Vegan Ohio Hot Rice! Perfect for spice lovers and health-conscious foodies alike, this rice dish brings warmth and comfort to your table.
If you’re on the hunt for a deliciously spicy vegan dish that pays homage to the beloved hot rice of Northeast Ohio, look no further than this Vegan Ohio Hot Rice! This mouthwatering recipe features a savory, risotto-like texture that will have your taste buds dancing.
Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.
Hi there, Ameera here!
Get ready to turn up the heat with this deliciously spicy rice dish! If you’re adventurous and love a kick, you absolutely have to give this one a try!
Tips for Success:
- Flavor Profile: Hot rice is a local favorite in Northeast Ohio. This Whole Food Plant Based recipe is a nod to the original Ohio hot rice recipe. The dish is both luxurious and creamy and packs some heat. Hot cherry peppers and red pepper flakes boost the flavor and heat level. Not for the timid when it comes to heat as this dish is intentionally hot. It’s called “hot rice” for a reason. The original Ohio Hot Rice recipe uses lots of butter (6 tablespoons) and chicken broth.
- Texture: The texture of this dish is very creamy and almost risotto-like. If you are not a fan of mushy rice (intentionally mushy), then perhaps consider skipping this recipe.
- Rice: Feel free to use your favorite long-grain rice in this dish. Adjust the cooking time accordingly. Some brands of rice take much longer than other to reach tenderness. We used Ben’s Long-Grain Brown Rice which becomes tender faster than other whole grain brown rice brands.
- Rinsing and Soaking the Rice: It is important to thoroughly rinse the rice and soak it in cold water to remove as much excess starch as possible. Rinse until the water becomes clear. Then soak the rice in cold water while prepping the dish.
- Rice Tenderness: Watch the rice closely near the end of the cooking time as you want to remove the rice from the heat just as it becomes tender to avoid an overly mushy dish. This dish is meant to be very creamy and thick, but you want to avoid the rice from becoming over done where the individual grains start to split. Stir the rice about half way through the cooking period (according to package directions), do not overstir.
- Heat: This recipe intentionally packs heat from the hot cherry peppers.
- Hot Cherry Peppers: Be sure to make sure you do not get any stems or seeds in the dish.
- Optional Toppings: We topped our dish with freshly chopped parsley and a tablespoon of chopped hot cherry peppers to give dinner guests a hint of what’s in the dish.
- Hot Cherry Peppers Substitutions: If you wish, you can substitute the hot cherry peppers for minced hot Giardiniera Mix, which is basically a medley of mixed pickled vegetables with tangy heat. The flavor profile is a little different. We prefer the hot cherry peppers flavor over the Giardiniera mix.
- Tahini: The tahini in this dish is two-fold. The small amount of tahini tricks the brain into thinking it is richer than it actually is. It also helps cut through the acidity from the tomatoes making it more pleasing to the palate.
- Red Pepper Flakes: The original recipe calls for 1 ½ teaspoons of red pepper flakes. We used ½ teaspoon since we wanted ours hot but we wanted the hot cherry peppers to be the prominent flavor. Feel free to add more if you like.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda is often used as a neutralizer for dishes that contain a lot of acidity, typically from tomatoes. We use it in this dish to remove some of the tomato acidity (from the crushed tomatoes) without losing the tomatoey flavor. When you add it, the mixture may bubble up, then settle down as it neutralizes the acidity. However, if you prefer that ‘tinny’ flavor that comes from canned tomatoes, then leave out the baking soda or perhaps use a tiny pinch.
- Amount of Sea Salt: Our family was completely divided over the amount of sea salt that was used in this recipe. Some felt it needed additional sea salt seasoning. We landed on 2 teaspoons which feels like a lot, but ultimately, that is where we landed. We used salt-free crushed tomatoes.
- Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
- Table Salt: If using table salt, you should use less table salt than the amount listed in the ingredients as sea salt crystals are larger than table salt crystals. Since table salt crystals are very fine, less table salt is required to season a dish. We would suggest starting with about 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of sea salt listed. You can always add more salt but cannot take it away. We recommend using sea salt as it is less refined than table salt.
Leftovers and Freezing:
Leftovers will generally keep 3 days in the refrigerator. Store in a covered container.
This dish can be frozen.
Pantry Products:
- Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients. Feel free to use your favorite vegetable broth.
- Sliced Hot Cherry Peppers. We used Mezzetta Sliced Hot Cherry Peppers. Feel free to use your favorite brand of hot cherry peppers. Be sure to seed and stem them before mincing.
Kitchen Equipment:
- Large deep skillet or stockpot (with a lid)
- Fine-mesh strainer
If you try this flavor dish, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
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Vegan Ohio Hot Rice
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30-35 Minutes
- Total Time: 45 Minutes (+Rest Time)
- Yield: 6-8 Servings 1x
- Category: Side
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
If you’re on the hunt for a deliciously spicy vegan dish that pays homage to the beloved hot rice of Northeast Ohio, look no further than this Vegan Ohio Hot Rice!
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups long-grain rice (of choice)
- 1 large yellow onion, fine dice
- 2 medium red bell peppers, fine dice
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth *
- 2 cups water
- 1 ½ cups canned crushed tomatoes *
- 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon tahini *
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda *
Spice/Herb Ingredients:
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (+/-)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 Tablespoon sweet paprika
- ½ to 2 teaspoons sea salt (+/-) *
Other Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons finely minced jarred hot cherry peppers, stemmed, seeded (+/-) *
Instructions
- Place the rice into a fine-mesh strainer. Rinse the rice really well with cold tap water, then place the rice in a large bowl and fill it with cold water, swish/stir the rice around and around in the cold water for 30 seconds, then dump the rice through the fine mesh strainer. Repeat this process two more times or until the water becomes clear. Then place the washed rice back into the large bowl, fill it with cold water and allow it to soak in the cold water for 10 minutes while preparing the dish. After 10 minutes, drain off the water of the soaked rice through a fine-mesh strainer, shake well to remove any excess water and set aside.
- In the meantime, in a large deep skillet or stockpot, add the finely diced onions, and red bell peppers, sauté over medium-high heat for 7 to 9 minutes to soften, then lower the heat to medium, add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes, sauté, stir constantly over for one minute.
- Add the remaining Base Ingredients (except the baking soda and soaked rice) to the pan, stir to incorporate, bring to a boil, then immediately lower the heat to a simmer.
- Add the baking soda, stir well, and simmer for one minute.
- Add the strained soaked rice to the pan, stir well to incorporate. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer on low, stirring once half way through until the rice is tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed into the rice, approximately 15 to 25 minutes (or longer dependent upon the rice and brand used).
- Once the rice is tender, remove the pan from the heat, stir in the finely minced hot cherry peppers, cover with lid and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
*Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Servings: 6-8
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