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Spanakorizo (Greek Spinach and rice)

Instant Pot Spanakorizo (Greek Spinach and Rice)

Spanakorizo is a Greek spinach and rice dish made with olive oil, herbs, lemon, and tomato paste for a rich, comforting, and flavorful meal.
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Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:3 minutes
Natural Pressue Release:10 minutes
Total Time:23 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Greek
Keyword: Comfort Food, Lemon, Rice, Spinach
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 292kcal

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 6 green onions diced, dark green parts separated
  • 6 large cloves of garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 lb baby spinach *See Note 1
  • 1 cup medium grain rice rinsed
  • 1½ cups water or broth *See Note 2
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh dill chopped
  • ½ tsp lemon zest
Turn on Cook Mode

Instructions

  • Turn Instant Pot to Saute and add the oil.
    ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Once the oil is hot, add the onion and white and light green parts of the green onion. Saute until they begin to soften.
    1 medium onion, 6 green onions
  • Stir in the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
    6 large cloves of garlic
  • Stir in the tomato paste and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until it starts to darken. Note: This step takes the acidity out of the tomato paste.
    2 tbsp tomato paste
  • Add the spinach and dark green part of the green onions and stir to combine. Saute until the spinach just starts to wilt.
    1 lb baby spinach
  • Stir in the rice, water or broth, salt, and pepper. Scrape any browned bits from the bottom to avoid getting a BURN notification. Turn off Saute mode.
    1 cup medium grain rice, 1½ cups water or broth, 1 tsp sea salt, ½ tsp black pepper
  • Using the Pressure Cook setting, cook on High Pressure for 3 minutes. When the cooking time is complete, allow the Instant Pot to do a 10-minute Natural Release then release any remaining pressure with a Quick Release according to the manufacturer's directions
  • Stir in the lemon juice and fresh herbs, then top with lemon zest. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
    2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, ½ tsp lemon zest, ¼ cup fresh parsley, ¼ cup fresh dill

Notes

Note 1 - Spinach: Spanakorizo is very flexible when it comes to spinach. This recipe uses about 1 lb for a balanced ratio of rice to greens, but many traditional versions use closer to 2 lbs for a more spinach-forward dish. Both work well. It simply depends on whether you prefer more rice or a greener, softer result.
Note 2 - Water or Broth: If you use water, you may need more salt at the end. Taste and adjust as necessary.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g
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