Mediterranean Yellow Rice⏤Yes, yes, yes! A light, bright rice recipe loaded with aromatic spices and all the deliciousness of the Mediterranean. This rice makes for the perfect plant-based lunch alongside a bean salad & doubles as a great side dish for your Mediterranean weeknight dinners. Find out why this rice is popular on the Mediterranean coast.
I don't know why I haven't already shared this delicious yellow rice recipe yet? It's a bright, delicious, and versatile recipe made with good-for-you pantry ingredients! And it's a perfect recipe to through into your meal planning and prepping routine.
I'm not sure about you, but if I'm to be 100% honest with you, I don't like cooking every day! I love nothing more than opening my fridge and putting together something to eat in no longer than fifteen minutes.
Having a few favourite grain recipe options makes for a mindless prep that flexible enough to cobble together with whatever you've got in the fridge.
Don't you love that? Me too!
Meet your newest meal prep obsession: Mediterranean Yellow Rice!
This colourful bowl of goodness, which I'm dubbing as my Mediterranean yellow rice, is my all-time favourite rice recipe & I'm pretty sure you're gonna love it too!
This recipe was thrown together one day by my husband telling me about a bowl of beautiful yellow rice he once ate. So I threw some turmeric into my rice, and the rest just kind of happened.
But MAN, I'm SO glade it did! It's been on repeat ever since. It is...
- LIGHT + BRIGHT. Rice, spice & golden onions all cooked up in one pot.
- LOW-MAINTENANCE. Thrown together in one pot and cooked in 30 minutes! Oh, and it's super flexible (use whatever you have on hand!), and it stores beautifully. A meal prepper's dream!
- VERSATILE. Enjoy it as a salad base, or serve it up as a side dish to your favourite proteins at dinner.
Ingredients you'll need:
Most of the ingredients you'll need for your yellow rice are pantry staple ingredients. You may need to stock some of these spices if your new to cooking Mediterranean food
- RICE→If you've been a regular reader, you'll know I always recommend Sella rice which is parboiled basmati rice that cooks with perfection and is great for people with diabetes and blood sugar issues. You can use regular basmati rice, but you'll understand why I highly recommend it once you try Sella rice.
- ALLIUM→ I couldn't make yellow rice without the classic onion & garlic combo. They give the rice delicious sweet notes. And there's also no need to diced or crush your garlic; just through it whole and mash it once it's soft or eat it whole.
- TURMERIC→ This is what gives this rice its beautiful yellow huge. However, a little goes a long way!
- AROMATIC SPICE→ The subtle notes of aromatic spice give this rice a beautiful taste; I used a combination of cumin, cardamom, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves.
How do you make this rice dish?
- Saute the onions in ghee and olive oil until golden. Then add the garlic cloves.
- Add all the spices and give it a stir.
- Add your rice, stir to coat with aromatic spices.
- Fill with water, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Then remove from heat and keep covered for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes of rest, your rice is ready.
Quick Pro Tips
- Swap the broth with liquid or powder bouillon
- If you're using regular basmati rice vs Sella basmati rice reduce the broth/water amount to 1 ½ cups.
- Store leftover rice in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
What to Serve with Mediterranean Yellow Rice?
- Speedy chicken Fatteh
- Middle Eastern Roasted Chicken & Authentic Fattoush salad
- Easiest Greek Grilled Chicken & Mediterranean Detox Salad
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Mediterranean Yellow Rice
Mediterranean Yellow Rice⏤A light, bright rice recipe loaded with aromatic spices and all the deliciousness of the Mediterranean. This rice makes for the perfect plant-based lunch alongside a bean salad & doubles as a great side dish for your Mediterranean weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- 1 teasoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon caradmon, ground
- ½ teaspoon cumin, ground
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 garlic cloves, whole and peeled
- 1 cup sella basmati rice (parboiled basmati)
- 2 cup chicken stock or water
Instructions
- Cook onions. Heat a medium-sized pot on medium-high heat. Add ghee & olive oil. Once the oil shimmers, add the onions. cook the onions until golden and soft.
- Add the spices. Once the onions are golden & soft, add the garlic, turmeric, caradmon, cumin, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaves to the pot⏤Saute for 1-3 minutes.
- Add the rice. Once the spice become aromatic add the rice and stir to ensure all the grains are coated in the spices.
- Add stock. Pour the stock into the pot of rice, bring to a rapid boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer and cover⏤cook for 20 minutes without disturing the rice.
- Let the rice rest. After 20 minutes of cooking, remove the lid and fluff the rice. Place the lid back on the pot, remove it from the heat, and rest for 10 minutes.
- Serve. Once the rice has rested for 10 minutes, remove the lid, fluff the rice and plate the rice. You can add garnishes like parsley and almonds, if you would like.
Notes
If using regular basmati rice, REDUCE the stock to 1 ½ cups.
Store for up to 3 days in the fridge.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 152Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 176mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 5g
STEPHANIE PRATHER
Would raisins go well with this rice?
Sarah
Yes, raisins go really well with this rice.