Vegan Rice-A-Roni

close up overhead of finished dish in a white serving bowl.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings:8 servings

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

This vegan rice-a-roni copycat recipe is pure nostalgia! With its savory, buttery flavor, fluffy texture, and hint of parsley and aromatics, it's sure to become a favorite. With stovetop and Instant Pot instructions, you'll love this easy vegan rice recipe.

Ingredients
US Customary | Metric

1 ½ cups white basmati or long grain rice - See Notes.
3 ounces angel hair pasta, broken into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup) - Sub whole-grain or gluten-free if desired.
4 cups vegan chicken-flavored broth or 2 ½ cubes vegan chicken-style bouillon dissolved in 4 cups water - See Notes for brand recommendations & a homemade version.
2 tablespoons vegan butter
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, optional
1 ¼ teaspoons garlic powder
1 ¼ teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric

Instructions

Stovetop instructions:

Place a large pot over medium heat. Melt the butter, and add the broken pasta pieces and rice, and stir to coat. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until the rice is fragrant.
Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, and bring to a simmer. Stir the rice, cover the pot, and reduce heat to low. Cook until the broth has been absorbed, about 15 minutes (refer to the cooking instructions for the particular type of rice you're using). Remove from heat and let stand for a few minutes. Fluff with a fork, and serve.

Instant Pot instructions:

Using the sauté function on your Instant Pot, melt the butter. Add the broken pasta pieces and rice, and stir to coat. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until the rice is fragrant.
Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and stir to combine. Cancel the saute function. Lock on the lid, and set to sealing. Cook at high pressure for 4 minutes. Carefully quick release the pressure, and remove the lid. Fluff with a fork, and serve.

Notes

Type of Rice to Use

White basmati or long grain rice create the most authentic tasting rice-a-roni copycat dish.

I haven't tested this recipe with brown rice. If you choose to use brown rice, you may need to omit the pasta because their cook times are so different. For brown rice be sure to increase the cook time accordingly - about 45 minutes on the stove or 22 minutes (high pressure) in the Instant Pot.

Vegan Chicken Broth Options

I used 2.5 cubes of Edward & Son's Not-Chicken Bouillon dissolved in 4 cups hot water. Other options are Ocean's Halo No Chicken Broth or Better Than Bouillon chicken flavor.

Or make your own broth with this quick and easy vegan broth recipe. Use 3 tablespoons of the powder to 4 cups of water.

Storage

Store leftover rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Can also be frozen for extended storage.

Nutrition