Description
Mediterranean Rice and Beans: Fresh, vibrant, and bursting with bold Mediterranean flavors! This wholesome one-pot dish combines fluffy rice, hearty chickpeas, bright lemon, and fresh herbs for a nourishing, budget-friendly meal you’ll want on repeat. Perfect as a light main or flavorful side.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 can 15 oz chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Zest of ½ lemon
- Optional: cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, or crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear.
- In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add rinsed rice and stir to coat with the spices.
- Pour in vegetable broth and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in chickpeas, cover again, and cook for another 5 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- Stir in fresh parsley, cilantro, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Serve warm topped with optional fresh vegetables or feta if desired.
Notes
- Rinse rice until water runs clear to remove excess starch.
- Feel free to add cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, or feta for extra color and tang.
- Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before fluffing to let flavors meld.
- Swap parsley with cilantro if you prefer a stronger herb note.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: Mediterranean Rice and Beans, chickpeas, lemon, herbs, one-pot, easy dinner, budget-friendly, vegetarian