Lebanese Rice with Vermicelli

What is Lebanese Rice?

Lebanese Rice, also known as Riz bi Sh’arieh, or Lebanese Rice Pilaf, is a staple dish in Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s a simple yet flavorful dish made with long-grain rice, vermicelli noodles, and butter or olive oil. The vermicelli is toasted until golden brown, giving the dish its distinctive nutty flavor and unique texture.

Since we discovered this simple rice pilaf, we've been making it almost weekly! Both our kids love it, and so do we. You can serve it with a variety of dishes, or simply add some protein to the rice to make it into a complete main dish.

Our Lebanese Rice recipe is:

• Vegan
• A side dish
• Easy to make
• A Middle Eastern recipe
• A family favorite
• Great for the whole family

How to make Lebanese Rice

Ingredients

Long-grain rice. For this recipe, the best type of rice is long-grain white rice, because it cooks up fluffy and doesn’t stick together. Long-grain Arabic rice absorbs the flavors of the broth well. Basmati rice also works great for this recipe.

Vermicelli noodles. Vermicelli noodles are thin pasta that add a unique texture and flavor to the dish. We buy these noodles in our local Middle Eastern shop, but you can find similar pasta such as angel hair pasta in regular supermarkets. For a gluten-free option, you can buy rice vermicelli noodles. If the noodles you are buying are long, break them into small pieces before adding them to the pan.

Olive oil or butter. The traditional Lebanese Rice recipe is made with butter, but we use olive oil for our recipe to keep it plant-based and it gives the rice a delicious flavor.

Vegetable Stock. Using vegetable broth adds flavor to the rice. You can use homemade or store-bought broth. The liquid or water ratio we use for our recipe is 2 to 1.

Cinnamon. Adding cinnamon to this rice dish is our special touch. We love the flavor that just a little cinnamon adds to the dish.

A pinch of salt.

Pistachios and Pomegranate to garnish. This Lebanese rice pilaf is so simple, that adding some crushed pistachios and pomegranate before serving, elevates the whole meal. It adds crunch, color, and flavor.

Step-by-Step Method

1. First, rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. This removes excess starch and prevents the rice from becoming sticky. Leave to dry for a few minutes.
2. Using a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the vermicelli noodles to the pan and using a wooden spoon, stir continuously until they get a deep golden brown color. Make sure you stay close to the pan, as it needs constant stirring. The noodles will go from yellow to brown very fast, and if they burn, they'll give the dish an unpleasant taste.
3. Add the rinsed rice to the pan and stir to combine with the vermicelli pasta. You want the rice to be coated with oil before adding the broth.
4. Pour in the vegetable broth, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Combine well and bring the rice to a boil.
5. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and all the liquid is absorbed.
6. Leave the rice to cool for a few minutes with the lid off, and then, using a fork, fluff the rice. This helps to separate the grains and gives the rice a light, fluffy texture. Garnish with pistachios, and optionally, pomegranate, serve and enjoy!

Variations to our Vermicelli Rice Recipe

• Use butter or vegan butter instead of oil. You can make this recipe by melting the butter before adding the noodles to the pan. We like making it with olive oil, but the buttery taste you get from vegan or regular butter is also delicious.
• Make it gluten-free. Naturally, this Middle Eastern Rice is not gluten-free, as it uses wheat noodles. You can make a gluten-free variation of this dish using rice vermicelli noodles, or gluten-free noodles instead. You may be able to find them at the same Middle Eastern shop you would find regular vermicelli noodles or any Asian supermarket.
• Change the garnish ingredients. You can use other nuts to garnish your Lebanese vermicelli rice such as pine nuts, or toasted almonds. Also, you can add fresh herbs like fresh parsley, thyme, or rosemary before serving. You can also, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil before serving, and some black pepper.

Serving Suggestions for Rice Pilaf

When it comes to serving this Lebanese spiced rice, we have a favorite combination. We believe that this Eggplant with Tahini Sauce pairs beautifully with the vermicelli rice. The rice is perfect to scoop out those last drops of tahini sauce left on the plate. Another fantastic main dish that you can serve with Lebanese Rice is Lebanese Moussaka.

If you're looking for the perfect dessert to serve after a delicious Lebanese menu, you should definitely try this fantastic Lebanese rice pudding.

You can also have a look at these vegan Middle Eastern recipes to combine Lebanese rice with your favorite main dish.

Other serving suggestions

• Roasted Vegetables. Prepare a tray of roasted vegetables to serve with this flavorful rice.
• Vegetable Tagine. When we make vegetable Tagine, we like serving it with a carby option such as couscous, or this Lebanese rice.
• Salad. You can pair this hearty vermicelli rice with a fresh mushroom salad to add some refreshing flavors to the meal.

Store and reheat

If you have Vermicelli Rice leftover, keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours.

Reheat the rice using the microwave, or a pan. To reheat, add a little water or broth to prevent it from drying out.