Lemon Rice Recipe
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Upgrade your meals with this zesty lemon rice made with nutritious whole grain brown rice dressed in a lemon parsley and olive oil dressing elevated with tons of fragrant lemon zest. Simple to make and so delicious you won’t think of rice as a filler ever again, this one is a star in its own right.
Lemon Rice
Rice is nice especially when it Is whole grain and packed with fresh lemony flavor. If you love zesty citrusy dishes as much as I do then this one is for you.
About the Rice
I love using a long grain brown rice variety here like basmati or jasmine rice that is packed with fiber and holds up really well to the dressing. You could use short grain brown rice if you prefer, I’m just not that into it so I don’t usually store it in my pantry. This could also work really well with heirloom black rice and it is a real showstopper on the dinner table.
Recipe Success Tips
- Wash the Rice – This is a very important step, rinse your rice very well in a mesh colander to wash off as much as the starch as possible which is going to yield a fluffy rice where the grains separate nicely.
- Rice to Water Ratio – Because I want my rice fluffy not sticky and I am rinsing it first, I highly recommend using 1.75 cups of water for every 1 cup of rice, regardless of what the package might say.
- Glass Lid – If available use a glass lid on your pot so you can what is going on inside, the simmer level, if any foam rises to the top you can prevent any spills and most importantly you can see clearly when all the liquid has been absorbed.
- The Lemons – Since we are going to use the zest it’s important to choose beautiful organic lemons for this. Scrub them well with a little bit of salt to remove any wax and any chemicals that might be on the surface.
- Parsley – Use flat leaf Italian parsley for its beautiful fragrance. Do not use curly parsley as it really has no flavor to speak of. however it is very pretty as a garnish so you can use some for that.
- Garlic – One fresh garlic clove finely grated is all that is necessary here to give a subtle garlicky layer of flavor but without it overpowering the dish with its pungency. Use one that has no green sprouts growing out of it as that is an indication of the garlic being old and most likely bitter and pungent.
- Olive Oil – Since we aren’t going to heat up this dressing, by all means grab your best bottle of extra virgin for this or whichever one you love the taste of.
- Use a Food Processor – Use the processor over the blender here so you end up with a dressing that has texture and pretty specks of green throughout vs blending a smoothie. Alternatively you can do a very fine chop of the parsley by hand and whisk everything together before tossing with the rice.
- Black Pepper – Freshly cracked black pepper is like the bow on top, lemon pepper is a match made in flavor heaven so go wild with it as much as you love.
On Storage
Although I like to serve this rice slightly warm or at room temperature, any leftovers are delicious served cold straight out of the fridge, especially on a hot summer day. Alternatively you can reheat in a skillet on the stove top until warmed through. It keeps well refrigerated up to 5 days (just because I’m not the FDA..).
- Italian Rice
- Wild Rice Pilaf
- Brown Rice Pilaf
- Artichoke Lemon Risotto
- Roasted Vegetable Rice Salad
- Wild Rice Mushroom Soup
- Marinated Artichoke Hearts
how to make lemon rice
Lemon Rice
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain brown rice (like basmati or jasmine)
- 3.5 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 bunch flat leaf Italian parsley
- 2 lemons zested + juiced
- 5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil + more as desired
- 1 large garlic clove grated
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- black pepper - freshly cracked to taste
Instructions
- In a fine mesh colander rinse the rice very well until the water runs clear. Drain well then add it to a medium high sided stock pot / rice pot. Add the water, bay leaf and a pinch of salt and bring to a heavy boil.2 cups long grain brown rice, 3.5 cups water, 1 bay leaf
- Turn the heat down to medium low and cover with a glass lid preferably (so you can see what is going on inside ). Make sure the water stays at a nice simmer and if any foam rises to the top you can remove it using a skimmer spoon.
- Cook the rice for 45 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed (follow the package directions time if possible). Once all the liquid has been absorbed turn off the heat but allow the rice to sit covered for another 15 minutes to finish cooking in its own steam.
- Discard bay leaf and using a fork fluff up the rice in the pot then transfer it to a large mixing bowl.
- Meanwhile in a food processor mix the parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and sea salt. Use the pulse button a few times until everything is finely chopped but still see some texture throughout.1 bunch flat leaf Italian parsley, 2 lemons, 5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 large garlic clove, 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Pour the lemon dressing over the rice and using a spatula fold everything together until all the rice grains are coated.
- Mix in the lemon zest and adjust seasonings to taste with more sea salt and lots of freshly cracked black pepper.2 lemons
- Serve warm garnished with more lemon zest and more Italian parsley or onion chives if available.black pepper - freshly cracked to taste
