Name: Spinach Rice
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Spanish & PortugueseEurope
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , plus extra for serving; 1 onion , chopped fine; Salt and pepper; 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice; 2 garlic cloves , minced; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 2 1/2 cups chicken broth; 10 ounces frozen spinach , thawed, squeezed dry, and chopped; 2 scallions , sliced thin; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint; 1 tablespoon lemon juice , plus lemon wedges for serving; 2 ounces feta cheese , crumbled (½ cup)

Why This Recipe Works

The trick to achieving a foolproof pilaf that was chock-full of greens while also ensuring evenly cooked rice turned out to be leaving out the spinach until the very end. When we tried cooking it with the rice, the spinach floated in the cooking liquid, carrying a layer of rice up with it. This rice stayed dry and turned out crunchy. We found a solution by adding our thawed, chopped spinach to the pilaf as it rested (after cooking), ensuring that the greens got hot without turning mushy or slimy. Toppings of mint, scallions, lemon juice, and feta added a layer of lively freshness and brightened the flavor of the cooked greens.

Before You Begin

For a vegetarian pilaf, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

Instructions

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until edges begin to turn translucent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in broth and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

Off heat, sprinkle spinach on top of rice, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff rice with fork. Stir in scallions, mint, and lemon juice, tossing until any clumps of spinach are broken up and thoroughly mixed into rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to platter and sprinkle with feta. Serve, drizzled with extra oil and passing lemon wedges separately.