Mediterranean Rice Bowl (Printable)
Fluffy rice meets crisp vegetables, creamy hummus, and zesty lemon-tahini in this vibrant Mediterranean bowl.
# What You'll Need:
→ Rice Base
01 - 1 cup long-grain white or brown rice
02 - 2 cups water
03 - ½ teaspoon salt
→ Fresh Vegetables
04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
06 - 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
07 - ½ cup red onion, finely sliced
08 - 1 cup baby spinach or mixed greens
→ Protein and Toppings
09 - 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
10 - ½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
11 - ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
12 - ½ cup hummus
→ Lemon-Tahini Dressing
13 - 3 tablespoons tahini
14 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
15 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
16 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
17 - 2 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
18 - ¼ teaspoon salt
19 - ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
→ Garnish
20 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
21 - Lemon wedges
# Step-by-step:
01 - Combine rice, water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
02 - Whisk together tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, water, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. If dressing is too thick, add additional water 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
03 - Divide the cooked rice evenly among four serving bowls. Arrange cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, and baby spinach in sections around the rice in each bowl.
04 - Top each bowl with chickpeas, Kalamata olives, crumbled feta cheese, and a generous dollop of hummus.
05 - Drizzle lemon-tahini dressing over each bowl. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Everything comes together in under 40 minutes with almost no active cooking
- The lemon-tahini dressing is the kind of sauce you will want to put on everything
- You can prep all the vegetables ahead and assemble these bowls in minutes
02 -
- The tahini dressing will thicken as it sits so keep a little extra water handy to thin it right before serving
- Room temperature rice works better than piping hot rice because it does not wilt the fresh vegetables
03 -
- Toasting the rice in a dry pan for 2 minutes before adding water gives it a subtle nutty flavor
- Massaging the sliced red onion with a pinch of salt removes harsh raw bite