Brown Rice with Spinach

5 from 3 votes

A delicious way to eat your greens, this brown rice and spinach recipe requires little effort to bring a nutritious comfort meal to the table! A creamy combo of nutty rice and fresh greens everyone will love.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Greek

Diet: Vegetarian

Keyword: comfort food, easy, stove-top

Servings:

Calories: 321kcal

Author: Veronique Eichler

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup sprouted brown rice (medium grain)
8 oz fresh spinach
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Yellow onion (about 3/4 cup chopped)
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh herbs (mint and parlsey, chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Place rice in a strainer and rinse it with cold water. Let it drain thoroughly.
Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil and the chopped onion. Cook a few minutes until softened but not browned.
Add fresh spinach and a pinch of salt and cook until wilted.
Add rice and stir to coat it well. Cook a couple minutes, until you start hearing a few grains pop.
Add vegetable broth and fresh ground pepper, combine and bring to a boil.
Cover and reduce to low heat. Simmer 25 minutes or until the rice is cooked, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom. If it looks too dry, add a bit more water. The texture should be creamy.
Turn off the heat. Add lemon juice, zest and fresh chopped herbs. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Serve with an extra drizzle of olive oil or lemon juice.

Notes

To ensure your Brown Rice with Spinach is cooked to perfection, keep in mind that the cooking time will differ depending on the type of rice used. Be sure to consult the cooking instructions on the package and adjust your cook time accordingly. It's also important to taste your rice before turning off the heat; if it's still a bit crunchy, continue cooking for a few more minutes until it reaches your desired consistency.

Optional: you can add a tablespoon of tomato paste at the end of the cooking time along with the lemon and herbs. It is fairly traditional in Greece, but not mandatory. I personally prefer to leave it out.

Nutrition