Yellow Rice

This easy Yellow Rice makes a tasty and fragrant side dish with antioxidant rich turmeric and so much flavor.

Vegetarian | Vegan | Gluten Free

I was lucky to grow up in a home where my Mom made pretty much everything from scratch. So, I naturally continued that trend raising our own family. Many years ago, a friend turned me on to yellow rice. She served it with her chili and it was incredible! Not really knowing anything about yellow rice, what it was or what the heck made it yellow, I bought a yellow rice mix from the store. All it required was a bit of butter and water and viola…yellow rice. It was definitely tasty.

Fast forward to many years later…my dear friends…stop buying those bags! Making yellow rice from home is fabulously easy and most importantly, you’ll control what goes into it!

Why You Should Stay Away From Packaged Yellow Rice Mix

Processed yellow rice contains animal fats, anti caking agents, monosodium glutamate, yellow 5, sugars and an excess of salt among other “flavorings.” You guys are too good for that. You deserve better.

As far as timing and ease, this yellow rice recipe is very simple and truly, you’ll have it ready almost as quickly as those prepackaged rices.

What Makes Yellow Rice Yellow?

What makes this rice yellow is ground turmeric. Turmeric is a relative to ginger. The root has a vivid orange color and contains compounds, particularly curcumin, that are thought to reduce inflammation in the body. Studies are always ongoing, but curcumin may help benefit things like depression, type-2 diabetes, cancers, irritable bowl syndrome, high cholesterol, arthritis and Alzheimer’s. Personally, after a health scare this past year, I began taking a curcumin  supplement daily. Will it make a difference? I hope so.

Curcumin is better absorbed by your body with help from piperine, a compound found in black pepper that also has health benefits. So, of course, I’ve added a healthy dose of black pepper to this rice. The combination of turmeric and black pepper with just a bit of smokey cumin and some fruity olive oil make this a really tasty and versatile side dish.

Yellow Rice

This easy Yellow Rice makes a tasty and fragrant side dish with antioxidant rich turmeric and so much flavor.

Vegetarian | Vegan | Gluten Free

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons finely minced onion
• 1 cup long grain rice See Notes
• 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric See Notes
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups water
• extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Instructions

• In a medium saucepan over medium high heat add the olive oil and the onions. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onions just begin to soften.
• Add the rice. Stir to coat. Add the turmeric, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir just to combine and get the spices slightly toasted.
• Add the water and cover. Increase the heat to high and bring the water to a boil. Immediately reduce to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and allow the rice to sit for about 3 to 5 minutes. 
• Drizzle with a bit of fruity extra virgin olive oil before serving. 

Notes

Use your favorite long grain rice. I have made this with white rice and brown. If you're using brown rice, increase your cooking time according to package directions, usually about 45 minutes. 

Feel free to play around with the amount of turmeric you use. Everyone's tastes are different, you may want to increase it to 1 full teaspoon, or reduce it to just a 1/4 teaspoon. 

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