Greek Spinach and Rice – Spanakorizo
Spanakorizo: A traditional Greek rice and spinach dish that will become a winter comfort food, thanks to its wonderful flavor and texture.
Ah the spanakorizo … This dish was a winter staple in our home. My mom would make it once a week, all winter long. She would usually accompany it with a small cheese pie (tiropitaki) or one or two Greek meatballs, and while you may think that as children we would hate it because of the spinach, it actually was a comfort food.
It is soft and creamy, and along with plenty of lemon juice, a bit of olive oil and of course feta, it was delicious (and still is).
What is Spanakorizo
Spanakorizo is such a simple dish as many Greek ones are, but yet delicious and easy to make. Rice is cooked along with spinach in olive oil to a silky, creamy texture. Oh, and did I mention its nutritional value? Spinach full of antioxidants and fiber, the lemon helps with some absorption of the iron in the spinach and the rice is a source of carbohydrates to provide sustenance. The actual recipe has little olive oil during the cooking stage, but adding some olive oil while serving makes it even more delicious and the addition of fat helps with the absorption of antioxidants. Now this recipe makes about 2 main course servings, so basically you are getting ½ pound of vegetables in one sitting. The beauty of the Greek diet… getting your vegetables effortlessly.
The rice
A note about the rice: It is important to use the right type which in this case is medium grain rice. You do not want short grain rice which may end up giving your dish a sticky texture, but not long grain either as you will not have the smooth texture we are looking for in this recipe. As for brown rice, it takes a while longer to cook, it will not have the same texture will not cook to the point of being creamy and as a result you may be overcooking the spinach as well.
*Most traditional Greek recipes require medium grain rice, here in Greece it is called “Carolina” but you may use Arborio if you are unable to find medium grain. From a quick search on Google there are several brands that carry medium grain rice.
Spanakorizo Ingredients
- Fresh spinach: I recommend using fresh spinach for this recipe to achieve the perfect texture and flavor. Rinse well.
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed from half a lemon, adds some tanginess.
- Onion or spring onions: Finely chopped onion (or spring onions for a milder taste), this provides a base for the dish.
- Extra Virgin Olive oil: Make sure it is fresh
- Dry mint (preferably spearmint): Adds a cool, slightly sweet herbal note.
- Fresh dill: The light anise-like flavor, gives it an additional depth.
- Medium-grain rice: This rice becomes creamy and tender when cooked. Make sure you use the right type of rioce (see my note above).
How to Make Spanakorizo
- First start by adding the spinach to a large pot with the lemon juice and 1 teaspoon olive oil and heat it to wilt. Set aside to drain.
- In another pot sauté the onion with the rest of the olive oil until soft.
- Once the onion is soft add add the spinach, dry mint, dill and 2/3 cup warm water and bring to a boil.
- Add the rice, salt (as needed) and pepper and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes until rice is soft. Add additional warm water as needed.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with a squeeze of lemon juice and a bit of olive oil and feta.
Insider Tips to Make the Best Authentic Spanakorizo
- The most important is to make sure you use medium grain rice. Using short grain will make it too sticky and long-grain well too grainy. And no aromatic rices such as basmati either, they give a completely different flavor and texture.
- There is absolutely no garlic in this traditional recipe. I see it often on other sites, but the authentic Greek recipe does not contain garlic.
- There is no butter in this recipe. This traditional recipe is consumed during lent and animal products are prohibited, therefore it is meant to be vegan, so no butter.
- Make sure you cook the spinach with the rice so that the flavors meld together. It’s not just rice and spinach mixed together.
Serve it with
This can be enjoyed plain (without feta) for a vegan dish or with feta. And this is considered a main course, but you may serve it as a side dish. It goes well with fish or beef patties (biftekia). Or you can serve it with tiropita (cheese pie) like my mom does!
Storage
You can store spanakorizo covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
You may also like these recipes
Greek cuisine has numerous delicious rice-vegetable combo recipes. Check out some of my favorites:
Greek Leeks and Rice – Prasorizo
Greek Cabbage with Rice – Lahanorizo
One-Pot Greek Zucchini Rice
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Greek Spinach and Rice – Spanakorizo
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450 g) fresh spinach rinsed
- Juice of half lemon
- 1 onion chopped or 2-3 spring onions chopped
- 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling
- I teaspoon dry mint (preferably spearmint)
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped dill
- 2/3 cups water
- 1/3 cup (60 g) medium grain rice
- Salt/Pepper
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste optional
Instructions
- In a large pot wilt the spinach with the lemon juice and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Set aside to drain.
- In another pot sauté the onion with the rest of the olive oil until soft.
- Add the spinach, dry mint, dill and 2/3 cup warm water and bring to a boil.
- Add the rice, salt (as needed) and pepper and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes until rice is soft. Add additional warm water as needed.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with a squeeze of lemon juice and a bit of olive oil and feta.
Notes
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Image by Elena Paravantes © All Rights Reserved
We followed the recipe exactly turned out delicious! Reminded me a lot of the light summer dishes my mom and grandma cooked in Bulgaria. Will pair with roasted veggies and salmon/meatloaf alt.
I have Nishiki medium grain premium grade rice in the cupboard. Do you think this type of rice work in this recipe or will it be too sticky? Thank you so much !
I love this recipe and follow it every time I cook. But I don’t use mint or spearmint & I use more rice (about 150 grams) to feed a family & use the same amount of spinach (450 g). I serve it with dollops of greek yogurt mixed with some crumbled feta cheese mixed in. With the feta/yogurt sauce the whole dish becomes divine!
I love this recipe and follow it every time I cook. But I don’t use mint or spearmint & I use more rice (about 150 grams) to feed a family & use the same amount of spinach (450 g). I serve it with dollops of greek yogurt mixed with some crumbled feta cheese mixed in. With the feta/yogurt sauce the whole dish becomes divine!
dont normally have dill on hand… will dry dill work? if so, how much?
I have made this successfully with dry dill! The recipe calls for 1-2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill, so I use 1-2 *teaspoons* of dry dill. Usually the smaller amount. And if making this in summer, I use fresh mint from my garden instead of dry mint! (In winter, I have left it out and still enjoyed the result.)
I’ve made this several times with precooked collards as I can’t have spinach. Ive always enjoyed it. But, last night, I wanted to use up some button mushrooms. I sauteed them separately in EVOO, but tried mixing them on my fork. I’ll be cooking them together, next time.
Can I used dried dill weed and frozen spinach?
I do. And I like the results. I thaw it first, and squeeze out most of the liquid. Guess you could save that to use instead of water, but I prefer homemade chicken broth.
I make a lot if greek dishes but for some reason never spanakorizo. Just made it and it was delicious. Will definitely be making it again.