Spanakorizo — Greece

Spanakorizo, from the Greek words for spinach and rice, is a vegetarian pilaf that cooks fresh spinach and rice together in the same pot until the rice has absorbed the liquid released by the greens. It can be served hot as a main course or cooled and eaten at room temperature, and it belongs to the wider family of Greek lathera, vegetable dishes cooked slowly in olive oil. It is reported across Greece as a country-style dish, common in home cooking rather than restaurant menus, and eaten particularly during periods when lighter, vegetable-based meals are preferred, including fasting periods in the Orthodox calendar when it is made without meat or dairy. To prepare it, chopped onion is softened in olive oil, then rice is added and briefly toasted before fresh spinach, dill and mint go into the pot along with water or stock. The mixture simmers, covered, until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, with salt and black pepper added to taste. It is typically finished with a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving, and often plated with a block of feta and extra olive oil on the side. What distinguishes this dish from other rice-based Greek preparations is the volume of greens relative to rice — the spinach cooks down substantially and dominates the dish rather than acting as a garnish — along with the pairing of dill and mint, which gives it a distinct herbal profile. Households vary the greens used, sometimes adding chard or other leafy vegetables, and adjust the rice-to-spinach ratio to taste.