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A brown rice bowl with tons of flavor is the perfect healthy meal on a busy night.
I love a good grain bowl, especially if it has lots of veggies and a delicious sauce. But then it’s like, is it a salad? It could be?
I also like a brown rice bowl that is easily customizable. And that can be good even if you forgot a key ingredient.
This recipe actually came together on a fridge cleanout. So it has what it has because that’s what I had on hand when I made it. But it all works out well, so next time I would go out of my way to make it just like this. If that makes sense.
It starts with some rice. Or any type of cooked grain you have on hand. I had some brown rice, so boom, it become a brown rice bowl. For some nutrients, sautéed spinach. Even if you’re not a fan of cooked spinach, you can probably get on board with this because it’s so good. Finally a sauce. I chose a roasted pepper sauce because I had a jar of roasted peppers in the pantry. But this could easily work with hummus, tzatziki or baba ganoush. Or even some oil and vinegar if that’s what you have.
For the extras, I had some olives, because I almost always have some olives hanging out in my fridge (I eat a lot of cheese plates, okay?) Some feta, because, again, cheese plates.
And finally homemade pita chips. Because what kind of monster makes a delicious sauce of any kind without some good dipping accouterments?
You can, of course, add lots of other things to this. Cucumbers, artichokes, marinated mushrooms. Anything that you would find at an olive bar. For protein, you could add some tuna. The possibilities are endless.
Mediterranean Brown Rice Bowls
An easy brown rice bowl that is full of Mediterranean flavors. Perfectly healthy, perfectly customizable, and delicious.
Equipment
Ingredients
Roasted Pepper Sauce:
- 1 12- ounce jar roasted peppers drained
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup roasted almonds
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Pita Chips:
- 2 pitas cut into triangles
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Coarse sea salt
Spinach:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 10 ounces baby spinach
- Juice of 1 lemon
- To put together:
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- Feta cheese
- Olives
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Peperoncinis
Instructions
- First make the roasted pepper sauce. Put all of the ingredients a blender and blend until just a bit chunky, with not big pieces remaining. Set aside.
- To make the pita chips, preheat oven to 400 degrees (I used my toaster oven) and spread the pita triangles on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper flakes. Bake for 5-8 minutes, until lightly browned and crisp. Remove and let cool.
- To make the spinach, heat a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and garlic and stir and cook for about a minute. Add the spinach, stirring as you go, and cook until wilted. Turn off heat.
- To plate, spoon the brown rice into two bowls top each with half the spinach. Add whatever other ingredients you like and top with the sauce. Serve immediately.
Notes
Storing leftovers: Everything can be prepared ahead and stored in the fridge but the spinach — it's best cooked immediately before serving.
Variations: Any vegetable or protein can be added to this. You can also swap grains, or use hummus instead of pepper sauce (or both!)
Pairs well with: Gluten-Free Chickpea Flatbread, Roasted Garlic Lemon Yogurt Dip, Pan-Fried Feta Cheese
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
