Mediterranean Rice Bowl (Printable)
Fresh Mediterranean rice bowl with chickpeas, feta, vegetables, and lemon-herb dressing.
# What You'll Need:
→ Grains
01 - 1 cup long-grain white rice or brown rice
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Vegetables & Legumes
04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 English cucumber, diced
06 - 1 red bell pepper, chopped
07 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
08 - 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
09 - 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
10 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
→ Dairy
11 - 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
→ Dressing
12 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
13 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
14 - 1 clove garlic, minced
15 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
16 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
17 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
# Directions:
01 - Rinse rice under cold running water until the runoff turns clear. Combine rice, 2 cups water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low, cover tightly, and simmer for 15–18 minutes for white rice or 35–40 minutes for brown rice until grains are tender and liquid is fully absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff gently with a fork, and set aside.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper until the dressing is emulsified and well blended.
03 - Halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the English cucumber into small cubes, chop the red bell pepper into bite-sized pieces, slice the red onion into thin half-moons, and finely chop the fresh parsley.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, toss together the prepared tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, drained chickpeas, Kalamata olives, and parsley. Drizzle with half of the dressing and toss thoroughly to coat all ingredients evenly.
05 - Divide the cooked rice evenly among four serving bowls. Spoon the dressed vegetable and chickpea mixture generously over each bed of rice, then crumble feta cheese on top of each portion.
06 - Drizzle the remaining dressing over the assembled bowls. Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate for 20–30 minutes for a refreshing chilled bowl.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The dressing doubles as a marinade so you can repurpose leftovers without thinking twice.
- It uses one pan and one bowl which means cleanup is almost therapeutic instead of exhausting.
- Every single bite tastes bright and summery even if you make it in the dead of January.
02 -
- Do not skip rinsing the rice because one impatient shortcut turns the whole bowl sticky and heavy.
- Feta straight from the fridge will not crumble properly so let it sit out for ten minutes first.
- The dressing separates quickly so give it one last whisk right before pouring.
03 -
- Let the rice cool for at least ten minutes before topping it because heat wilts the vegetables and melts the feta into a puddle instead of crumbles.
- Salt your tomatoes and cucumbers five minutes before assembling and they will release just enough liquid to flavor the whole bowl from the bottom up.