Go Back
–+ servings
Serving bowl filled with cranberry orange rice pilaf with fresh herbs, almonds, toasted orzo, and rice.

Orange Cranberry Rice Pilaf

Orange cranberry rice pilaf is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas — but don't save it just for the holidays. Toasted pasta, fluffy rice, bright citrus notes, cranberries, fresh herbs, and almonds come together in something that looks striking and tastes even better.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Servings: 8 Servings
Author: Carlee

Ingredients

  • 1 large navel orange
  • 1 bunch green onions
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup orzo
  • 1¼ cups long grain white rice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 4 Tablespoons dried cranberries
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ cup chopped parsley
  • ½ cup sliced almonds toasted
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Zest the 1 large navel orange. Then remove the peel and chop into bite sized pieces.
  • Trim the ends off 1 bunch green onions. Separate the white and green parts, then chop and keep separate.
  • Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat.
  • Add the ½ cup orzo and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
  • Stir in 1¼ cups long grain white rice and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Toast for a minute or two.
  • Add 3 cups chicken stock, 4 Tablespoons dried cranberries, white parts of the green onions, orange zest, 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, and 1 bay leaf.
  • Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the rice is tender, about 17 minutes.
  • Discard the bay leaf.
  • Stir in the chopped orange, green parts of the green onions, ½ cup chopped parsley, and ½ cup sliced almonds.
  • Adjust seasoning to your liking and serve.

Notes

You can use spaghetti broken into 1-inch pieces in place of the orzo.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 265kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 302mg | Potassium: 258mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 489IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Please consider rating it and saving on Pinterest for later!