This vibrant Rice with leeks is simple, nourishing, and full of flavor. It's traditional Greek Prasorizo. A stew-like type of dish with soft rice, mellow leeks, plenty of extra virgin olive oil, and fresh flavors of dill and lemon.
What's best about Greek cooking is that with a handful of basic ingredients, you can cook a healthy and delicious dish. For example, got lentils? Make some Lentil Rice (Fakorizo). Got spinach? Turn it into a Spinach Rice (Spanakoryzo). Or make this wholesome and delicious Rice With Leeks (Prasorizo).
Table Of Contents
In Greece, we serve it as a main Vegetarian dish. The fact that it doesn't contain any protein (meat, for example) doesn't make it any less satisfying. Plus, you can always serve it with some grated cheese on top (Parmesan, Pecorino, Myzithra) or a big piece of Feta cheese on the side.
Prasorizo (Greek rice with leeks) is also a great side dish for any meat (especially chicken) or even seafood dishes.
Ingredients
- Leeks: mostly the white part.
- Onions
- Spring onions
- Rice: I'm using two types of rice. Short-grain and long-grain. The first adds more starch, which thickens the dish, and the second adds more bite. In Greece, Prasorizo is usually made with either one, but I find that combining both makes the best leek rice.
- Dill
- Bay leaf
- Lemon juice: and if you want a stronger citrusy tang, add the zest of half a lemon as well.
How To Make Leek Rice
To make Greek leek rice, first sauté the onions and leeks in olive oil. Then add the rice, sauté for a minute or two, add water or stock (vegetable or chicken), and simmer, covered, until all the liquid is absorbed. Mix in the lemon juice (and zest, optional) as well as the fresh dill, and it's ready!
TIPS
- Use plenty of olive oil to saute the leeks. We want them to soften and sear nicely.
- Season the leeks slightly with fine salt to help them soften more easily.
- Also, use high-quality extra-virgin olive oil to make this Prasorizo. It's the heart of the dish!
- Use chicken or vegetable stock instead of water for extra flavor.
- Let the rice and leeks stand in the pot for 5-10 minutes before serving to thicken more.
Serve With
This Greek rice with leeks goes amazingly with chicken. Roasted or grilled chicken goes great. But if you want to keep it Vegetarian, add a scoop of Greek yogurt on top, a favorite way of eating rice dishes in Greece and Middle Eastern countries.
Recipe
Prasorizo - Rice With Leeks
Ingredients
- 180 ml (⅔ cup) extra virgin olive oil + extra for sauteing
- 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) leeks leafy green parts removed
- 100 grams (½ large) onion minced
- 3 small spring onions finely chopped
- 150 grams (¾ cup) long-grain rice such as Basmati
- 150 grams (¾ cup) short-grain-rice such as Arborio
- 1 bay leaf
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh dill minced
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) fresh lemon juice
- freshly ground pepper
- OPTIONAL: 1250 ml (5 cups) stock vegetable or chicken stock
- ½ lemon zest
Instructions
- Chop leeks into 1½ cm (⅔-inch) thick slices.
- Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a medium-sized cooking pot over moderate heat.
- Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent.
- Add the leeks and spring onions and raise the heat slightly. Season lightly with salt.
- Saute until soft and translucent. Don't stir too often, allow the leeks to get some color.
- Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes stirring with a wooden spoon.
- Pour in 1250 ml (5 cups) hot water or stock.
- Add the bay leaf, 125 ml (½ cup) of extra virgin olive oil (save the remaining olive oil for later), and season with salt and pepper.
- Simmer covered over low heat until the rice is cooked. About 18-20 minutes.
- Stir in the dill, fresh lemon juice, remaining olive oil, and lemon zest (if using).
- Return to the heat for 1 minute. If too thick, add a splash of hot water; it will thicken even more as it stands. Then take the pot off the heat and let the food stand for 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve with freshly ground pepper, a few extra drops of lemon juice, and a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil if you like.
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