Spanakorizo (Greek Spinach Rice)

Greek spinach rice topped with crumbled feta in a blue and white shallow bowl.

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Spanakorizo is a Greek rice dish made with an abundance of spinach, fresh herbs, bright lemon, onion, garlic, and of course olive oil. It’s easy to make and packs in tons of flavor with minimal effort. Serve it as a vegetarian main dish or as a healthy side dish.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Greek

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings (as a side)

Calories: 227kcal

Author: Victoria

Ingredients

1 cup medium grain rice
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion finely chopped
4 scallions thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic minced or crushed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional, but recommended)
1 pound baby spinach
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth or water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped parsley
Crumbed feta cheese for garnish (optional)
Chopped scallions and/or parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Rinse the rice thoroughly in cold water until the water runs clear. Drain and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and scallions and saute until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low, add the garlic, lemon juice and tomato paste, if using, stirring to combine evenly.
Finally, add the baby spinach in batches, stirring in between additions to start wilting and make room for more in the pan. Once all the spinach has been added, continue stirring until all of the spinach wilts.
Add the drained rice along with the broth or water and season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to bring to a boil, taste the broth for seasoning and add more if needed, then cover the pot and lower the heat to low.
Cook the rice, undisturbed, for about 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has absorbed (it will still look wet). Remove from the heat, cover the pot and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the chopped parsley and combine. Serve the rice topped with crumbled feta cheese, if desired, and/or chopped herbs.

Notes

You could use fresh or frozen spinach, but I like using fresh baby spinach. It’s tender, easy to use, cooks fast, and doesn’t require stemming or chopping. If you use regular mature spinach instead (which is technically the traditional option), make sure to remove the stems and roughly chop the leaves before using it in this recipe. If using frozen spinach, I prefer the kind that is already chopped! Thaw the frozen spinach and squeeze out as much of the water as you can before using.
This recipe calls for a combination of chopped onion, scallions, and some garlic. You could also use leek and/or shallot if you’d like in place of the onions and/or scallions.
Typically there is some variety of chopped fresh herbs added to spanakorizo. Common options include parsley, dill, and mint. I generally don’t like dill so I use parsley in mine, but you can use whichever herb or herbs you prefer.
The longer the spanakorizo sits, it will continue to absorb liquid. Just keep that in mind if you prefer a more saucy/brothy result.
For cooking rice (generally and also in this specific instance), I recommend using a pot with a tight-fitting lid that does not have a vent or hole in it. When cooking rice with a lid that vents, it often cooks unevenly, especially on top.

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