Garlic Rice with Sautéed Onions, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Toasted Pine Nuts

We loved the garlic rice I recently made, so I decided to make it again, but this time added a little pizazz to it and made this garlic rice with sautéed onions, sun-dried tomatoes, and toasted pine nuts recipe. I loved the flavors and textures the different ingredients gave to this dish, and it was a big hit with my husband and me, but sadly, both kids said they liked plain rice better–you can’t win them all! This rice paired nicely with some chicken thighs and broccoli.
Garlic Rice with Sautéed Onions, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Toasted Pine Nuts
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 1 tbsp olive oil divided
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- ¼ cup of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
- ¾ cup basmati or jasmine rice
- 1 ½ cups of chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

How to Make Garlic Rice with Sautéed Onions, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Toasted Pine Nuts
To toast your pine nuts, heat the same large saucepan you will cook your rice in over medium-low heat.
Add the pine nuts to the DRY saucepan (you don’t need oil) and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the saucepan and set it aside.
Heat half of the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes or until tender, and add the sun-dried tomatoes and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
Pour mixture into a small dish and set aside.
Add the remaining olive oil to the saucepan, then add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Add the rice and cook, stirring often to prevent sticking, for 3-4 minutes.
Add the broth and season with sea salt and white pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
Cover with a lid and let it cook UNDISTURBED for 20 minutes.
Remove the rice from the burner without removing the lid and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Carefully remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
Add the onion and tomatoes along with the toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley, and season with sea salt and white pepper to taste.
Stir until well combined and serve. Enjoy.

Equipment
- Large Saucepan with Lid
Ingredients
- 2-3 tbsp pine nuts
- 1 tbsp olive oil divided
- ½ yellow onion diced
- ¼ cup of sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 4-5 cloves of garlic minced
- ¾ cup basmati or jasmine rice
- 1½ cups of chicken broth
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- To toast your pine nuts, heat the same large saucepan you will cook your rice in over medium-low heat.
- Add the pine nuts to the DRY large saucepan (you don't need oil) and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the saucepan and set it aside.
- Heat half of the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes or until tender, and add the sun-dried tomatoes and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
- Pour mixture into a small dish and set aside.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the saucepan, then add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Add the rice and cook, stirring often to prevent sticking, for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the broth and season with sea salt and white pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Cover with a lid and let it cook UNDISTURBED for 20 minutes.
- Remove the rice from the burner without removing the lid and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Carefully remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
- Add the onion and tomatoes along with the toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley. Season with sea salt and white pepper to taste.
- Stir until well combined and serve. Enjoy.



Very nice recipe.. looks inviting !!
What a pretty rice dish! I bet it has great textures with the pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes. YUM!
This is a great recipe and looks so fresh and pretty!
Love how you kicked this rice up!! And it looks gorgeous too!
This would certainly be a hit in my house! Sounds & looks great!
pine nuts in rice are the best.
I love having rice that has some sort of texture.
If the rice dish taste half as good as it looks, I’m sure it will be a hit in this house too. Can’t wait to try!
Looks delicious!!
My darling significant other claims he doesn’t like rice, but I think this might be the dish to sway him!
Well, at least your kids try different things, so they have a valid opinion on what they don’t like! I think it sounds good; I add veggies to my rice frequently to just change it up a bit.
Love this! I might even add some peas in there, love that extra crunch. Thanks for sharing!
Pow! Talk about color as bright as the flavors, this rocks, Pam!
What a great way to dress up a rice side dish! I think the leftovers would be a great lunch, too!
I love this side dish, sounds delicious.
You can never go wrong with rice!
I don’t want plain rice any more! This must be very delicious with pine nuts!
Hi Pam! I absolutely adored this. Made this to go with Apricot Chicken… it was delicious! Thanks for the recipe and I am publishing them on my website too…
The rice was a big success with my wife and two boys (10 and 11)
I didn’t have enough pine nuts so I added some crushed pistachios, sunflower seeds, almonds and the few pine nuts.
Thank you for sharing.
Kind Regards
SP