Spinach Rice (Spanakorizo)
A comforting Greek one-pot rice simmered with masses of wilted spinach, fresh dill, and a generous squeeze of lemon. Simple, bright and deeply savory, it's the kind of dish Greek grandmothers make without a recipe.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Prep the spinach
Wash the spinach well to remove any grit, then drain and roughly chop it. If using mature spinach with thick stems, trim the toughest stems away so the dish stays tender.
- 500 g spinach
✅ Done when: the spinach is clean, well drained and roughly chopped
Soften the onions
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and spring onions and cook gently, stirring now and then, until soft and translucent but not browned, then stir in the garlic for the last minute.
- 120 ml olive oil
- 1 medium onion
- 2 spring onions
- 2 cloves garlic
✅ Done when: the onions are soft, pale and smell sweet, with no browning
Wilt the spinach
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Add rice and stock
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Rest off the heat
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Finish and serve
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Prep the spinach
Wash the spinach well to remove any grit, then drain and roughly chop it. If using mature spinach with thick stems, trim the toughest stems away so the dish stays tender.
- 500 g spinach
✅ Done when: the spinach is clean, well drained and roughly chopped
Soften the onions
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and spring onions and cook gently, stirring now and then, until soft and translucent but not browned, then stir in the garlic for the last minute.
- 120 ml olive oil
- 1 medium onion
- 2 spring onions
- 2 cloves garlic
✅ Done when: the onions are soft, pale and smell sweet, with no browning
Wilt the spinach
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Add rice and stock
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Rest off the heat
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Finish and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Spanakorizo belongs to the lathera family of Greek dishes, vegetables slow-simmered in plenty of olive oil, which developed as everyday, meatless food shaped in part by the long fasting periods of the Greek Orthodox calendar. Rice, spinach, dill and lemon were humble, affordable ingredients that most households could keep on hand through the year.
Every region and every family has its own version, some looser and soupier, others drier and more rice-forward, but the backbone of olive oil, wilted greens and a final hit of lemon stays the same.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It is loved because it turns a handful of pantry staples into something deeply savory and satisfying, equally good as a light meal on its own or as a side next to grilled fish or meat.
💡 Fun Fact
Many Greeks consider spanakorizo even better the next day, served at room temperature with a fresh squeeze of lemon.
Greece
37.98°N, 23.73°E
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