Description
This Wild Rice Stuffing Recipe is a flavorful and hearty side dish perfect for holiday meals or any time you want a comforting, wholesome addition to your plate. Featuring a blend of wild rice cooked in savory broth, sautéed vegetables, fresh herbs, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, and pumpkin seeds, it combines a delicious array of textures and tastes. Finished in the oven for a lightly toasted top, this stuffing offers a delightful mix of nutty, sweet, and aromatic flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Rice and Broth
- 1 ½ cups wild rice blend
- 2 ¼ cups broth (chicken or vegetable, regular sodium)
Vegetables and Butter
- 3 tablespoons butter or oil (divided)
- ½ sweet onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
Herbs and Seasonings
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt (to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Nuts, Fruits, and Seeds
- ¾ cup raw pecans, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas), roasted and salted
Additional
- 1 tablespoon orange juice or lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare it for baking the stuffing later.
- Cook Wild Rice Blend: In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the wild rice blend and broth. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low and cover with a lid. Simmer gently for 40-45 minutes until the rice is tender. If there’s excess liquid, drain the rice in a colander to remove it.
- Sauté Vegetables: While the rice cooks, heat 2 tablespoons of butter or oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and celery and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onion is translucent. Then add the mushrooms and cook for another 7-8 minutes until softened. In the last minute, stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Mix in Seasonings and Nuts: Turn off the heat. Add the cooked wild rice to the pot with sautéed vegetables along with the chopped fresh sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, and black pepper. Stir everything thoroughly to combine. Sprinkle the coarsely chopped pecans evenly on top without stirring them in to allow them to toast nicely in the oven.
- Transfer to Baking Dish (Optional): For a more elegant presentation, transfer the wild rice mixture to an 8×10-inch baking dish.
- Bake Stuffing: Place the pot or baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes until the pecans on top are lightly toasted and fragrant.
- Finish and Serve: Remove the stuffing from the oven and gently fold in the dried cranberries, roasted pumpkin seeds, and freshly squeezed orange or lemon juice. Garnish with additional chopped fresh herbs if desired. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- You can substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth to keep the recipe vegetarian.
- If you prefer a more moist stuffing, add a little extra broth before baking.
- For a crunchier topping, add the pecans after baking instead of before.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven.
- To make this recipe vegan, use oil instead of butter and ensure the broth is vegetable-based.
