Grilled Spring Vegetable Pesto Rice

Grilled asparagus, zucchini, leeks, and peas, with arugula, parsley, and brown basmati rice, in a homemade oil-free Pistachio Arugula Lemon Pesto sauce. So delicious! 😋

This is an excellent way to make the most of spring vegetables while they're in season and TRULY at their most delicious: asparagus, peas, leeks, zucchini, and fresh herbs like basil and parsley.

It's a perfect dish for a picnic or potluck, an excellent starter course for your dinner party, and/or an awesome way to make a big batch of healthy, delicious food to enjoy for lunch each day this week.

The homemade Pistachio Arugula Lemon Pesto in this recipe is oil-free and super flavorful. You won't miss the oil or the cheese that are hallmarks of traditional pesto recipes, I promise!

And I'll show you how to use a countertop electric grill to cook veggies you might not have considered grilling before -- foods like leeks and peas, for example.

Everything is more delicious when it's grilled, don't you agree?

You'll find the full recipe with step-by-step photos below 👇

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If you missed it, you can watch me make this recipe in my YouTube video.

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This recipe yields about 8 servings. 

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Ingredients

For the Main Dish

• 1½ cups brown basmati rice
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus spears (woody bottoms trimmed away)
• 2 zucchini (chopped into spears)
• 2 leeks (leafy greens trimmed away, sliced)
• 2 cups fresh or frozen peas (thawed)
• 2 cups fresh arugula (chopped)
• 1 large bunch of fresh parsley (chopped)
• Granulated black fermented garlic, to taste (optional but recommended)

For the Pistachio Arugula Lemon Pesto

• 4 large cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 Tbsp raw pistachios (without shells, of course)
• 2 Tbsp pine nuts
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 cups fresh arugula
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ¼ cup water

Instructions

Cook the brown basmati rice according to package instructions. I usually rinse it a few times, then simmer it in a saucepan, covered, for about 30 minutes.

While the rice is simmering, fire up an electric countertop grill to medium heat.

I use my Cuisinart Panini Press and Grill. If you're considering investing in one, regardless of the brand, be sure it has removable grill plates, which will make it much easier to clean.

Note: To save time, you might consider making the pesto concurrently while the veggies are on the grill. It'll involve a little multi-tasking, but if you'd like to do it this way, scroll down for the pesto instructions.

Wash your asparagus spears, then trim away the woody ends.

Lay the trimmed asparagus spears out over the hot grill surface in a single layer.

If you'd like, you can sprinkle them with salt before you close the lid and grill the vegetables; however, if you're watching your sodium you can omit the salt and the veggies will still be delicious!

Give the spears about 3 minutes to cook, then use tongs to flip them over so they'll grill evenly.

After another 3 minutes on the grill, the asparagus should be done, so you can remove it to a plate.

Work in batches if you have more asparagus than you can accommodate at once on your grill.

Next lay the zucchini spears out on the grill.

These, too, will only take a few minutes on each side to cook. You'll flip these after a few minutes, as well.

Then remove them to the plate as they finish cooking.

For the leeks, I usually slice these first, then spread them in a single layer over the grill.

These take just a few minutes to soften and caramelize. Then remove them to the plate, too.

Finally, we can even grill peas on an electric countertop grill. The versatility to accommodate small foods is one of my favorite things about this appliance! They don't fall through like they would on a traditional grill.

Transfer the peas (thawed first, if they're frozen) to the grill surface.

Then spread them gently into an even, single layer. Close the lid and let them cook for a few minutes, until they're al dente in texture and vibrant in color.

Once the peas are cooked, turn off the heat, but leave the peas on the grill plate while it cools.

When the grilled asparagus is cool enough to handle safely, transfer it to a cutting board and chop the spears into bite-sized pieces.

Do the same with the grilled zucchini spears. Since the leeks are already slices, they can stay as they are.

And while we've got the cutting board out, let's chop the remaining 2 cups of arugula and the fresh parsley leaves.

And now we'll make the Pistachio Arugula Lemon Pesto:

Place 4 large cloves of garlic, roughly chopped, in the small bowl of a food processor.

I use the Magimix 5200 XL food processor and I'm very happy with it.

Add 2 Tbsp of pistachios and 2 Tbsp of pine nuts.

Add ½ tsp of salt.

Close the lid and pulse these together until they form a crumbled consistency.

Scrape down the sizes of the bowl.

Add 2 cups of arugula to the food processor.

Take the zest of a lemon until you've got 1 tsp of lemon zest. I use a microplane for this. And in case you're curious, I love my Epicurean cutting boards.

Add the lemon zest to the food processor.

Cut the lemon in half and extract 3 Tbsp of juice into the food processor as well. I use a wooden citrus reamer for this.

Next add 2 cups of fresh basil leaves.

Replace the lid on the food processor and turn on the machine. While the blade is spinning, drizzle a quarter cup of water in through the spout.

Continue processing the pesto until it's smooth. You may need to stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are well blended together.

Add ½ tsp of black pepper and 1 tsp of nutritional yeast.

If the pesto seems thick, add another Tbsp of water. Then blend the pesto one more time, until smooth.

Taste the pesto and adjust the salt, pepper, and/or nutritional yeast seasoning to your liking.

By now, the brown basmati rice will be cooked.

Transfer the cooked rice to a large mixing bowl.

Transfer the Pistachio Arugula Lemon Pesto to the rice.

Gently stir the pesto into the rice.

Once the rice is evenly coated in the pesto, add the chopped arugula and parsley.

Fold the greens into the pesto rice.

Transfer the chopped grilled vegetables to the bowl.

Then once the grill has cooled enough that it's safe to handle, release the grill plate and transfer the peas to the bowl, as well.

Gently fold the vegetables into the rice, being careful not to smash the veggies as you do this.

And the dish is ready to dress up!

Drizzle a bit more lemon juice over the bowl.

Then sprinkle a few more basil and parsley leaves on top.

Add a small handful more pistachios and pine nuts for extra flavor and crunch.

And if you're lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe's, definitely pick up a jar of their granulated Fermented Black Garlic from the spice section and sprinkle it on top of this dish.

Not only does it add yummy umami, garlicky flavor, but it it's a very pretty garnish, too!

Now this is all dolled up and ready to present to friends and family!

If you'd like to stretch this out or add more substance, cooked French green lentils would also make an excellent addition. However, don't forget that the peas are a nice source of plant-based protein in this dish, too, so you'll do just fine without the lentils if you prefer.

I hope you love this recipe! ❤️

If you make this Grilled Vegetable Pesto Rice, please snap a photo, share it on social media, and tag me @greensagelife.

I'd love to see and cheer you on 😀🙌

Thank you for cooking with me! 🥰