Mediterranean Rice Recipe: The Best Tasting & Healthy Rice

If you are not having take-out food for dinner seven days a week, there is a good chance that you have tried your luck with Mediterranean cuisine. However, Mediterranean rice is an underrated dish, unfortunately. In this recipe, we will show you just how delicious it can be.

As one of the oldest foods that we eat, rice is as versatile as it is delicious. This dish is a creative take on rice, combining it with onion, garlic, and turmeric. Our Mediterranean rice recipe makes a great side dish, although it can be the main course, as well. We think it is best paired with meat, fish, or vegetable-based dishes. The fact that it is also vegan is a bonus. 

With a sharp, yellow, and mouthwatering look, this dish is an easy one to make, with little prep time and pretty accessible ingredients, as most of them are basic kitchen staples.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Equipment
• Tips
• Mediterranean Rice Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients

• Olive oil — 1 tbsp.
• Rice — 1 cup, uncooked.
• Onion — 1 pc., chopped.
• Garlic — 2 cloves, minced.
• Ground turmeric — 1 tbsp.
• Ground cumin — 1 tbsp.
• Chicken broth — 2 cups.
• Salt and pepper — to taste.
• Cilantro and parsley.
• Jalapeno — optional.

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a frying pan, and add onion. 

2. After the onion is translucent, add minced garlic. 

3. Sauté until they turn golden brown.

4. Add turmeric and cumin, as well as salt and pepper to taste. 

5. Add the chicken broth, and rice, stirring well. 

6. Bring to a boil, and simmer for about half an hour on low heat.

7. Remove from the heat, and add cilantro and parsley.

Equipment

• Measuring spoons and cups. 

• Medium-sized frying pan.

Tips

• The rice — When it comes to rice, we strongly recommend using long grains, to bring out the best of the turmeric. Although rice comes in a variety of types, sticking to jasmine or basmati rice would be a safe route, especially since the latter provides the much-needed fluffiness and flavor. Basmati rice also has a longer grain, which makes it more than ideal for our Mediterranean rice recipe.

• Chicken broth — As this yellow delight owes its color to curcumin, it also owes its unique flavor to chicken broth. Opting for chicken broth instead of water will provide your dish with the sweet taste that you will be addicted to. If you don’t have chicken broth, you can always cook the rice with water. You can swap the chicken broth with liquid or powder bouillon too. When it comes to the quantity, the go-to ratio is usually one to two, which means that for every 1 cup of rice, you’ll be needing 2 cups of chicken broth, or any other liquid.