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the completed greek rice pilaf recipe
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Greek Rice Pilaf

This flavorful Greek rice recipe is a comforting meal you can make for dinner tonight with pantry ingredients.
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Mediterranean, Western
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 311kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup diced frozen onion or one onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp greek seasoning or 1/2 tsp oregano and 1/2 tsp dill
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1.5 cups rice washed and well-drained
  • 2.5 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
  • 2-3 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Optional toppings: chopped sun-dried tomatoes and olives

Instant Pot Version

    Reduce broth to 1.75 cups of broth.

      Instructions

      • Rinse the rice till water runs clear and let it drain for at least 30 minutes.
      • Heat oil in a saucepan and cook the diced onions for 6 minutes or until they have softened.
      • Stir in garlic and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
      • Add the rice into the saucepan and stir until rice coated.
      • Add in the vegetable broth, lemon juice, and greek seasoning (or oregano and dill), cover the saucepan and bring to a rolling simmer before turning the heat down to low.
      • Cook for about 12 minutes or until water is mostly evaporated.
      • Leave the saucepan covered, reduce to the lowest heat setting and let steam for about 10 minutes.
      • Let the rice rest for 5 minutes, stir through, and serve warm
      • To make a complete pantry meal - serve with chopped sundried tomatoes and olives.

      Instant Pot Greek Rice

      • Rinse the rice till water runs clear and let it drain for at least 30 minutes.
      • Heat oil in Instant Pot and cook the diced onions for 6 minutes or until they have softened.
      • Switch off the saute mode and add in the vegetable broth, lemon juice, Greek seasoning, garlic and rice scrapping the bottom of the Insert to free anything that might have stuck to the bottom.
      • Close the lid, seal, choose the pressure cook (or manual setting) and set the timer for 4 mins and let cook.
      • When done, perform a quick pressure release, fluff the rice and serve with olive and sun-dried tomatoes.

      Notes

      Recipe Tips

      • Make sure to drain the rice well before cooking to avoid soggy rice.
      • Add more dill for an extra infusion of flavor.

      Recipe Variations

      • add in butter (or vegan butter) at the beginning to make the rice more velvety and rich.
      • use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth.
      • add some lemon zest and additional herbs to increase the flavor profile.

      Serving Suggestions

      Weight Watchers Points

      If you replace the olive oil with no-calorie cooking spray, there are 8 Blue Plan SmartPoints in a serving of this rice pilaf.

      Nutrition

      Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 593mg | Potassium: 138mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 313IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg