Greek Rice Bowl

Greek rice nourish bowl with partial view of a second one.

5 from 1 vote

Tuck into a bowl of Greek deliciousness with lemon rice, tomato salad, fried peppers, tzatziki and olives. Top this Greek rice bowl with halloumi for vegetarians or hummus if you're after a plant-based meal. The different elements of the recipe all come together in the time it takes to cook the rice.

Prep Time25

Cook Time10 30

Soaking Time2

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: bowl food, peppers, rice, tomatoes

Servings: people

Calories: 732kcal

Author: Choclette @ Tin and Thyme

Equipment

microplane (affiliate link) optional

Ingredients

Greek Rice

130 g brown basmati rice or other long grain brown rice
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion or large shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic finely grated
½ organic lemon zested and juiced + a couple of slices
1 pinch sea salt
300 ml water
good grinding of black pepper
1 handful parsley finely chopped

Greek Tomato Salad

1 large salad tomato or two medium ones
2 spring onions (scallions) or 1 small red one
1 pinch dried oregano
1 pinch fine sea or rock salt (I used chilli salt)
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Greek Fried Peppers

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion sliced into half moons
1 large sweet pepper colour of choice, but maybe not red - sliced into slightly under 1 cm width sticks
1 clove garlic finely sliced into little matchsticks
1 pinch fine sea or rock salt

The Rest

125 g halloumi
4 tbsp tzatziki
8 black olives Greek kalamata if you can get them

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Greek Rice

Soak the rice in water for at least two hours. Give it a good rinse, then drain.
130 g brown basmati rice
Once the rice is draining, fry the onion or shallot in the oil over a moderate heat for 2-3 minutes or until it's softened and translucent. You'll need a small lidded pan for this.
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 small onion
Add the garlic and stir, then add the rice and stir-fry for a minute or two. You want all of the rice grains coated in the garlicky oil.
1 clove garlic
Pour in the lemon juice and water, add the salt and stir. Bring the water to the boil, clamp the lid on the pan and simmer very gently for 25 minutes. Turn the heat off, but leave the pan in situ to steam for ten minutes before taking the lid off.
1 pinch sea salt, 300 ml water
Add the black pepper, lemon zest and parsley to the pan and fluff the rice up with a fork, mixing in the afore mentioned ingredients as you go.
good grinding of black pepper, 1 handful parsley
Serve straight away whilst still warm, though it's also quite nice at room temperature too.

Greek Tomato Salad

Whilst the rice is cooking, chop the tomato into bite-sized chunks and transfer to a small mixing bowl.
1 large salad tomato
Slice the spring onions finely, both the green parts and the white and add to the bowl.
2 spring onions (scallions)
Sprinkle the salt and oregano over the tomatoes, then drizzle the olive oil over the top.
1 pinch dried oregano, 1 pinch fine sea or rock salt, 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Mix everything together and leave to marinade for twenty minutes or so. The rice will absorb any excess juices.

Greek Fried Peppers

Whilst the tomato is marinading make the peppers.
Using a frying pan, fry the onions in the oil over a moderate heat for 2-3 minutes, until translucent.
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 small onion
Add the peppers and continue to fry for a further five minutes when they should be starting to soften. Give an occasional stir.
1 large sweet pepper
Add the garlic and salt and stir-fry for a further 3 minutes. The garlic should be golden, but not burnt and the peppers tender, but still with a good bite to them.
1 clove garlic
Serve warm from the pan.

Greek Rice Bowl

Whilst the peppers are frying, slice the halloumi into six long (or twelve shorter) thin pieces. Dry fry, griddle or air fry for 3 minutes on either side or until golden.
125 g halloumi
Divide the rice between two bowls. Then distribute the warm peppers, tomatoes and warm halloumi slices around the bowl. Then top with the olives, tzatziki and a lemon slice, if liked.
4 tbsp tzatziki, 8 black olives

Notes

If you use white rice, it won't need to cook as long and it requires a bit less water.

The flavour of the tomato salad is all in the tomato, so choose a ripe but firm and well flavoured one.

If making your own tzatziki, start the process whilst the rice is soaking.

You’ll find additional tips and info about this recipe in the main body of the post.

Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used. Please refer to my nutrition disclaimer for further information.

Nutrition