Greek-Style Spinach and Rice Pilaf (Vegan)

I focus primarily on whole-plant food recipes but here we are using white rice for vegan rice pilaf with an authentic Greek heritage.

There is still plenty of fiber and antioxidants from other whole-plant food ingredients, however. I wouldn’t feed you junk!

Spinach, a leafy green whole plant food, is rich in iron and vitamins and even improves endothelial health.
Chickpeas (nature’s Ozempec) have a high satiety score and when eaten trigger the release of compounds into the blood that reduce appetite. You will find that I almost always add legumes to a recipe that contains white rice, not just so it sticks to your ribs, but also for the fiber which helps keep blood sugar levels steady throughout the day.
Basmati rice, though a refined grain, offers a delightful fragrance and a soft, fluffy texture. For those interested, several studies exist comparing white rice to brown rice and surprisingly, white rice doesn’t come out too far behind brown.
The tomato juice provides lycopene, an antioxidant shown to benefit arterial health.
Tamari is the one odd man out in this ensemble, as it doesn’t traditionally appear in a vegan rice pilaf. However, it stands in for a more traditional stock by offering a vegan path to a savory umami flavor, but it does contain a lot of sodium so those with hypertension should reduce the amount or omit it entirely.
Black pepper is under investigation for a litany of health benefits and dillweed supports comfortable digestion. Kind of lame really. It’s like dillweed isn’t even trying. Comfortable digestion?! Anyway…

Greek-Style Spinach and Rice Pilaf

December 25, 2023

Servings: 8

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 35 min

Total: 45 min

Difficulty: Easy

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This vegan rice pilaf uses creamy chickpeas as a balance to the tender spinach and fluffy rice, while the aromatic dill fills your nostrils with every bite.

By: VeganRecipeGuy

Ingredients

3 (10 oz.) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
4 cups tomato juice
2 large onions, minced
1 and 1/2 cups basmati rice
1 (15 oz.) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon tamari
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried dillweed

Directions

Step 1 In a large nonstick saucepan, steam-fry the onions until they become soft.
Step 2 Add the thawed and drained spinach, rinsed chickpeas, and basmati rice to the saucepan.
Step 3 Pour in the tomato juice and add the tamari, black pepper, and dillweed. Stir everything together gently.
Step 4 Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover the saucepan, reduce the heat to low, and let it cook for 35 minutes.
Step 5 After 35 minutes, remove the saucepan from heat but keep it covered until you’re ready to serve.

Estimated Nutritional Label (per serving):

Calories: 200 kcal
Protein: 7 g
Fat: 1.5 g
Carbohydrates: 40 g
Fiber: 6 g
Sodium: Moderate (depends on tamari and tomato juice)
Sugar: 6 g

This vegan rice pilaf dish is not just a treat to your taste buds but also a simple and nutritious addition to your meal rotation that’s easy on the budget.