• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Dianne's Vegan Kitchen
  • Home
  • Meet Dianne
  • Health Coaching
  • Cooking Classes
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Contact Me
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Meet Dianne
  • Health Coaching
  • Cooking Classes
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Vegan Recipes

    Thanksgiving Rice from Back to the Cutting Board by Christina Pirello

    Published: Nov 18, 2018 · Modified: Apr 24, 2023 by Dianne · This post may contain affiliate links

    • Share
    • Tweet
    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Scrumptious vegan Thanksgiving Rice from Back to the Cutting Board by Christina Pirello is the perfect accompaniment to both your Thanksgiving feast and Christmas dinner. It’s also a terrific side for just about any autumn or winter meal. Thanksgiving Rice can be served as a side dish instead of traditional bread-based stuffing, or it can be used to stuff large portobello mushrooms or squash as a main dish. This recipe is gluten-free and oil-free.

    Thanksgiving rice in bowl with text overlay

    Christina Pirello

    I got to know Christina Pirello through her PBS show Christina Cooks. I remember discovering it for the first time and feeling super excited that there was actually a vegan cooking show on television. Christina’s vibrant personality and abundance of energy shown through as she cooked up deliciously healthy plant-based meals.

    Thanksgiving Rice bowl with Cutting Board by Christina Pirello book

    In Christina’s newest cookbook Back to the Cutting Board, she shares more than 100 “Luscious Plant-Based Recipes to Make You Fall in Love (Again) with the Art of Cooking.” These are nourishing meals made with fresh whole food ingredients that just about anyone will love, regardless of their dietary preference.

    Thanksgiving Rice ingredients

    Healing with Nutrition

    At the age of twenty-six, Christina was diagnosed with stage four leukemia. She was able to heal herself with through nutrition, using plant-based foods and the philosophy of macrobiotics. In Back to the Cutting Board, she shares some of the knowledge she gained during her healing journey with us.

    Toasting pecans in pan on stovetop

     Christina explains the theory of yin and yang, and how it relates to food. She also explains the five-element theory and how the energies of fire, earth, metal, water, and tree can be using in cooking. Each recipe is labeled with the elements that it corresponds to, making it easy to put the theory into practice.

    Cooking rice in pot on stovetop

    Cooking with Back to the Cutting Board

    Christina also shares her cooking knowledge with us in Back to the Cutting Board. She shares cooking tips along with her lists of pantry essentials and must-have kitchen tools. There’s even a lesson on knife skills, so that you can become a pro at chopping veggies in no time.

    And then, of course, there’s the food. The recipes in Back to the Cutting Boardinclude soups, sides, mains, and desserts, and they prove that healthy food isn’t boring or bland. Christina cooks using techniques that optimize the natural flavors of ingredients, transforming them in delicious masterpieces.

    Thanksgiving Rice in bowl with oranges and limes horizontal

    Often, omnivores think that healthy vegan food is too “weird” for them to try. But there’s nothing weird here! Who can turn down a slice of Sweet Onion Galette, a plate of Veggie Hot Pot with Biscuit Topping, a bowl of Creamy Mushroom Soup, or a piece of Mocha Cake with Chocolate Ganache? All of the dishes in Back to the Cutting Boardare easily recognizable, using easy-to-find ingredients.

    Back to the Cutting Board by Christina Pirello

    Chapters in Back to the Cutting Board include:

    • Back to the Cutting Board
    • On to the Meals
    • Oh, Those Veggies
    • Senstational Soups
    • Whole Grains: The Staff of Life
    • Essential Proteins
    • Killer Desserts that Won’t Kill You
    close up of Thanksgiving rice with plate of food in background

    Thanksgiving Rice

    The first recipe I made from Back to the Cutting Board was Thanksgiving Rice. So often, the holiday table is full of fatty, unhealthy foods, and I wanted to make something healthful that can be included with my meal

    This dish is super easy to make, and it’s full of flavor, thanks to sweet corn, tart cranberries, nutty pecans, and citrus juices. This is the perfect accompaniment to both a Thanksgiving feast and a Christmas dinner. It’s also a terrific side for just about any autumn or winter meal.

