• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Unicorns in the Kitchen

Easy family approved recipes from our Kitchen to yours. Persian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean recipes made easy with fresh ingredients and step-by-step instructions.

  • Recipe Index
  • Mediterranean Recipes
  • E-cookbooks
  • About
    • Work with Us
    • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Mediterranean Recipes
  • E-cookbooks
  • About
    • Work with Us
    • Contact
  • ×

    Home » Mediterranean recipes

    Easy Lebanese Rice with Vermicelli

    Published: Apr 19, 2019 · Modified: May 12, 2022 by Shadi HasanzadeNemati · This post may contain affiliate links .

    604 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Lebanese rice with vermicelli is a delicious Middle Eastern side dish. It's made with only three ingredients and makes the perfect side for any main dish. 

    We love having different types of rice as side dishes. Delicious rice recipes such as Persian one pot tomato rice, dill rice with peas and Persian herb rice are some of our most popular rice side dishes. Today I'm showing you a popular Middle Eastern staple that is made with only three ingredients!

    Lebanese rice with vermicelli is a delicious Middle Eastern side dish. It's made with only three ingredients and makes the perfect side dish for any main dish. 

    What is Lebanese rice pilaf with vermicelli?

    Lebanese rice, also known as Arabic rice or Middle Eastern rice is a staple side dish of the region which is very simple to make and has a nutty flavor that pairs well with almost any main dish. This Middle Eastern rice is made with only three ingredients: rice, vermicelli and olive oil, butter or ghee. Sometimes, vermicelli rice is topped with pine nuts and almond slivers. Like mujadara, this rice with vermicelli is simple yet packed with so much flavor.  

    sehriyeli pilaf made with rice served on a plate with a spoon and topped with pine nut and parsley.

    What goes into Lebanese rice?

    As I mentioned, this is a simple rice recipe that calls for only three ingredients: 

    • Rice: I advise using long grain rice such as basmati. Short grain rice won't work for this recipe. 
    • Vermicelli: thin broken pasta made of flour. To make Lebanese rice, we nicely toast the vermicelli. 
    • Olive oil, butter or ghee: I used ghee in this recipe but you can definitely use only olive oil. 

    Middle Eastern rice with vermicelli is so flavorful on its own and the only seasoning used for this rice recipe is a pinch of salt. This is a simple rice recipe that comes together in a short time and pairs well with so many dishes. 

    you need ghee, vermicelli, rice and water to make this dish.

    How to make rice pilaf with vermicelli at home

    Start by soaking the rice in water for about 20-30 minutes to get rid of the excess starch in the rice. This will speed up the cooking process and will also prevent the rice from becoming sticky. 

    You need to brown the vermicelli for this Lebanese rice recipe: Melt the ghee in a pot over medium heat and toast the vermicelli in ghee until brown but not burnt. This will take about 5 minutes. Add in the rice and salt and cook for two minutes. Pour in water and bring it to simmer. Simmer on medium low until the water is almost gone. 

    soak the rice and saute vermicelli add rice and water then cook and fluff.

    Place a lid on the pot and let it cook on low for another 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the rice and vermicelli sit for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice using a fork and top with toasted pine nuts and parsley. 

    What to serve with vermicelli rice?

    Rice pilaf with vermicelli is a tasty side dish for Middle Eastern dishes such as beef shish kabob, chicken shish kabob with toum, shish tawook, homemade chicken shawarma or Greek meatballs. 

    Notes and tips to make homemade Lebanese rice with vermicelli

    • Basmati rice or any long grain rice works best in this recipe. Short grain rice is not a good option for Lebanese rice. 
    • Make sure you soak the rice in water for 20 to 30 minutes. This is an important step since we want the rice not to be sticky and we want to get rid of the extra starch. 
    • Be patient with the vermicelli and saute it over medium heat, stirring continuously to make sure it's coated with ghee. 
    • You can use olive oil instead of ghee in this recipe. I prefer ghee because I love the smell of it combined with toasted vermicelli. 
    • If pine nuts are not available, you can use toasted slivered almonds or serve the rice without any nuts.

    More of our favorite side dishes: 

    • Mediterranean roasted vegetables
    • Oven roasted garlic green beans
    • Greek potatoes oven roasted
    • Skillet roasted asparagus with lemon & garlic 

    Lebanese rice and vermicelli on a white plate.

