Easy and delicious: mediterranean lemony herb rice
Simple grains, sweet shallots, zesty lemons and flavorful herbs, this mediterranean lemony herb rice is light, easy, delicious and comes together in a pinch!
I love a white rice dish, which may surprise some people because brown rice seems to have a much better reputation.
If you’re comparing the two, sure, brown rice has a lower glycemic index, more fiber and more micronutrients.
But if you’re consuming a balanced diet, filled with plant-based whole foods, you’re likely getting the nutrients you need and not necessarily relying on your choice of rice to make up the difference.
And to be fair, there are a ton of things that white rice is actually good for. It’s a clean source of energy, easy to digest, fast to prepare and incredibly versatile
Now that we’ve gotten over the white vs. brown rice debate, we can move on to the good stuff. Specifically, this Mediterranean lemony herb rice dish.
It is so good, you guys. And is the perfect for summer side dish to enjoy with your fam or next dinner party or bbq - loaded with flavor, bright, light and it makes you feel like you’re living life by the sea, which I love.
But best of all, it’s easy and quick to prepare and has lots of subtle and complimentary flavors.
Some Thoughts, Tips and Suggestions Before You Set Out to Make it…
Soaking is a must. You need to soak the rice to get the right texture. This is a must. Cannot stress that enough.
There’s always a whole food version. If you want a whole food version, you can swap the white rice for brown rice. Just know that it won’t taste the same, you’ll need to soak the rice for longer, and more cooking liquid will be required. I haven’t used brown rice, so I can’t get into specifics. And be sure your olive oil is cold-pressed.
You can make it gluten-free. Omit the orzo for a gluten-free version. If you do this, let your liquid boil a little longer to reduce properly as there will be less grains absorbing it.
Go ahead, spruce it up if you like. I like this simple version but feel free to spruce it up with vegetables such as finely chopped asparagus, summer squash, spring peas, etc. or additional herbs based on your taste.
Keep scrolling for the full recipe. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Mediterranean Lemony Herb Rice
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Yields: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
2 cups white basmati rice
1-2 tbsps cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup orzo pasta
2 lemons, zested and juiced
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1/2 tsp mineral salt
1 small handful fresh parsley, chopped
1 small handful fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp dry dill
Additional salt, to taste
Directions
Prep your rice. Rinse well and soak it for at least 20 minutes, making sure the grains are completely submerged and covered in cold water. Drain and rinse again.
Begin to cook. Place a large sauce pan over medium heat, add olive oil, then shallots. Cool for 2-3 minutes until shallots begin to sweat. Then add garlic and orzo. Stir until orzo is well coated in oil and then add rice, stirring again until ingredients are well coated and combined.
Add your liquids. Add lemon juice and vegetable broth to the sauce pan, and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cover and cook for about 20 minutes (until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender).
Leave it. Remove rice from heat and leave it covered for another 10 minutes. Don’t open to check on it. Let it do it’s thing).
Time to give it some flavor. Remove cover and stir in parsley, oregano, dry dill and lemon zest and additional salt to taste. If serving a crowd, add a few lemon slices on top for garnish along with additional lemon zest and pieces of herbs and enjoy!
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