The Greek rice is a cold summer dish that is light, tasty, and full of flavor, a savory vegetarian main course that is simple to prepare. Greek rice is a valid alternative to the classic rice salad, but also to rice with vegetables, if you’re looking for a summer vegetarian recipe.
It’s known that during summer there’s little desire to cook or eat hot dishes, but in reality, this Greek rice salad is perfect to prepare all year round: since it can be prepared in advance, it’s a great idea to bring to work or the office.
The preparation is really very simple. The recipe includes the use of raw red onion: I recommend using Tropea red onion, which naturally has a sweet flavor, or the classic red onion, but if you’re worried about digestibility, before adding it to the rice salad, I suggest slicing it thinly and soaking it in cold water for ten minutes with a bit of baking soda or a teaspoon of white wine vinegar.
If you love feta or dressings that remind you of Greece, I can only recommend trying the Greek spelt salad, the Greek cucumber salad, and the tzatziki sauce. I specify that this recipe is not a typical Greek tradition recipe, but I called it so because the combination of flavors between feta, cherry tomatoes, black olives, onions, and the other ingredients very much recall the ingredients and combinations of Greek cuisine.
Well, now I’ll leave you to the recipe, let’s see together how to prepare this delicious Greek rice. Don’t miss my collection of summer salad recipes!
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
- Energy 186.86 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 27.72 (g) of which sugars 1.50 (g)
- Proteins 5.10 (g)
- Fat 6.04 (g) of which saturated 2.28 (g)of which unsaturated 1.09 (g)
- Fibers 0.29 (g)
- Sodium 473.84 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Greek Rice
- 1.5 cups parboiled rice
- 5 oz feta
- 5 oz cherry tomatoes
- 1.75 oz black olives (pitted or Greek olives)
- 1 Tropea red onion
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste basil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 1 tsp baking soda
Tools for making Greek Rice
- Pan
- Salad bowl
- Knife
- Cutting board
Steps for making Greek Rice
Let’s see together how to prepare Greek rice salad.
Bring salted water to a boil in a pan and cook the rice for the time indicated on the package.
Drain it, rinse it under cold running water for a few seconds, and season it with a drizzle of oil. This will allow the rice to cool faster and stop the cooking process.
Then transfer it to a salad bowl.
Slice the red onion, preferably Tropea, thinly and add it to the rice.
If you don’t have Tropea onion available, you can use the classic red onion, but in this case, before adding it to the rice, slice it thinly and soak it in a bit of cold water with a teaspoon of baking soda. This operation will make it sweeter and more digestible.
Chop some fresh basil and add it to the bowl of rice, along with pitted black olives cut into rings (or Greek olives), diced feta, and sliced cherry tomatoes.
Season the Greek rice with another drizzle of oil, salt, pepper, and, if you like, a splash of vinegar.
Mix carefully, let it rest for half an hour to allow the flavors to blend, and then serve.
Storage
– Greek rice can be stored in a well-sealed container for up to a couple of days.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What type of rice can be used?
I recommend using parboiled rice or ribe parboiled or the one specifically for “salads,” because it holds cooking better. Brown rice, Venus rice, or other types of grains like spelt or barley are also excellent.
Do I have to use red onion?
No, if you don’t like it, you can safely omit it, even though it gives this salad more taste and crunchiness.
Can I add other ingredients?
If you like, you can also add sliced cucumbers. To make it tastier, you can also add a few tablespoons of tzatziki sauce, just to stay on theme.
