Mediterranean Rice Bowl (Printable Version)
A vibrant bowl featuring fluffy rice, fresh vegetables, hummus, and zesty lemon-tahini dressing.
# What You'll Need:
→ Rice Base
01 - 1 cup long-grain white or brown rice
02 - 2 cups water
03 - ½ teaspoon salt
→ Fresh Vegetables
04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
06 - 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
07 - ½ cup red onion, finely sliced
08 - 1 cup baby spinach or mixed greens
→ Protein & Toppings
09 - 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
10 - ½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
11 - ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
12 - ½ cup hummus
→ Lemon-Tahini Dressing
13 - 3 tablespoons tahini
14 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
15 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
16 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
17 - 2 tablespoons water (plus more as needed)
18 - ¼ teaspoon salt
19 - ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
→ Garnish
20 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
21 - Lemon wedges
# Step-by-Step:
01 - Combine rice, water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15–20 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
02 - Whisk together tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, water, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Adjust consistency with additional water if needed to achieve pourable texture.
03 - Divide the cooked rice evenly among four serving bowls, creating a bed for the remaining ingredients.
04 - Distribute cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, and baby spinach around the rice in each bowl, arranging in sections for visual appeal.
05 - Top each bowl with chickpeas, Kalamata olives, crumbled feta cheese, and a generous dollop of hummus.
06 - Drizzle lemon-tahini dressing over each bowl. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges on the side for additional brightness.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Everything comes together in under 45 minutes but tastes like you spent hours prepping
- The lemon-tahini dressing is honestly good enough to put on everything else in your life
02 -
- The dressing thickens as it sits so keep a little extra water handy to thin it right before serving
- Warm rice makes this dish infinitely better than cold rice so try to time it so everything comes together while the rice is still steaming
03 -
- Let the assembled bowls sit for 5 minutes before eating so the dressing can work its way into all the nooks and crannies
- Double the dressing and keep it in the fridge—you will find yourself wanting to put it on absolutely everything