Photography: John Paul Urizar. Styling: Michele Cranston. Photochef: Kathy Knudsen.
Fresh, bright and packed with greens, this Greek-inspired rice dish is a weeknight hero. Rice is cooked with spinach, dill and lemon, then finished with plenty of herbs and creamy fetta for a simple meat-free dinner that’s as comforting as it is vibrant.
Are you looking for a Greek lemon & chicken rice recipe?
Ingredients
Method
Trim the spinach. Chop the stalks finely and shred the leaves. Reserve a few dill sprigs for serving. Chop the stems finely and chop the remaining leaves coarsely.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown onion and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further 1 minute or until fragrant.
Add the spinach stalks, half the spinach leaves and the dill stems to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until beginning to wilt.
Stir in the lemon rind, stock, nutmeg and rice and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 18-20 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
Remove the rice mixture from the heat. Scatter over the remaining spinach leaves, cover and stand for 10 minutes or until wilted.
Fluff the rice with a fork. Stir in the chopped dill leaves, green onion and lemon juice. Season.
Spoon rice mixture into serving bowls. Top with fetta, reserved dill sprigs, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper. Serve Greek rice with lemon wedges.
Ingredient add-in
Add a handful of toasted pine nuts or almonds to the lemony Greek rice for extra crunch and texture.
What to serve with Greek rice
This Greek-inspired rice is perfect for a simple meat-free weeknight dinner, served with lemon wedges. Alternatively, you can pair with grilled chicken for an added protein boost.
If cooking for vegetarians…
Make sure to choose a fetta made with non-animal rennet, and use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
