Mediterranean Rice Bowl (Printable)
Fluffy rice with Mediterranean vegetables, chickpeas, feta, and lemon-tahini dressing.
# What You'll Need:
→ Rice
01 - 1 cup basmati or long-grain rice
02 - 2 cups water
03 - ½ teaspoon kosher salt
→ Proteins
04 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
→ Vegetables
05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - 1 cucumber, diced
07 - ½ red onion, thinly sliced
08 - ¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
09 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
→ Toppings
10 - ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
→ Lemon-Tahini Dressing
12 - 3 tablespoons tahini
13 - Juice of 1 lemon
14 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
15 - 1 clove garlic, minced
16 - 2 tablespoons water
17 - ½ teaspoon kosher salt
18 - ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
# How to Make It:
01 - Rinse rice under cold running water until it runs clear. Bring 2 cups of water and ½ teaspoon of salt to a boil in a saucepan. Add the rice, reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer for 15 minutes until the water is fully absorbed. Remove from heat and let steam, covered, for an additional 5 minutes. Fluff gently with a fork.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of water, salt, and pepper until completely smooth. Add more water, a teaspoon at a time, to reach your preferred drizzling consistency.
03 - Divide the fluffy rice evenly among 4 serving bowls. Arrange chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, sliced red onion, Kalamata olives, and diced red bell pepper over the rice in each bowl.
04 - Scatter crumbled feta cheese and freshly chopped parsley over each assembled bowl.
05 - Drizzle the lemon-tahini dressing generously over each bowl. Serve immediately while the rice is still warm.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The lemon tahini dressing doubles as a dip, a marinade, and a reason to lick the spoon clean every single time.
- It handles substitutions beautifully, so you can empty your crisper drawer and still end up with something stunning.
02 -
- If your tahini seizes and becomes grainy when you add lemon juice, just keep whisking and add water one teaspoon at a time until it smooths out again.
- Letting the rice steam off the heat for those extra five minutes is the difference between tender grains and a sticky clump, so set a timer and walk away.
03 -
- Make a double batch of the lemon tahini dressing because it keeps for a week in the fridge and you will absolutely want it on roasted vegetables, sandwiches, and anything else you can think of.
- Salt your rice cooking water like you would pasta water, since that is your one chance to season the grains from the inside out.