Even during the colder months, you can prepare plenty of fall and winter recipes with black rice simply by choosing different ingredients.
In the fall, for example, you can pair it with mushrooms or pumpkin, while in the winter you can combine it with broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, or legumes.
You can cook the rice and the other ingredients separately and combine them only at the end, then toss everything together in a pan for a few minutes. This makes it easy to adapt the dish to whatever vegetables you have on hand.
Black Rice or Basmati Rice: Plenty of Ideas for Variety
If you enjoy preparing rice-based dishes, you can alternate black rice with other varieties.
Basmati rice, for example, has different characteristics and a different flavor, but it’s just as versatile and pairs well with many vegetables and other plant-based ingredients. If you’re looking for some ideas, you’ll find my collection of basmati rice recipes on the blog.
How to Season Black Rice
You don’t need elaborate preparations to season black rice. You can start with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and add vegetables, legumes, herbs, or spices.
If you want to give the dish a fresher flavor, you can also add a little lemon juice. For a more substantial dish, you can add tofu, plant-based tuna, or other ingredients you regularly use.
My advice is not to overdo it with too many flavors: black rice already has a distinctive taste and can be enhanced with just a few well-paired ingredients.
How to Store Black Rice
If you prepare black rice ahead of time, let it cool without leaving it at room temperature for too long, then transfer it to a sealed container and store it in the refrigerator.
You can store it separately from the other ingredients or already seasoned, depending on the recipe you’ve prepared. Before eating it, always check that its appearance, smell, and texture are still normal.
Preparing a larger batch can also make meal planning easier: you can use some of it for a hot dish with vegetables and the rest for a rice salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can black rice be eaten hot?
Yes. Although it’s often used in salads, it’s also delicious served hot. After boiling it, you can toss it directly in a pan with vegetables and other ingredients.
What vegetables go well with black rice?
You can try zucchini, bell peppers, eggplant, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, pumpkin, cherry tomatoes, and many other vegetables, choosing them based on what’s in season.
How can I season black rice?
You can use extra virgin olive oil, vegetables, legumes, tofu, plant-based tuna, herbs, spices, or a little lemon juice. You don’t need many ingredients because this rice already has a distinctive flavor.
Can black rice be prepared ahead of time?
Yes. You can cook it ahead of time, store it properly in the refrigerator, and then use it for hot or cold dishes.
Conclusion
As you’ve seen, black rice recipes are really simple to prepare. You can start with just a few ingredients, pair it with your favorite vegetables, and serve it either hot or cold.
This time, I prepared it with zucchini and plant-based tuna, but you can experiment with plenty of other combinations.
And if you also like to switch up the type of rice you use, choose your favorite: this recipe works perfectly with any grain!
