Name: Low Sodium Rice Pilaf
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 large onion (diced); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 2 cups long-grain rice (I used basmati rice); 1 teaspoon turmeric; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 4 cups No-Salt-Added Chicken Stock; 1 cup frozen peas and carrots; 1/2 cup chopped parsley; 1 lemon (juiced, about 2 tablespoons); 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

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This low sodium rice pilaf recipe is a bright & flavorful side dish packed with spices, veggies, and lemon. It cooks in one pot, and is ready in about 30 minutes.

Making rice is easy on the stove top, or you can make this dish in a rice cooker if you have one. Serve this up with crispy chicken breasts or low sodium burgers for a great meal!

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Table of Contents

I love a good easy, salt-free side dish! We end up eating a lot of rice at home (as it has 0-10 mg of sodium per serving), and this is one of our favorite ways to enjoy it. Packaged yellow rice can be loaded with salt and preservatives, so I like making this easy homemade rice pilaf which is ready in under 30 minutes.

This dish is loaded with veggies: onions, garlic, peas, and carrots, and topped with lemon and fresh parsley for an extra kick. The yellow color in this rice comes from turmeric which also gives it a wonderful savory flavor.

This recipe gets a 10/10 from the hubby and I, and we can’t wait to make it again.

Easy Low Sodium Rice Recipes In Under 30 Minutes

This low sodium rice pilaf recipe is what I call an Easy Weeknight Meal – which is on your table in under 30 minutes. These quick and simple recipes are perfect for those nights when you want a healthy home-cooked meal but don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

Browse through our recipes that take 30 minutes or less, that are great for the whole family. From soups and stews, to pastas and proteins, these simple recipes are quick (and healthier than store-bought)!

Want more tasty low sodium rice recipes? Try our low sodium cilantro lime rice, low sodium chicken casserole, and our low sodium rice crispy treats!

What’s In This No Salt Added Rice Pilaf?

See the recipe card below for a full list of instructions and ingredient amounts!

Basmati Rice – definitely our most-used rice for recipes! I like basmati because it has typically has 0mg of sodium per serving, and also lower arsenic levels than other types of rice.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Onion
Garlic
Turmeric
Garlic Powder
Unsalted/ No Salt Added Chicken Stock – is a delicious base of this soup. I prefer using an unsalted broth to control the amount of salt in this dish. You can buy a fantastic container of low or no sodium broth or make your own no salt chicken stock from scratch!
Frozen Peas and Carrots – you can also use fresh carrots too if you can’t find a frozen pea/carrot blend.
Parsley – because it adds a wonderful freshness to this dish.
Lemon – for a hint of brightness at the end.

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How To Make This Recipe

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
Add the rice, turmeric, garlic powder, no-salt-added chicken stock, and frozen peas and carrots. Stir well to combine.
Bring to a boil, the reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 20 minutes until rice is cooked through.
Fluff rice with a fork, add the parsley and lemon juice, and stir well. Garnish with black pepper, and serve hot.

To Make This No Salt Added Rice in a Rice Cooker

Add all ingredients (except the lemon and parsley) to the inner pot of your rice cooker, stir well.
Set to ‘White Rice’ mode or cook on high for 30-35 minutes.
Fluff rice with a fork, add the parsley and lemon juice, and stir well. Garnish with black pepper, and serve hot.

Low Sodium Side Dishes for a Healthier Meal

This low sodium yellow rice pilaf recipe is a fantastic dish to make without salt. We’re all about making recipes salt-free when we can. Low sodium cooking does NOT have to be bland, boring, or flavorless… It’s quite the opposite when done right.

By building meals around fresh ingredients and bright flavorful spices you can make healthier meals for you and your family. Check out all my low sodium side dishes here that are on LowSoRecipes. These easy and tasty recipes are fantastic sides for everyone at your table.

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Dietary Modifications

To make this recipe vegetarian or vegan, substitute a no-salt-added vegetable stock for the chicken stock.
To make gluten free, ensure that the rice, stock, and all spice ingredients are certified gluten free. While this recipe contains no wheat ingredients, always check for the certified GF stamp if you avoid wheat.

Serve This Low Sodium Yellow Rice With

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