Both my husband’s and my family live far away, so instead we celebrate Thanksgiving with the other family – our friends. This tradition of friends getting together at our house has developed naturally over the past ten years that we’ve called the West coast of Florida our home. I always look forward to that one Thursday in late November – usually, it’s cold enough to light a fire in our seldom used fireplace, and I have a bunch of new recipes ready for a test run.
Our Thanksgiving table is never a traditional one – I rarely cook the same dish two years in a row and our international circle of friends assures plenty of exciting variety. This colorful pilaf is destined to join this year’s celebration.
Up until recently, I had only heard of sorghum flour as a great gluten free option for baked goods. Then a bag of whole sorghum grains caught my eye in one of the isles of our health food store, and I had to try it out.
Sorghum is a nutritious grain native to Africa. It has a nice, pleasantly chewy texture and neutral flavor, which combines very well with roasted juicy cranberries and grapes, Brussels sprouts, nuts and aromatic herbs. If you are still looking for a flavorful veggie dish to complete your Thanksgiving table, this one is a winner.
Sorghum Pilaf
Note: feel welcome to use different grains instead of sorghum, such as rice, barley, millet, farro, etc.
1 cup whole sorghum grains or other grains of choice – soaked in water overnight (important for sorghum)
1 lb brussels sprouts – ends trimmed and cut in half
about 3 cups grapes (I specifically love Thomcord grapes here)
8 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
large handful walnuts
3 tablespoons melted coconut or olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons each chopped thyme, sage and rosemary
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Drain and rinse sorghum. Place it into a large saucepan, pour 3 cups filtered water over it and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower heat to simmer, add a pinch of salt and cook for 50-60 minutes or until soft (the sorghum will still be slightly chewy, but cooked).
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the rest of ingredients and toss to coat.
3. Spread on a rimmed baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes, until brussels sprouts feel soft when pricked with a fork, but not mushy. Gently stir and turn the tray halfway through the baking.
4. Spoon the cooked sorghum into a large mixing bowl and add the roasted brussels sprouts with fruits, nuts, herbs and their caramelized juices. Stir gently to combine. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve immediately or keep refrigerated in an air-tight container and serve cold or at room temperature.
jaime : the briny says
i love the chew and the taste of whole grain sorghum. this pilaf is gorgeous and sounds delicious. i celebrate holidays with my parents who live right across the state from you on the east coast, so i know how those few cold-enough nights are treasured for their fireplace opportunities. :)
Anya says
Thank you, Jaime! Yes, I can relate, ours gets used about five times a year :) Anya
Sini | My Blue&White Kitchen says
What a festive looking pilaf! Love all the different colors, textures, and flavors. Unfortunately sorghum isn’t available here in Finland (at leaf I haven’t been able to find any despite numerous attempts), but I’m sure this would turn out equally lovely with other grains. Wishing you a not too busy Thanksgiving week, Anya!
Anya says
Thank you Sini! This dish will be great with almost any other grain :) Anya
Lindsey says
I love the vibrancy of this dish, Anya! I imagine that these flavors are just the type of thing to brighten up a holiday meal! Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Anya says
Thanks so much Lindsey! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays :) Anya
Lane | Green Spirit Adventures says
This pilaf is gorgeous!! The flavors in this recipe almost have me drooling. It sound so cozy and vibrant! I’ve only used sorghum as flour before but I can’t wait to try it in its whole form.
Anya says
Thank you Lane! Hope you enjoy it. Anya
Amy @ Parsley In My Teeth says
Such a beautiful dish. What a show-stopped that will be on the holiday table!
Anya says
Thanks so much Amy :) Anya
Joana from My Gut Feeling says
Finally a recipe with sorghum that gives me the will to try it (never used it in my kitchen) and that explains how to cook it. Thank you so much :)
Anya says
Thank you Joana, I hope you enjoy it!
Anya
Ana @ The Awesome Green says
It looks so festive and I can almost smell its lovely, warming flavors! I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Anya says
Thank you Ana! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays :)
Anya
Natalia says
I felt in love with this sorghum flour when I first ate a Tunisian sorhum cake. Since that moment, this gluten-free four is one of my favourite, but I have never tried to use sorghum in its whole form. Thanks for this colourful recipe!
Anya says
Natalia, Tunisian sorghum cake sounds amazing, I’ll have to look it up!
Anya
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
This pilaf is stunning! I just love the grapes and brussels sprouts in there!
Anya says
Thanks so much Katrina :)
Anya
Nicola Tonson says
I love the deep colours of this dish – looks so autumny. So tempting to make even though its spring here. Love experimenting with new grains too!
Anya says
Thank you Nicola, I bet you could make it more springy by including roasted or even blanched spring vegetables.
Anya
kristie {birch and wild} says
This looks like a beautiful addition to a holiday meal. I love all of the beautiful colors. It looks like one of those dishes that is not only visually stunning, but also super delicious.
Anya says
Thank you Kristie! To me, it definitely scored high on both the visuals and the taste :)
Anya
Hannah @ eating with alice says
Very delicious and festive! Can’t wait to try!
Anya says
Thanks Hannah, hope you enjoy it :)
Anya
Anna says
I made this dish with the farro. It took little bit more time (about 30 minutes) for my brussels sprouts to become softer, but the taste of pilaf has exceeded my expectations. Thank you, Anya!
Anya says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Anna! As for the Brussels sprouts, unfortunately all ovens aren’t created equal. I’ve noticed that mine tends to be on the faster side :)
Anya
Georgia says
This is so beautiful and festive! Reminds me of Christmas in the Northern Hemisphere. Shame I’m in Australia! x
Anya says
Thank you, Georgia! I would really love to visit Australia some day :) Anya
Sonja says
I love brussel sprouts with a passion and have always been curious about sorghum. I even bought some a few weeks back and there it was sitting on a shelf just begging for me to make this. I had grapes in the fridge and also fresh cranberries so I jumped right in and made this the other night. It was soooo tasty. I love the chewiness of the grain. That was very satisfying and all the flavours went delightfully together. Thanks.
Anya says
Sonja, I’m SO glad it turned out well and you enjoyed it! Anya
Josefine says
This looks absolutely amazing! I’ve never had whole sorghum, but this convinced me I have to try it :) Thanks for sharing