Description
Spring carrots and leeks are braised in a miso flavored broth then served over a bed of cilantro cardamom basmati rice. This vegan and gluten free side dish is a fun and flavorful way to enjoy carrots and leeks!
Ingredients
for the braised carrots & leeks
- 1 bunch of carrots
- 2 leeks (just the white and light green portion)
- 1 heaped tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp miso paste
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- pinch of sea salt
- pinch of pepper
for the cilantro cardamom basmati rice:
- 3/4 cup uncooked white basmati rice
- 1 1/4 cups of water (plus a bit more if needed)
- 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
- 5 smashed green cardamom pods
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 3 tbsp minced cilantro
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
Make the rice: combine the rice, water, coconut oil, and cardamom pods in a pot. Heat over high until it just starts to boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, stir it a couple of times, then cover and cook for 15 minutes. If the rice looks a bit dry towards the end of the cooking time, add up to 1/4 cup more water. Remove the rice from the heat, leaving the top on it so it can steam.
While the rice is cooking, make the veggies. Heat the coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat. Mix the broth and miso together in a small bowl and set aside. Add the carrots and leeks in a single layer and sear for 2 minutes. Flip and sear on the other side for 1-2 more minutes. Add the miso broth mixture to the pan, sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper, and reduce the heat to low. Partially cover the pan and braise the carrots and leeks 15-20 minutes until tender.
Put everything together: remove the cardamom pods from the rice and discard. Add the lemon juice, cilantro, and pinch of salt to the rice and mix to combine. Make a bed of rice on a serving platter or plate and arrange the carrots and leeks over the top of it. Spoon any of the leftover miso broth over the veggies and garnish with additional cilantro if you prefer.
Notes
- Leave the root ends intact on the leeks so that they will stay together while braising.
- If you already have some cooked rice on hand, you can sub in 2 cups.
- The leeks will braise quicker than the carrots so make sure to check them a couple of times towards the end of the cooking time to make sure they don’t burn
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: side