Spanakorizo is a traditional Greek dish that combines fresh spinach, onions, fresh herbs, rice and seasonings to create a nutritious, flavourful, and satisfying meal. Spanakorizo is a great vegetarian dish or vegan option (without feta cheese).

This traditional Greek spinach rice recipe is great if you have lots of spinach on hand or are looking for an easy side dish with a creamy texture.  It can be enjoyed as a main course or as a healthy side dish for grilled meats and seafood.  It’s easy to prepare, made with fresh ingredients, and has numerous health benefits to keep your heart and stomach happy!

RECIPE TIPS 

• Sauté the onion with olive oil on medium-low heat so that the onions don’t burn during this step.

• The rice will continue to cook with the spinach and herbs, soaking up the moisture and liquids released from the vegetables.

• I like adding fresh lemon juice over my spanakorizo to brighten the flavour.  But, sometimes lemon juice can turn greens, like horta or spinach, brown if they sit too long with citrus, so it’s best to just put it on the amount you’ll be serving immediately. If you’re making this recipe ahead of time, you can add the lemon juice when you’re about to serve it or with a couple of lemon wedges on the side.

• Keep the heat on medium-low throughout the cooking process so that the rice doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pot.

• If you feel like the rice needs more water to cook, add a little more hot water at the end. Remember that the rice will absorb a lot of the excess liquid from the fresh spinach.

• When chopping the parsley and dill, you can cut off part of the stems or leave them and include them in the recipe.

INGREDIENTS NOTES 

Baby spinach: Fresh baby spinach works great for this recipe. I like to buy the pre-washed one in a large container (312 grams/11 oz) at the grocery store. You could also do a small package of power greens and a small package of baby spinach if you’d like to add some variety. There’s no need to cook the raw spinach before adding it to the pot.

Fresh herbs: Fresh dill and fresh parsley add a lot of flavour and are essential to this spanakorizo recipe.

Rice: I like to use medium-grain white rice like Kokuho Rose. But you can use any brand of white medium-grain rice. If you’d like, you could opt for quinoa instead. Brown rice has a slightly different flavour and cooking time, and it could work with this recipe, but I haven’t tried it yet.

White onion: Adds a little sweetness and makes the house smell so good. You can use red onion if you don’t have white onion.

Green Onion: Green onions add freshness and variety to this Greek spinach rice dish!

Leeks: I sometimes have a hard time finding leeks in the grocery store, but if you like them, then you can definitely add them to this recipe. You’ll probably only need a cup or so. Try to find leeks that have a larger amount of white stem. You can chop them the same way as the green onions.

Roasted vegetable base: I love using Better Than Bouillon’s roasted vegetable base for a little extra flavour.  You could opt for vegetable stock, a different flavoured broth, stock cube, or use only water if you’re trying to reduce the amount of sodium.

HOW TO MAKE SPANAKORIZO: STEP BY STEP

STEP 1: Wash and dice the herbs and vegetables. Rinse all of the herbs and vegetables with cold water. Drain well or pat dry with a paper towel. Dice the Italian parsley, dill, and green onions. Peel and dice the white onion. The baby spinach can be left as is. Set aside the herbs, spinach, and white onion separately because they will be added to the pot at different times.

STEP 2: Prepare the rice. Add 1 cup of rice, 1 cup water, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a small saucepan. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer. Cook until all of the liquid is evaporated. Turn off the heat and set aside. This step is only to cook the rice partially. It will fully cook once it’s added to the pot with the herbs and vegetables.

STEP 3: Vegetable broth. Heat 1 + 1/3 cups water in a small saucepan, then mix in 1 teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon seasoned vegetable base. Once it’s mixed in, turn off the heat and set aside the saucepan.

STEP 4: Combine all of the ingredients: Heat the extra-virgin olive oil on medium heat in a large pot. Add in the diced white onion and sauté the onion uncovered until fragrant and translucent for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat. Next, add the chopped green onions. Allow those to cook for a few minutes, and then add in all of the baby spinach. Stir together.

