WHAT IS A MEDITERRANEAN RICE BOWL?

This recipe is a mix between a buddha bowl and a salad. It’s all of your favourites from a Greek salad thrown together with some rice and, my favourite – homemade hummus!

THE INGREDIENTS

I love this Mediterranean Rice Bowl because the ingredients are so fresh and vibrant. They are easy to prepare and can be swapped out or omitted based on your preferences. You will need:

• your favourite rice
• spinach (or your favourite lettuce)
• cherry tomatoes
• cucumber
• feta cheese
• olives
• homemade hummus
• olive oil
• red wine vinegar
• a lemon
• dijon mustard
• garlic
• dried herbs (oregano & basil)

HOW TO MAKE THIS MEDITERRANEAN RICE BOWL

There are two cooked components to this bowl – the rice and the hummus. You may choose to use store-bought hummus, but if you haven’t made your own before, I highly suggest you try it. Check out my recipe here. It’s seriously a game-changer!

The rest of the ingredients are “toppers” which will be added to the bowl with the rice. Dice up your cucumber, halve the tomatoes and olives, and crumble up the feta.

To prepare the dressing, stir together the vinegar, juice of half a lemon, mustard, minced garlic and herbs and then drizzle in the olive oil while whisking to combine.

BUILDING THE BOWL

Firstly, lay your spinach in the bottom of your favourite bowl. Top it with the rice, tomatoes, olives, cucumber, feta and a big dollop of the hummus. Next, drizzle your dressing over top of the ingredients and toss with two spoons to combine. Add salt and pepper according to taste, dig in and enjoy!

MORE RECIPES IN A BOWL

Rainbow Buddha Bowl with Garlic Tahini Dressing (taste the rainbow and get all your nutrients)

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowl (protein-packed and super easy)

TOOLS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

Click below to check out what I use to make this Mediterranean Rice Bowl.

This post contains affiliate links and I may earn a small commission when purchases are made after clicking the links, at no cost to you – thank you!

MEDITERRANEAN RICE BOWL (GF)

Serving size: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup rice
• 4 handfuls baby spinach
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup olives, pitted and sliced
• 1 cup cucumbers, chopped
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup homemade or store-bought hummus

For the dressing:

• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• juice of 1/2 a lemon (about 2 tbsp)
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• salt
• pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook the rice according to package directions.
2. Place one handful of spinach into each of the four serving bowls and top with the cooked rice. Divide the tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, feta cheese and hummus amongst the four bowls, on top of the rice and spinach.
3. In a separate small bowl or measuring cup, mix together the vinegar, oregano, basil, garlic, lemon juice and mustard. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking to combine and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Drizzle the dressing overtop of the assembled bowls. Toss, serve and enjoy!

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Okay, I am in love with all flavours of all regions of the world (literally), but Middle Eastern…AND Italian?! Two heavyweights in the culinary world and I’m here for it! Like a hundo P’s.

Let me break down this fusion for you. We have the following Italian/Mediterannean ingredients:

• Orzo
• Feta
• Basil

And those from the Middle East include:

• Dried fruit (apricots, cherries, currants)
• Pistachios
• Olives
• Pomegranate seeds
• Cilantro
• Spices (Turmeric, Paprika, Cumin, Coriander, etc.)

Together, they are Chrissy and John. Rachel and Ross. Bey and Jay. Me and me.

The warm flavours of the spices paired with creamy orzo, sweet fruit and salty olives and feta…hawt damn! I’m drooling.

Oh, one more thing…This makes the perfect lunch the next day. Leftovers for the win!

Middle Eastern Orzo Pilaf

Serving Size: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 12 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• pinch of fresh nutmeg
• pinch of black pepper
• 1 cup uncooked orzo, rinsed well
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• salt
• 1 cup dried fruit (I use cherries, currants and chopped apricots)
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)
• 4-5 olives, chopped
• 1/4 cup feta, crumbled
• 1/4 cup pomegranate arils
• 1/4 cup pistachios, shelled
• fresh herbs (cilantro and basil) for topping, (optional)

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the cumin, turmeric, paprika, coriander, nutmeg and pepper and stir until toasted, another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the orzo and stir to coat with the spices. Once coated, pour in the broth, add 1/4 tsp salt and bring up to a boil and then reduce heat and let simmer for 8 minutes, with the lid on.
2. After the 8 minutes, quickly lift the lid, add the dried fruit, and stir to incorporate with the orzo. Place the lid back on and let stand for 2 more minutes off the heat.
3. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice into the pan and stir to combine. Transfer the orzo to a serving dish and top with olives, feta, pomegranate seeds, pistachios and fresh herbs. Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days.

