Greek spinach rice or Spanokorizo is a delicious Greek style rice dish that is really quick and easy to make while ensuring the family gets its dose of greens. I have decided to turn this in to a casserole since I wanted to add some extra protein and make it more filling. Filled with the goodness of spinach and lots of herbs, this is also a great option if you have leftover rice and looking to use it up. You can also make this completely vegan by just removing the feta or replacing it with vegan feta.
What is Spanokorizo?
Spanokorizo is a traditional Greek dish made of rice and spinach. Like I have mentioned earlier, it also contains various fresh herbs like dill, mint, chives, parsley and oregano. For this recipe, I have used dill, chives and oregano. It is flavored with olive oil, lemon juice and zest which adds a beautiful fragrance and a nice kick.
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Ingredients for the Greek spinach rice casserole
The list of ingredients required for the casserole is fairly simple.
- Rice - I used cooked medium grain white rice. You can also use long grain or brown rice if that's your preference. Both freshly cooked or cooked rice that has been refrigerated overnight will work.
- Spinach - Baby or regular spinach will work. You can also frozen spinach but make sure it is thawed and all water has been drained.
- Aromatics including finely chopped onions and garlic
- Fresh herbs like dill, oregano, mint, parsley
- Lemon juice and zest - Make sure to add both juice and zest to really bump up the flavor
- Protein - I used Mung bean flour which adds protein and also acts as a binder. The flour is a quick shortcut instead of soaking the mung dal( yellow split lentils) and grinding it in to a batter. You can also use chickpea flour instead. Use the flour(s) as it is or roast until golden brown for a nutty flavor
- Feta - I used regular crumbled feta. You can also any type of marinated feta or
- Veggie Broth/water
- Seasoning - Salt, pepper
Making the casserole
The most amount of work here is to cook the aromatics, spinach and herbs. Use a pan that is safe to use both on the stove and oven if you want to keep it a one pan dish. I used a wide cast iron pan.
Once that is done, add the chopped spinach and let that cook for a few minutes to let it wilt and release the moisture. Then add the cooked rice and mix well. Now add a slurry of the mung dal flour and water/broth. Make sure there are no lumps in the slurry. Add lemon juice and zest. Season with salt, pepper before mixing and combining all of the ingredients. Turn off the stove and heat the oven to 350 deg F.
Top with more chopped herbs and the crumbled feta. Place the pan in the hot oven and cook for 20-25 minutes until the liquid is cooked off while ensuring the casserole does not get too try. Remove and let it cool down for 10 minutes before serving.
What to serve the casserole with?
A great option to serve along with the casserole is a greek salad, some roasted halloumi or even roasted potatoes. You can also serve along with some roasted veggies or tofu to keep it vegan.
Storing and Reheating
This casserole is best served on the same day and warm. You can also top it more feta and fresh herbs before serving. You can store this in the refrigerator for 1-2 days since the casserole tends to dry out over time.Reheat in the microwave or oven. The casserole can also be frozen and stored for 2-3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for an hour before reheating in the oven at 350 deg F for 40-45 minutes.
Feedback
I hope you give this dish a try. Its truly a quick and easy dinner idea especially on those busy weeknights when you need to have dinner on the table without spending a couple of hours in the kitchen. If you do please tag me on Instagram with #dillandthyme. You can also follow me on Pinterest and Meta. If you want to leave a rating, comment or question please do so below in the comments.
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Recipe
Greek Spinach Rice(Spanokorizo) Casserole
Equipment
- 1 Cast Iron Skillet preferably 10" or 12" wide
Ingredients
- 3 cups Cooked Rice 400 g
- 1 Onion medium, peeled and finely chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic peeled and finely chopped
- 1 cup Yellow Mung Flour 130 g, sifted
- 2 ½ cup Vegetable Broth/water 600 ml
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
- ¼ cup Crumbled Feta 30 g
- 4 sprigs Fresh Dill stem removed and roughly chopped
- 4 sprigs Fresh Oregano stem removed and roughly chopped
- 4 tablespoon Chives finely chopped
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Heat a large pan which is also oven safe at medium low. Add the oil and after a minute, add the onions. Saute for a couple of minutes and add the chopped garlic. Let it cook for a couple of more minutes.
- Reserve some of the chopped herbs for topping and add the remaining herbs to the cooked onion, garlic mixture. Mix and cook for another couple of minutes. Now add the chopped spinach. Cook until the spinach starts wilting and release s water.
- Now add the rice and mix well. Make a slurry of the mung dal flour and broth/water. Add this mixture to the rice. Also add lemon juice, zest and season well. Mix well.
- Top with remaining fresh herbs and crumbled feta and place in the oven for 20-23 minutes until cooked and the casserole is set. Let it cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The links provided in this post might include affiliate links which earns me a small commission when you purchase using them at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
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