You can cover the pot with a lid for a couple of minutes until the spinach wilts down.  Then, add in the chopped parsley and dill.  Pour the vegetable base over the rice and mix together to break apart the rice. Then, add the rice and vegetable base to the pot so that the rice can cook with the herbs. Mix together. Bring up the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook covered for 15-20 minutes or until the rice has softened.

STEP 5: Serve and enjoy! You can add salt and black pepper to taste. Option to add red chilli flakes for a little heat. I like to add a little bit of fresh lemon juice before serving to brighten up the flavour. You can also top spanakorizo with crumbled feta cheese.

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4.75 from 4 votes

Greek Spinach Rice (Spanakorizo Recipe)

Spanakorizo is a delicious Greek spinach rice dish with lots of spinach, fresh herbs, rice, onions, and olive oil. With its aromatic herbs and tangy lemon combination, spanakorizo is both flavourful and healthy!

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course: Sides + Sauces

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: healthy, rice side dishes, spinach rice

Servings: 4 Servings

Calories: 307kcal

Author: Ria Mavrikos

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 white onion peeled and diced
• 1 cup medium-grain white rice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt added to the rice
• 1 cup water to pre-cook the rice a bit
• 1 bunch green onion chopped – about 2 cups
• 1 large package baby spinach 312 grams/ 11 oz.
• 1 bunch Italian parsley chopped – about 2 cups
• 1 bunch fresh dill chopped – about 2 cups
• 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon seasoned vegetable base
• 1 + 1/2 cups water to mix with the vegetable base

Instructions

• Wash and dice the herbs and vegetables. Rinse all of the herbs and vegetables with cold water. Drain well, or pat dry with a paper towel. Dice the Italian parsley, dill, and green onions. Peel and dice the white onion. The baby spinach can be left as is. Set aside the herbs, spinach, and white onion separately because they will be added to the pot at different times.
• Prepare the rice. In a small saucepan, add 1 cup of rice, 1 cup of water, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer. Cook until all of the liquid is evaporated. Turn off the heat and set aside. This step is only to partially cook the rice. It will fully cook once it's added to the pot with the herbs and vegetables.
• Vegetable broth. Heat 1 + 1/3 cups water in a small saucepan, then mix in 1 teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon seasoned vegetable base. Once it's mixed in, turn off the heat and set aside the saucepan. 
• Combine all ingredients: Heat the extra-virgin olive oil on medium heat in a large pot. Add in the diced white onion and sauté the onion uncovered until fragrant and translucent for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat. Next, add the chopped green onions. Allow those to cook for a few minutes, and then add in all of the baby spinach. Stir together. You can cover the pot with a lid for a couple of minutes until the spinach wilts down. Then add in the chopped parsley and dill. Pour the vegetable base over the rice and mix together to break apart the rice. Then add the rice and vegetable base to the pot so that the rice can cook with the vegetables in the pot. Mix together. Bring up the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook covered for 15-20 minutes or until the rice has softened.
• Serve and enjoy! You can add salt and black pepper to taste. Option to add red chilli flakes for a little heat. I like to add a little bit of fresh lemon juice before serving to brighten up the flavour. You can also top spanakorizo with crumbled feta cheese.

Notes

• Sauté the onion with olive oil on medium-low heat so the onions don't burn during this step. 

• The rice will continue to cook with the spinach and herbs, soaking up the moisture and liquids released from the vegetables.

• I like adding fresh lemon juice over my spanakorizo to brighten the flavour.  But, sometimes lemon juice can turn greens, like horta or spinach, brown if they sit too long with citrus, so it's best to just put it on the amount you'll be serving immediately. If you're making this recipe ahead of time, you can add the lemon juice when you're about to serve it or with a couple of lemon wedges on the side.

• Keep the heat on medium-low throughout the cooking process so that the rice doesn't burn or stick to the bottom of the pot. 

• If you feel the rice needs more water to cook, add a little more hot water at the end. Keep in mind that the rice will absorb a lot of the excess liquid from the fresh spinach.

• When chopping the parsley and dill, you can cut off some of the stems or leave them and include them in the recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 23g | Sodium: 557mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g