Lemon Feta Basil Rice
Dress up your favorite rice or grains with a squeeze of lemon juice, crumbled feta, and fresh basil. Serve with chicken or your favorite simple protein!
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked rice (or grains, any kind)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (one whole lemon)
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup feta cheese (crumbled)
- ⅓ cup fresh basil (hand torn or chiffonade)
Instructions
- Cook rice using whatever method you prefer.
- In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- When rice is done cooking, add it to the bowl with the lemon juice and stir to combine and break up the rice. The lemon juice and olive oil will naturally separate, so whisk it again right before adding the rice if you see separation.
- While the rice is still quite hot, add the feta cheese and stir to evenly distribute. Use your fingers to crumble any especially large chunks as you add them. The heat from the rice will melt the feta slightly, but it should still remain in visible chunks.
- Tear or thinly slice the basil leaves and add them to the rice. Toss to combine.
- Serve warm.
RECIPE NOTES
- To chiffonade basil leaves, layer 6-8 leaves on top of each other, roll them into a log, and slice thinly across the log.
- You can also add frozen peas, edamame, or corn right from the freezer while the rice is still warm and let the residual heat from the rice defrost them.
- Try a lime juice/cotija/cilantro combo for Mexican flavors or lemon/parmesan/thyme for an Italian twist.
- Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. After that the rice sometimes gets a bit of a weird texture. Reheat the lemon basil feta rice in the microwave, heating in 20-second bursts on high, stirring in between. The basil will be darker after a day or two in the fridge, but will still taste great and is safe to eat.
- Depending on what rice or grain you use, you may need to add more or less lemon juice and olive oil depending on how absorbent your grain of choice is.
- Always rinse your rice before cooking. I used to be skeptical of this extra step, but it really does make a difference — your rice will be fluffier, and less likely to clump up or stick together.