Greek-Style Brown Rice Bowl & Lemon Yogurt Sauce
This Greek-Style Brown Rice Bowl & Lemon Yogurt Sauce is made with bell pepper, broccoli, and tomatoes. Topped with a delicious herb yogurt sauce, it is a perfect weeknight dinner!
Why You’ll Love This Greek-Style Brown Rice Bowl!
I love Greek food. The fresh herbs and bright flavors are always so refreshing and satisfying. This rice bowl is bursting with flavor, yet so simple. It is packed with whole grains, and lots of crunchy vegetables that lend a really great texture combination. The lemon yogurt sauce just sends it over top! You can also add a protein like grilled chicken or fish to complete the meal even more.
The BEST Lemon Yogurt Sauce
The rice is the base of the bowl, but really the veggies and that delicious yogurt sauce are the stars of the show. Let’s talk about that yogurt sauce…
- creamy
- tangy from the lemon
- lots of fresh flavor from the garlic and herbs
- the perfect drizzle
- only a few ingredients!
You can’t have a grain bowl without some type of sauce/dressing/dip/ of sorts (in my opinion). I am definitely a saucy kind of girl, and I’m always pouring something over my big bowls of veggies. It just adds that extra bit of creaminess and flavor that you need for this.
You can use any type of yogurt you want, I used a plain unsweetened dairy-free version for mine. But you can use a regular unsweetened greek yogurt if you can handle dairy.
How To Make This Easy Dish
To make this dish even quicker, you can use packaged frozen brown rice. This would probably make this a 20-minute meal. But even with using regular rice, it really doesn’t take too long because you can prep and cook all of your veggies while the rice cooks.
This is the perfect meal for an easy weeknight dinner, or even to meal prep ahead of time to have a quick lunch waiting for you throughout the week!
Step 1 – Start by combining the rice, water, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a medium saucepan. Cover with a lid, put the pot over high heat and let it come to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for about 45 minutes, until all of the liquid is absorbed. (the cooking time may be different for different types of rice, so follow package instructions)
Step 2 – Next, make the yogurt sauce by combining all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl and use a fork to stir it all together. Let the sauce sit in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Step 3 – While the rice cooks, prepare the vegetables. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then add the broccoli. Give it a stir and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Once the broccoli starts to soften just a bit, add the bell pepper. Let it cook for another 3-4 minutes, then add the tomatoes. Season the vegetables with a pinch of salt and pepper, and add the chopped garlic. Let it all cook for another 2-3 minutes, until all of the vegetables are cooked through. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Step 4 – When the rice is done cooking, use a fork to fluff it up, then pour it into the skillet with the vegetables. Stir it all together to combine.
Step 5 – To serve, spoon the rice and veggies into a bowl, drizzle with the yogurt sauce, and garnish with chopped parsley.
Greek-Style Brown Rice Bowl & Lemon Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice (uncooked)
- 1¾ cup water (or broth)
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 2½ cups broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
Lemon Yogurt Sauce
- ½ cup plain, unsweetened yogurt (I used a dairy-free version)
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- pinch of salt and pepper
- juice of ½ a lemon
- 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Start by combining the rice, water, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a medium saucepan. Cover with a lid, put the pot over high heat and let it come to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for about 45 minutes, until all of the liquid is absorbed. (the cooking time may be different for different types of rice, so follow package instructions)
- Next, make the yogurt sauce by combining all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl and use a fork to stir it all together. Let the sauce sit in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
- While the rice cooks, prepare the vegetables. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then add the broccoli. Give it a stir and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Once the broccoli starts to soften just a bit, add the bell pepper. Let it cook for another 3-4 minutes, then add the tomatoes. Season the vegetables with a pinch of salt and pepper, and add the chopped garlic. Let it all cook for another 2-3 minutes, until all of the vegetables are cooked through. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
- When the rice is done cooking, use a fork to fluff it up, then pour it into the skillet with the vegetables. Stir it all together to combine.
- To serve, spoon the rice and veggies into a bowl, drizzle with the yogurt sauce, and garnish with chopped parsley.
Looking for more vegetarian recipes?
- Warm Kale Salad with Wild Rice & White Beans
- White Bean & Chard Soup
- Roasted Tomato & Mushroom Frittata
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