Sweet & Savory Holiday Harvest Rice

Dec 07, 2020 • Updated Nov 07, 2023

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This recipe for Holiday Harvest Rice is the perfect vegan and gluten-free Thanksgiving side, complete with rice, mushrooms, sage, apple, and pomegranate seeds.

a pink soup pot filled with harvest rice with a wooden spoon resting on the side

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

I shared a little sneak peek of my vegan Thanksgiving meal this year on YouTube and TikTok and received so many requests for my Holiday Harvest Rice recipe! I make this dish every year, and it’s always a hit at holiday parties.

Not only is it a crowd-pleasing vegan and gluten-free side dish, but it also makes a hearty winter dinner recipe. Once you try this festive vegetable-packed rice recipe, I think you’ll agree that it deserves a spot at any holiday table. It’s full of fresh herbs like sage that remind me of the holidays and festive pomegranate gems.

How to Make Harvest Rice

This dish is super easy to throw together with cooked rice, a mixture of seasonal vegetables, and herbs. The beauty of this Holiday Harvest Rice is that you can enjoy it as an entree or serve it as a side dish. In addition, it also stores well, so it’s leftover-friendly and great to make for the family.

The recipe is vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and made with simple, whole-food ingredients. And you can even make it oil-free! However, I recommend using a smidge of extra-virgin olive oil to help wake up the aromatics of the herbs.

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this vegetarian holiday recipe:

Mixed grains. I use a mix of quinoa, wild rice, and long-grain rice for optimal texture, flavor, and plenty of fiber. However, you can use any grain or grain mixture that you like. I think using a mix adds a nice variety in texture and flavor.
Aromatics. This rice salad gets tons of flavor from onions, garlic, shallots, celery, and carrots. Ultimately, many great holiday dishes start here!
Mushrooms. Sauteed mushrooms add an amazing umami component. There’s also just something so magical about fresh herbs and mushrooms together.
Fresh herbs. I like to use rosemary, sage, and thyme, the holy trinity, for holiday flavors in my book.
Apple. For some crunch and light sweetness. But don’t worry if you’re not usually a fan of fruit in savory dishes. The apple helps to balance the dish and adds a nice freshness. In addition, you could also use fresh pear.
Pomegranate arils. These little ruby gems are a must-have. First of all, they add an amazing burst of tart flavor. And secondly, they make the dish extra visually stunning.
Gluten-free soy sauce. This adds a unique depth of flavor that brings out the delicious mushroom goodness. You can also use tamari.
Vegetable broth. While you can also use water, broth adds tons of flavor.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Add grains and vegetable broth to a saucepan and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for about 30 minutes. Once grains are ready, give them a gentle fluff and set aside.
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté onion, shallot, celery, and carrots with a touch of neutral oil until tender. Add garlic, mushrooms, herbs, gluten-free soy sauce, and saute for another 3-4 minutes.
Add the cooked grains to the mix and gently fold to combine your ingredients evenly. Finally, add apples to warm for a few minutes. If using vegan butter, stir into the rice until melted and nicely incorporated. Taste and season your rice with salt and pepper as desired.
When ready to serve, toss pomegranate seeds into the rice and enjoy!

harvest rice with rice, mushrooms, pomegranate, carrots, and more in a large pink soup pot.

Secrets for Success

Use these tips to nail your holiday harvest rice salad:

First, I recommend finely chopping the celery and carrots to speed up the cooking process. If you prefer crunch, however, feel free to keep your pieces a little larger.
In addition, you can even prep the vegetables the day ahead. If you do, store them in an airtight container or Stasher bag until you make the salad.
Next, to make the dish oil-free, simply omit the vegan butter. However, you may want to use ground-dried herbs instead of fresh. The oil helps to bring out the flavor in the fresh herbs, so I recommend using at least a small amount.
Finally, you can prepare your grains in advance or use leftovers instead of the grain mix.
*Adding the vegan butter gives the dish an extra oomph and richness. You can exclude it if you’d like.

Substitutions & Mix-Ins

This is a very forgiving recipe. So, if you’d like to mix things up flavor-wise, here are a few swaps and additions to try:

Add toasted nuts or seeds like hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, or pine nuts.
Swap the apple for pear, dried cranberries, or cherries.
Use different herbs like tarragon or oregano.
Finally, try mixing different mushroom varieties for added texture and flavor.

Storage Tips

Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Reheat and serve with your preferred mix-ins.

Make Ahead: Feel free to make this harvest rice dish, or components of the dish, ahead of time. The rice salad will stay fresh for one to two days in an airtight container in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, take it out and let it come to room temperature for an hour.

More Vegan Side Dishes

Golden Garlic Quinoa

Creamy Mushroom Quinoa Bake

Herbed Mushroom Carbonara Pasta

Three Mushroom and Quinoa Soup

Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Quinoa Fried “Rice”

If you try this harvest rice recipe, tag me on Instagram @veggiekins so I can see your delicious re-creations and feature them! As always, I love it when you share your reviews in the comments below, and if you make any fun substitutions, let me know how it worked out below, too.

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