Hardy made this one up, when a coworker gave him a massive amount of basil. It used to be way more complex, until Debbie figured out we could cook the lentils and the rice at the same time, in the same pot. It doesn’t have to be vegan, if you don’t mind cheese, substitute parmesan cheese for nutritional yeast.
Instant Pot, vegan, gluten-free
8 Servings
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 t garlic, minced
- 3/4 C fresh basil, chopped (or more)
- 1 1/2 C brown rice
- 4 1/2 C water
- 1 1/2 T Better Than Bouillon
- 1 14oz can of fire roasted tomatoes (not salsa style)
- 1 1/2 C brown lentils
- 2 T nutritional yeast
- salt and pepper to taste
This recipe can use up any excess of fresh basil you might have. Seriously, just chop it up and add it in. All of it.
Set the cooker to sauté and sauté the onions until they turn brown a bit at the edges, add the garlic and basil, sauté for 30 seconds more, then add the rice and stir it around a bit, until it soaks up all the oil and starts to smell toasty. Then add the water, Better Than Bouillon, tomatoes and lentils. Pop on the lid, set the cooker for 26 minutes, natural release (the rice will need the extra time so it doesn’t come out too hard). If the rice is crunchy, you can put the lid back on, and run the cooker for 1 minute at pressure, and really truly do a natural release. Cook a side dish or two if you need something to do while you wait.
Resist the urge to add any other spices to this recipe. The basil is the star of the show, let it shine.
After the natural release is done, stir in the nutritional yeast. If you’re not vegan, you can use parmesan cheese instead. Or both, both works.
You can make this on the road with ingredients from Walmart. They sell a can of cooked lentils, and they have brown rice in a bag, canned tomatoes, and a tube of chopped basil, if you can’t find fresh basil. It’s OK to skip the nutritional yeast if you’re winging it on the road. We made this on vacation in Halifax, NS, in a tiny apartment, and it was really a nice treat.
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