019Spinach rice

Method

Classic white style with dill and lemon. Traditionally eaten warm or at room temperature with crusty bread and a wedge of feta.

You will need

• wide deep saucepan with lid
• clean tea towel
• wooden spoon

1. Heat 60 ml of the olive oil in a wide, deep saucepan over medium heat and sauté the chopped onion and spring onions for five minutes until soft and translucent. 5 min Ready when: onions softened without browning
2. Add the chopped spinach in batches, turning with a wooden spoon over medium heat until completely collapsed and wilted down. 5 min Ready when: spinach fully wilted and dark green
3. Pour in the rinsed rice, salt, and black pepper, stirring for one minute so the grains coat evenly in the pot juices. 1 min Ready when: rice thoroughly combined with greens
4. Add 350 ml of boiling water, stir once, bring to a gentle bubble, then turn the heat down to low, cover with the lid, and cook for fifteen minutes without stirring. 15 min Ready when: rice tender and liquid mostly absorbed
5. Uncover, fold in the chopped dill, the remaining 30 ml raw olive oil, and the lemon juice, then remove from the heat. 1 min Ready when: bright aroma of fresh dill and lemon
6. Place a clean kitchen tea towel over the open saucepan, secure the lid on top, and let rest undisturbed for ten minutes before serving so excess steam is absorbed. 10 min Ready when: rice plump, tender, and moist but not watery

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Make ahead and storing

Can be cooked several hours ahead; the flavours meld and improve as it sits at room temperature.

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water and fresh olive oil.

Substitutions

• Swiss chard (seskoula) for fresh spinach. Swiss chard leaves, chopped finely without the toughest stalks, offer a slightly earthier traditional alternative.

Common mistakes

• Adding too much water to the pan. Spinach releases a tremendous amount of internal liquid as it heats; excessive water turns the dish into a sloppy porridge.
• Stirring the rice vigorously while it simmers. Stirring breaks the swollen grains and releases excessive starch, making the spanakorizo gluey rather than moist and tender.

Regional variants

• The red version (kokkinisto) incorporates two tablespoons of tomato paste or grated fresh tomatoes alongside the onions.
• On some Aegean islands, wild greens (horta) are mixed half-and-half with spinach.

About the dish

Spanakorizo is one of the most familiar pillars of everyday Greek home cuisine, categorised under ladera or oil-based vegetable braises. Built on the pairing of abundant tender spinach, sweet sautéed onions, aromatic dill, and short-grain rice, it is cooked until the grains soften and absorb the greens' natural liquor. While some cook it red with grated summer tomatoes, the white lemon-and-dill profile remains the standard across most Greek households. It is commonly eaten during fasting periods, or alongside a slab of sharp feta cheese when fasting rules permit.

Found in all of Greece. Cooked for everyday, lent.

Cousins elsewhere

• Ispanaklı pirinç (Turkish). A similar home dish of spinach braised with rice, though frequently prepared with tomato and served with yoghurt.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

394 kcal · protein 8.9 g · fat 21.7 g (saturated 3.1 g) · carbohydrate 44.9 g (sugars 4.4 g) · fibre 7.5 g · sodium 721 mg

An estimate (summed from ingredient estimates) that varies with the exact ingredients. It is not dietary advice.

Written fresh by Epikouria editors from general culinary tradition. Recipe by the Epikouria editors. Following standard mainland family practice of the 'white' lemon-and-dill preparation with rested steam absorption..

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