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I’m not worried though, because this quinoa bowl will get me back on track. All kidding aside, I have been eating this for the last two weeks because it is so, so good. And so, so versatile. You can substitute whatever veggies you love in place of the ones that I have included in this recipe.

The base of this bowl is quinoa. It’s an ancient supergrain I love eating because it’s packed with protein, and as a vegetarian, it’s a quick go-to. When I was in Peru, I found an astounding amount of dishes incorporated quinoa. Soups, especially. And if you follow me on Instagram (@nevernoteatingca), you may have read my “Avocado Toast” post and learned about the unfortunate food struggles I had while traveling, leading me to play it safe at restaurants and regularly order the quinoa soup. The Peruvians got me hooked.

To cook the quinoa, I always toast the grains in a bit of olive oil for a minute, then add chopped garlic and saute for a quick sec before adding the salt and water. I find the garlic bumps it up to a new level that I can no longer do without.

The other trick I use in this recipe that I do whenever I make any grain (because I’m OBSESSED), is to toss in a handful of raisins during the “5 minute stand time” and put the lid back on so that the raisins plump up with the steam. Use golden, sultana or even regular raisins…it don’t matter, boo. It lends a little sweet, juicy pop and why wouldn’t you want that?!

The veg – My favourite veggie in this bowl is the portobello mushrooms. After roasting in the oven, they take on a meaty texture and their earthy, umami flavour just take this dish over the top. I. Can’t. Even. I also roasted up some beets and zucchini which both lend a different textural component and are healthy AF. Use whatever vegetables you have left over in your fridge…we are adaptable here.

Toppings: Let’s start with the winning component of this dish – Hummus. You may have seen my Homemade Hummus Three Ways post, and I highly encourage you to follow it and make your own hummus, but, of course, you could go with store-bought. I pinky promise you it is NOT the same, though. The recipe is so easy, and it’s honestly velvety smooth, flavourful and the perfect topping to this bowl. I always just use the roasted garlic hummus for this bowl. Who needs a dressing?!

The other toppings I used include: Fresh avocado (duh!), hemp hearts (I use the ones found here), chickpeas, tiny sweet peppers, and baby spinach and kale (as you can see in the photo these are more ‘bottomings’). Top it with whatever you can’t live without.

Put it all in a bowl, drizzle with a teeny bit of olive oil, sprinkle with za’atar and call it lunch (or dinner)!

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowl

Serving size: 2

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour and 15 minutes (mostly for the beets to roast)

Ingredients:

• 3-4 beets
• 2 large portobello mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1 zucchini , sliced into coins
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup sultana raisins (optional)
• Homemade Hummus
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil

Extra toppings (all are optional, but you should probably include them):

• 1/2 avocado, diced
• 1/2 bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup chickpeas
• 2 cups greens (I use baby spinach and kale)
• hemp hearts
• olive oil
• za’atar

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Start with the beets – Place washed beets on a long piece of tin foil. Wrap the beets up like a present, making sure there are no holes in the package where the steam can escape. Place on a baking tray in the oven for an hour and 15 minutes, or until the beets are tender enough to slide a butter knife easily into the centre. Remove the beets and carefully open the tin foil package. Let the beets sit for one minute. Use a paper towel to hold a beet in one hand and another paper towel to peel away the skin of the beet in your other hand. The skins should remove easily when the beets are fully cooked. Rinse the beets and set aside.
3. Place mushrooms and zucchini on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil, a few grinds of black pepper and a generous pinch of salt. Toss to evenly coat. Bake alongside the beets for 15 minutes, flip and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until tender and browned.
4. In a medium saucepan, add 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the quinoa and let toast, stirring around occasionally for 1-2 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add water and a big pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to a simmer, cover and leave for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. When it is done, turn heat off, quickly lift the lid and add the raisins, put the lid back on and let the quinoa stand off of the heat for five minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
5. In two serving bowls, lay down your greens and top with the quinoa and raisins. Add your diced beets, zucchini and mushroom slices to each. If using, also add avocado, peppers, chickpeas and hemp hearts. Top each bowl with a large dollop (or two) of hummus. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of za’atar spice.

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