    Easy Lebanese Rice and Vermicelli

    Shadi HasanzadeNemati
    Lebanese rice with vermicelli is a delicious Middle Eastern side dish. It's made with only three ingredients and makes the perfect side dish for any main dish. 
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 40 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine middle eastern
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 280 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 ½ cup basmati rice
    • 2 tablespoon ghee or clarified butter
    • ½ cup vemicelli
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 3 cups water

    To top:

    • toasted pine nuts
    • chopped fresh parsley

    Instructions
     

    • Rinse the rice a few times and soak it for 30 minutes. 
    • Heat the ghee in a pot and toast the vermicelli until it's brown, stirring occasionally. 
    • Discard the water and add the rice to the vermicelli. Cook for 2-3 minutes. 
    • Add salt and 3 cups of water. Bring the rice to simmer. 
    • Let it simmer over medium heat until most of the water is gone. 
    • Cover and turn the heat to low. Cook for another 10 minutes. 
    • Turn the heat off and let it sit covered for another 10 minutes. 
    • Fluff the rice and serve with your favorite main dish. 

    Notes

    You can use ghee, butter or olive oil in this recipe. The amounts will be the same. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 280kcal
    Did you make this recipe? Let us know how it was by leaving a comment and a 5-star review!
    « The Best Iftar Recipes You Must Try
    Turkey Meatball Curry (Indian Style) »
    604 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sheila

      May 24, 2022 at 6:08 am

      Does it have to be Basmati rice, or can long grain be used instead?

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        May 24, 2022 at 3:47 pm

        You can use long grain

        Reply
    2. Mike

      April 17, 2022 at 8:10 am

      Note to users:

      If you happen to use the multiplier function, while the amounts in the ingredients are adjusted the number of cups of water in the instructions are not.

      Reply
    3. Natalie

      December 02, 2021 at 6:57 am

      5 stars
      That looks and sounds so exotic and delicious. I just saved the recipe. I'm going to make this for dinner tomorrow. Can't wait.

      Reply
    4. Angela

      December 02, 2021 at 6:04 am

      5 stars
      Oh my goodness! This is so good and so easy to make. My new favorite rice dish for sure. Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
    5. Tavo

      December 02, 2021 at 5:43 am

      5 stars
      One of my favorite Lebanese recipes! I made it today and it was delicious and super easy to make. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    6. Valerie

      December 02, 2021 at 5:08 am

      5 stars
      I love rice, it's one of my favorite sites. I love how easy this is to make, and I know I always have these three ingredients on hand.

      Reply
    7. Danielle Wolter

      December 02, 2021 at 4:39 am

      5 stars
      Love this recipe! It's a great way for me to use my homemade ghee and the flavors are so delicious!

      Reply
    8. Pamela

      July 21, 2021 at 3:45 pm

      What are some potential Lebanese spices that I could add to this recipe? Also, whenever I make rice (I don't use a rice machine; I just simmer it on top of the stove in a pot), it has a tendency to come out mushy. I am going to try your suggestion and soak it for 30 minutes first and see if this produces a dryer rice with the grains separated instead of one big mush ball. Thank you!

      Reply
    9. Thomas Felice

      July 06, 2021 at 1:14 am

      Is it traditional to add raisins or cut-up pieces of apricot to Lebenese rice? Love it that way.

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        February 07, 2022 at 9:31 am

        It's not traditional to add dried fruit to Lebanese rice with vermicelli, but it sure can be delicious!

        Reply
    10. Eleanor Stinson

      July 27, 2020 at 3:45 pm

      Do you cook the vermicelli first or fry it in the ghee/oil from dry? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        July 30, 2020 at 1:41 pm

        Fry it from dry 🙂

        Reply
        • Eleanor Stinson

          July 30, 2020 at 3:18 pm

          Thanks so much

    11. Melissa

      April 19, 2019 at 7:46 am

      5 stars
      My favorite rice! I've never actually made it myself though.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Unicorns in the Kitchen, where we share delicious recipes from our kitchen to yours. You’re in for a delicious adventure and collection of unique and tasty recipes.

    Read more...

    Fresh Spring Recipes

    • Garlic Lemon Tilapia Recipe (30 minutes)
    • Healthy Mediterranean Tuna Salad Recipe
    • Lebanese Fattoush Salad Recipe
    • Best Salmon Marinade, Mediterranean Style

    Popular Now

    • How To Make Seven Spice Blend
    • Grilled Asparagus with Lemon Tahini Sauce
    • Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe (10 minutes!)
    • Best Lebanese Garlic Sauce Toum

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services
    • About Me

    All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images or recipes without prior permission. Read about privacy policy and copyright Here. Our site contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting.

    Copyright 2019, All rights reserved.
    Read about privacy policy and copyright Here.

    604 shares