Lebanese Rice with Vermicelli

A white bowl with rice and vermicelli garnished with chopped parsley.

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A classic Middle Eastern side dish, this Lebanese Rice with Vermicelli is fluffy and has a lovely nutty flavour coming from the toasted vermicelli. It's an incredibly quick and easy dish that can be served with any roast or roast alternative throughout the year.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Servings: people

Calories: 375kcal

Author: Daniela Apostol

Ingredients

1 cup basmati rice
½ cup wholemeal vermicelli
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon butter (30 g)
1 ½ cup water
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Instructions

In a large pan set over a medium heat, add the olive oil and butter and allow the butter to melt.
Use your hands to crush the vermicelli and add them to the pan.
Leave them to toast stirring well so that the vermicelli can turn into a golden brown colour and the butter can release a nutty flavour.
Rinse the rice well under cold water until the water runs clear.
Add the rice to the pan and mix well to combine.
Pour over the water, season with salt and place a lid on the pan.
Leave it to simmer until all the water is absorbed.
Remove the pan from the heat, but leave the lid on for a further 10 minutes.
Use a fork to fluff up the rice and garnish with chopped parsley.

Video

Notes

In the UK the white rice vermicelli are the most popular vermicelli you can find. And while you can still use and toast them for the dish, I find that the golden colour does not stay while the rice is cooking and it washes off.
It's still a very delicious dish, but you don't get the marble effect white rice and golden vermicelli in the finished dish.
So using wholemeal vermicelli sorted that problem for me, the colour stayed as it should be. I would recommend testing with whatever vermicelli you find and see how it goes.

Nutrition