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Janelle Carss

Greek Lemon Rice

5 from 1 vote
Fluffy, bright, lemony, and packed with fresh herbs, this Greek Lemon Rice is the perfect side dish for just about anything. Inspired by the rice served at Greek restaurants, this lighter homemade version delivers all the fresh citrus flavour you love with far less oil and no butter required. Easy enough for a weeknight dinner, meal prep-friendly, and ridiculously delicious.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped about 1 cup
  • 2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1½ cups long grain white rice, thoroughly rinsed* basmati, jasmine
  • 1 large lemon, scrubbed clean
  • 2¼ cups hot veggie broth or water
  • 1 heaping tbsp fresh chopped dill, plus extra
  • 1 heaping tbsp fresh chopped parsley, plus extra
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • salt, to taste
  • black pepper, to taste
  • ⅛ tsp turmeric, for colour optional

Method
 

  1. To a large saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and sauté until soft and fragrant, 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile, zest 1 lemon until you have about 2 tsp lemon zest.
    2. If oil-free, substitute the oil for hot water or veggie broth. Add little splashes of water/broth while sauteéing to keep food from sticking as it cooks
  2. Add the rinsed rice, garlic and lemon zest, and sauté until slightly toasted, about 1 minute, stirring frequently to keep the rice from sticking to the pan.
  3. Pour in the broth, dill, parsley, oregano, black pepper, salt, and turmeric. Stir to combine, cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the liquids have evaporated and the rice is soft and cooked but not sticky or gummy. Give it a little toss, then taste and adjust seasonings if you like.
  4. Remove from heat, and let sit covered for 10 minutes. Uncover, stir in the juice of 1 lemon and fluff up with a fork until combined. Serve, garnish with extra chopped herbs and enjoy! Will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Video

Notes

Using brown rice: If you wish to use long-grain brown rice, simply increase the amount of rice to 1½ cups and the liquid amount to 3 cups, and increase cooking time to 40-45 minutes. Brown rice doesn't increase in volume as much as white rice, so you'll need to add more to get about the same amount as you would with white rice.