15 saffron rice recipes

Saffron-infused rice topped with slow-cooked black beans and a fresh tomato-cumin garnish. A vibrant, naturally vegan bowl built from three simple components.

Vegetarian saffron rice timbales stuffed with spicy black beans and topped with fresh avocado-tomato salsa. A stunning three-component plant-based main dish.

Bhopali roti from central India: a flavored whole-wheat-and-rice-flour flatbread enriched with cashews, cumin, cilantro, green chiles, and saffron-infused milk. The royal cousin of everyday roti.

Green pepper and tomato soup with a mortar-pounded garlic-herb paste, saffron, and rice stirred in at the end. A Provencal-style vegetable soup with Parmesan garnish.

This Indian dish is made with several kinds of spices, mustard greens, cauliflower and chickpeas; it's baked with basmati rice, topped with golden raisins and cashews. You can serve it as a side dish or a tasty main dish.

Persian-style mandarine rice with saffron, julienned carrots, slivered almonds, and sultanas in a citrus syrup. Soaked rice baked under a jeweled mandarin and saffron glaze.

Pumpkin risotto with roasted pumpkin puree, saffron, white wine, shallots, and fresh sage stirred into creamy arborio rice. A stunning fall side dish.

Shawrbat adas majroosha, a silky pureed lentil soup spiced with cumin, coriander, and saffron. A traditional Middle Eastern recipe finished with fresh lemon juice.

Pureed lentil soup simmered with cumin, coriander and saffron, finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon. A silky, spice-warmed vegetarian bowl that turns pantry staples into something genuinely soulful.

Harira, the traditional Moroccan soup with lamb, chickpeas, broad beans, saffron, and a velvety tomato-herb base thickened with an overnight flour paste. A slow-simmered bowl with deep, layered spice.

Handmade ravioli stuffed with shrimp, halibut, and clams on a slow-simmered Spanish tomato sauce infused with saffron, orange zest, and shrimp shell stock. A true showstopper.

Fragrant biryani with yogurt-marinated chicken or lamb layered over saffron rice with crispy fried onions and whole spices. Authentic South Asian comfort food from scratch.

Whole onions stuffed with red lentils, dates, walnuts, raisins, and yogurt in this Bedouin-inspired vegetarian dish. Baked until golden and served with saffron rice or bulgur.

Khoresht-e Fesenjan: chicken or lamb simmered in a rich, dark walnut and pomegranate sauce with saffron, cinnamon, and nutmeg. A beloved Persian stew served with rice.

A showstopping Persian jeweled rice (javaher polow) layered with saffron-glazed carrots, barberries, currants, pistachios, almonds, orange peel, and rose water. Topped with a golden tah dig crust.