Pesto Rice

Ditch pesto pasta for equally delicious pesto rice for your next meal! It’s simple to prepare in under 40 minutes and combines fluffy rice with bright, fragrant, herby store-bought, or homemade pesto!

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Pesto Rice Recipe
• The Ingredients and Substitutes
• What Else Could I Add to Pesto Rice?
• How to make Pesto Rice
• Recipe Pro Tips
• FAQs
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage Directions
• Pesto Rice

Why You’ll Love This Pesto Rice Recipe

• Simple: Prepare this vegan pesto dish in under 40 minutes using 4 simple steps as a low-fuss side dish for family meals, potlucks, dinner parties, etc.
• Low-fuss: Prepare the basil pesto in just minutes while cooking the rice, then combine the two. Make it even simpler by using store-bought pesto.
• Diet-friendly: This pesto rice recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.
• Healthy & satisfying: Fiber-rich rice with traditional pesto ingredients provides several vitamins, minerals, and heart-healthy fats. The combination of fluffy rice and vibrant, flavorful pesto is also super satisfying, especially alongside additional veggies and protein for a nutritionally ‘complete’ meal.
• Versatile: Use your favorite pesto, white or brown rice, and pair it with the veggies and proteins of your choosing (warm or chilled) as a super versatile side dish. Even better, any leftover pesto can be used in dozens of other ways (refer to the FAQs).
• Meal prep friendly: Prepare the pesto in advance and/or store the assembled pesto rice in the fridge or freezer to reheat as needed.

Looking for more easy vegan side dishes? Try out my perfect Instant Pot basmati rice, perfect Instant Pot jasmine rice, vegan Instant Pot Mexican rice, Tuscan white bean pasta, Instant Pot quinoa, and coconut basmati rice.

The Ingredients and Substitutes

You can also pair the vegan pesto with other grains/ingredients, like this instant pot quinoa, couscous, pearl couscous, bulgur, farro, and orzo. Adjust the cooking time and method accordingly.

What Else Could I Add to Pesto Rice?

• Lemon: Just a little lemon in pesto adds acidity and brightens the flavor of the vegan basil pesto and overall vegan rice dish.
• Vegan butter: Stirring in just a little of your favorite vegan butter before serving adds a delicious, rich flavor to the rice.
• Red pepper flakes: Add a pinch (or more) for a kick of heat.
• Vegetables: You can serve the pesto rice recipe alongside veggies or mixed with veggies like peas, corn, zucchini, bell peppers, olives, tomatoes (raw or roasted), green beans, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
• Toasted pine nuts: To garnish the pesto and rice.
• Vegan cheese: For extra 'cheesy' flavor, sprinkle the warm pesto rice with your favorite vegan cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, or feta work particularly well).

How to make Pesto Rice

Keep scrolling to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and recipe instructions.

For extra flavor, lightly toast it with a drizzle of oil for a minute or two until fragrant before adding the water/ vegetable stock to the pot.

How to Make Pesto Rice in a Rice Cooker?

First, optionally toast the rice for 2-3 minutes in the rice cooker, then use a 1: 1.75 ratio of white rice to water (i.e., for every cup of rice, use 1 ¾ cups of water. Use two cups of water for softer rice), for brown rice use a 1:2 ¼ ratio (i.e., for every cup, use 2 ¼ cups water).

Then add the lid and allow it to cook. Once ready, fluff up the rice with a fork and stir in the pesto. Enjoy!

Recipe Pro Tips

• For extra flavor: Toast the rice in a drizzle of oil until fragrant (2-3 minutes). This creates a slightly richer, nuttier flavor.
• Adjust the texture: Process the vegan basil pesto to your desired consistency – slightly chunky or super smooth and creamy.
• The oil amount varies: I recommend adding just enough to reach your desired creaminess.
• 2-minute pesto rice: I’ve used minute rice and store-bought pesto on lazy days. It’s not as fresh and delicious, but it works.

FAQs

Serving Suggestions

You can enjoy this easy pesto with rice, either warm or chilled, as a vegan side dish to any meal. I particularly like serving it as a pesto rice bowl with:

• Roasted vegetables (mixed or individual like instant pot green beans, air fryer asparagus, broccoli, maple glazed Brussels sprouts, or this garlic herb oven roasted vegetables)
• Steamed or sauteed veggies
• Protein (beans, chickpeas, crispy air fryer tofu, esty tempeh stir-fry, vegan kabobs, vegan sausages, etc.)

Storage Directions

Fridge/freezer: Once fully cooked and assembled, the pesto with rice stores best in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Reheat: I recommend sprinkling it with water (this helps steam the rice, so it’s not dry) and covering it with plastic wrap or loosely with a lid. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between, until hot (about 1 ½-2 minutes total).

Make ahead: You can also prepare the vegan basil pesto in advance and store it in an airtight jar drizzled with a thin layer of olive oil for 5-7 days in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer (I usually freeze pesto in ice cube trays).