01
Barley
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Chewy texture, works in pilafs and grain bowls
10.0
vegan brown rice
substitute.
16 vegan substitutes for brown rice — top pick Barley at 100% function match.
all substitutes on this page are vegan
top substitutes
02
Couscous
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Much faster cooking, lighter texture
10.0
03
Pasta
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Serve sauce over rice instead of pasta
10.0
show 13 more substitutes
04
Black Rice
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Dramatic purple-black color with deeper earthy flavor; same cook time, striking in grain bowls
10.0
05
Long Grain Rice
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Nuttier, add 15 min cook time
10.0
06
Red Rice
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Similar nuttiness and cook time
10.0
07
Wild Rice
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Nutty and chewy, shorter cook time
10.0
08
Buckwheat
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Toast buckwheat groats first for nutty flavor; cook like rice with 2:1 water ratio, slightly earthier
10.0
09
Bulgur
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Neutral grain sub, longer cook time
10.0
10
Farro
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Neutral sub, similar heartiness
10.0
11
Oats
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Use rice flakes for quick-cook breakfast swap
10.0
12
Millet
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Fluffy and mild, toast dry first for flavor
10.0
13
Buckwheat Groats
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Earthy and gluten-free, rinse well before cooking
10.0
14
White Rice
6.71 cup : 1 cup
Faster cooking, lighter flavor, less fiber
6.7
15
Quinoa
6.71 cup : 1 cup
Higher protein, similar nutty flavor
6.7
16
Lentils
3.31 cup : 1 cup
Green or brown lentils, high protein grain swap
3.3
pitfalls to avoid
watch out
Barley: Long thin noodles vs. short tubes; different sauce pickup
watch out
Couscous: Much lighter and fluffier than brown rice
watch out
Pasta: Loose grains vs. pasta's chew and hold
watch out
Buckwheat: Earthier and more distinctive than brown rice
watch out
White Rice: Softer with less chewy bite than brown rice
watch out
White Rice: Milder and less nutty than brown rice