Lebanese Rice with Toasted Vermicelli (Print View)
Fluffy buttered rice with golden toasted vermicelli, a fragrant Lebanese side dish ready in 30 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Grains
01 - 1 cup long-grain white rice, such as Basmati
02 - 1/2 cup vermicelli noodles or broken angel hair pasta
→ Dairy & Fats
03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
→ Liquids & Seasoning
05 - 1 3/4 cups water or vegetable broth
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
# Step-by-Step Directions:
01 - Place the rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water, gently swirling with your hand, until the runoff turns completely clear. Shake off excess water and set aside to drain thoroughly.
02 - Set a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the butter and olive oil. Once the butter has fully melted and begun to foam, add the vermicelli noodles. Sauté, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the pasta turns a deep golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning.
03 - Add the drained rice to the saucepan and stir gently to coat every grain in the butter-oil mixture and distribute it among the toasted vermicelli. Continue stirring for about 1 minute, allowing the rice to lightly toast and absorb the flavors.
04 - Pour in the water or vegetable broth and add the salt. Stir once to combine, then bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat.
05 - Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover the saucepan tightly with a fitted lid. Cook without lifting the lid or disturbing the rice for 15 to 18 minutes, until all the liquid has been fully absorbed and the grains are tender.
06 - Remove the saucepan from heat and let it rest, still covered, for 5 minutes to allow the steam to finish cooking the rice. Remove the lid and fluff gently with a fork, lifting the grains from the bottom upward, before transferring to a serving dish.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The toasted vermicelli adds a nutty depth that plain rice could never achieve on its own, and it takes almost no extra effort.
- Its the kind of unassuming dish that disappears first at dinner parties, leaving everyone scraping the bottom of the pot.
02 -
- Lifting the lid during cooking lets precious steam escape and practically guarantees uneven, crunchy rice, so set a timer and trust the process.
- Skipping the rinse step will leave you with gummy, clumpy rice no matter how perfectly you cook everything else.
03 -
- Toast the vermicelli a shade darker than you think you should, the deeper color translates to richer flavor in the finished dish.
- Letting the rice rest off heat for those extra five minutes is the difference between good rice and rice people will actually remember.