Coconut rice and greens
If you’re a regular around here, you know I take my daily leafy greens intake very seriously.
I get them in any way I can - juices and smoothies, salads, tossing handfuls into warm soups and stews.
One of my favorite (and easiest) ways to get them in is to pair them with rice.
And today, I’m going to share my easy go-to recipe that I make at least 2-3 times a week.
Just a handful of simple, natural healthy ingredients and ready in a flash.
Keep reading for everything I love about this dish, all the different ways you can enjoy it and of course, you can scroll straight to the bottom and get the full recipe.
Health Perks
Contains no sugar or dairy, and you can go with a grain-free option too. Compatible with just about any diet and generally made with non-aggravating ingredients. If you don’t do grains, this can easily be made with cauliflower rice instead.
Easy to digest. Cooking with white rice, warming your leafy greens, using a bit of oil and adhering to food combining principles all helps make this meal as easy to digest as possible. digestive treat (especially for anyone who struggles in this department).
Consuming leafy green vegetables regularly is one of the best things you can do for your overall health. It protects your brain from degenerative diseases, supports your immune system, boosts digestive enzymes, improves gut health, supports healthy aging and so much more. There is not a single food ingredient out there that does as much for your body and brain as leafy greens. It’s wild!
Herbs come with their fair share of benefits too. This recipe calls for a heaping handful of blended herbs including cilantro, chives and dill. Each of these has unique health benefits and together they’re even more powerful. The benefits with herbs are wide ranging, from helping to improve cardiovascular health and reducing the risk of chronic diseases, to improving digestion, raising energy levels and promoting healthy hair and skin.
Other Thoughts, Tips and Suggestions
Use unrefined coconut oil. It is has a stronger flavor, which is necessary for this dish. While it does have a lower smoke point, you don’t need to worry because we’re not using high heat for this dish.
Ghee is a good substitute. If you’re not into coconut flavor, or don’t have unrefined coconut oil on hand, ghee is an awesome substitute in this dish.
Easy to whip up. It’s as easy as cooking your rice as directed on the package, combining it with leafy greens while still warm and folding in your herb blend at the very end.
Even easier to riff on. Don’t have white rice? Go ahead and use brown. Have other greens on hand? Sub-in those. Prefer dill instead of cilantro? No problem. Enjoy some heat? Sprinkle some crushed chili or Aleppo pepper on top.
These are the perfect days to make it, if you ask me. I almost always make this dish at the top of my week when I’ve just done a grocery haul, or at the very end when your greens and herbs are about to go bad.
You can go even greener. Some want their rice dishes to be heavy on the rice. I, on the other hand, prefer it to be heavier on the greens. In this case, I’ll just throw in another 1-2 handfuls of greens to make it more vegetable dense.
There’s always room for more veg. If you have vegetables that need to get used before going bad (red onion, bell pepper, zucchini, etc) use a mandolin slicer and toss it into the frying pan with your greens and herbs. Ideally, slice the vegetables as thinly as possible since they won’t be cooking for very long on there.
Perfect for bowls. I often make this as part of a bowl situation, pairing it with some kind of legume, pickled or fermented veg and salad.
Check out the full recipe below. Hope you love it as much as I do!
Coconut Rice and Greens
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Yields: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup basmati or jasmine rice, rinsed
1.5 cups water
2 tbsps coconut oil, divided
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 heaping handfuls baby spinach, chopped
2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
Additional salt, to taste
Optional garnish: sesame seeds gomasio or crushed chili pepper
Directions
Cook your rice. Prepare one cup of rice as directed on the package. Once water is fully absorbed and rice is cooked, fluff with a fork and add 1 tbsp coconut oil and salt to the rice.
Transfer to large frying pan. Place a large frying pan on low to medium heat, and melt 1 tbsp coconut oil. Transfer rice to pan, then fold in greens and herbs and mix well. Cook for another few minutes ( until spinach has wilted). Additional salt to taste.
Garnish as you please. Top with sesame seeds, gomasio, crushed chili pepper, or whatever you like.
To store. Place in an air tight container in the fridge for a couple of days.
To reheat. Place in a small or medium sauce pan with a few splashes of water and heat on low to medium setting, stirring and fluffing often until warm.
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