This Greek dish, which literally translates to "spinach and rice", is so much more than its name suggests. Bursting with fresh herbs and leafy greens, it's delicate yet packed with flavour!
A favourite in our household, especially during the Lenten fast, and like so many beloved Greek dishes, the key ingredient that ties it all together is extra virgin olive oil, which I drizzled generously at the end for a rich, velvety finish.
Once the prep - washing and chopping your greens - is done, everything comes together in no time!
Ingredients
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 2 small white onions, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 4 spring onions, chopped
- 100g fresh dill, finely chopped
- 100g fresh mint, finely chopped
- 100g fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 100g fresh coriander, finely copped
- 200g swiss chard, coarsely chopped
- 400g spinach, coarsely chopped
- 2 lemons, freshly squeezed
- 125g Arborio risotto rice, rinsed
- 160ml water
- 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt & black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Begin by washing and chopping your greens and vegetables.
- Separate your chopped leafy greens and fresh herbs into one large bowl, and in another, combine the diced red pepper, diced white onions, sliced garlic, chopped spring onions and the chopped stems of the swiss chard and spinach.
- In a large pot, heat 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat and add the red pepper, white onions, garlic, spring onions and the stems of the swiss chard and spinach.
- Sauté for about 5-7 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- Season with sea salt and black pepper.
- Rinse the rice and add to the pot. Stir for a few minutes.
- Add the chopped spinach and swiss chard leaves, as well as the water into the pot. Stir to combine.
- Cover with lid and allow to simmer for 8 minutes, stirring in between.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the chopped fresh herbs and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
- Cover with lid and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring in between.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit covered for 10 minutes, to allow the rice to absorb the flavours and set.
- Drizzle with the remaining 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, stir to combine and serve.
To watch the recipe reel click here.
Enjoy!