    If you’re new to plant-based cooking or are looking for some healthy vegan recipes to add to your collection, Back to the Cutting Board is the book for you!

    plates of green beans, rice, and Thanksgiving roast
    Thanksgiving Rice from Back to the Cutting Board by Christina Pirello

    Thanksgiving Rice

    Christina Pirello
    Holiday cooking doesn’t mean that your health has to go down the tubes, especially if you serve this very special showstopper. Nutty brown rice, sweet corn, tart dried cranberries, and zesty citrus flavors all come together to create a special occasion dish that’s worth celebrating.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 45 minutes mins
    Total Time 50 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 5 servings
    Calories 398 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup medium-grain brown rice rinsed well
    • ½ cup brown basmati rice rinsed well
    • ½ cup unsweetened dried cranberries soaked in warm water for 15 minutes and drained
    • ½ cup organic corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
    • Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
    • Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
    • 3 cups spring or filtered water
    • Generous pinch sea salt
    • 1 cup coarsely minced pecans

    Instructions
     

    • Combine the rices, cranberries, corn, lime zest, orange zest, and water in a heavy pot. Cover loosely and bring to a boil. Add the salt and cover. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 40 to 45 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is fluffy.
    • While the rice cooks, place a dry skillet over medium heat. Pan toast the pecan pieces by stirring them in the hot skillet until lightly browned and fragrant, taking care not to burn them. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.
    • When the rice is cooked, gently fold in the toasted nuts, lime juice, and orange juice. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.

    Notes

    Recipe from Back to the Cutting Board by Christina Pirello. Reprinted with permission.
    Calories: 398kcal
    Tried this recipe?Tag @diannewenz on Instagram!
    Thanksgiving Rice in bowl square

    Other holiday recipes you might enjoy include:

    • Potatoes au Gratin with Kale
    • Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
    • Garlicky Mashed Butternut Squash
    • Holiday Kale Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing
    pouring dressing over salad

     

    « Creamy Vegan Cashew Mushroom Gravy
    Coconut Curry Noodles and Butternut Squash »

    About Dianne

    Dianne Wenz is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Vegan Lifestyle Coach, Plant-Based Diet Nutrition Specialist, and Plant-Based Chef, as well as the author of Truly Healthy Vegan Cookbook.

    Subscribe banner horizontal

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jenny

      November 18, 2018 at 11:16 am

      I love all sorts of holiday food (brussels sprouts, squash, cornbread stuffing...) but if you really force me to pick one thing I'll have to go with pumpkin pie! Probably because I only have it once a year.

    2. Laura

      November 18, 2018 at 10:02 pm

      Pumpkin Pie is my favorite holiday dish!

    3. Becky Striepe

      November 19, 2018 at 10:18 am

      5 stars
      Ooh what a great holiday side! I love all of the good flavors and textures happening here.

    4. Dianne

      November 19, 2018 at 11:52 am

      It is pretty tasty!

    5. Karen D

      November 19, 2018 at 2:28 pm

      Mashed turnips are my favorite1

    6. Susan Laverty

      November 19, 2018 at 3:05 pm

      That's a tough question, but since you can have mashed potatoes and gravy on any day, I would say cranberry sauce is my favorite Thanksgiving dish.

    7. Sue Ellen

      November 20, 2018 at 8:09 am

      I love our family’s cornbread dressing which has been on our menu for many many years. I have veganized the recipe for those of us who are plant based.

    8. Katie

      November 23, 2018 at 2:05 am

      I love stuffing!

    9. Lydia

      November 24, 2018 at 4:11 pm

      That is hard to choose. I love stuffing and pumpkin pie but also latkes and matzo ball woup

    Leave a Reply

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

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Dianne in Kitchen

    Hi! I'm Dianne Wenz, a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. I empower my clients to build new habits so they can reach their healthy living goals. I love to show others how easy it is to live a vegan lifestyle as well as how to cook deliciously easy plant-based meals. Contact me today to learn more and to schedule a complimentary breakthrough session!

    More about me →

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    The Big Book of Vegan Cooking

    Eating Vegan

    Truly Healthy Vegan Cookbook by Dianne Wenz

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Meet Dianne
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Updates

    • Get Updates from Dianne

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Health Coaching
    • Partner With Me
    • FAQ

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Dianne Wenz. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission is strictly prohibited.

    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkRead Privacy Policy