Here comes the spring with this flavorful, quite hearty, filling and super quick Mediterranean rice stew with egg and lemon sauce.
Vegetable stews and soups were this winter’s obsession. Have you noticed the past tense? Yay! The weather is definitely warmer and it smells like spring in this corner of the Mediterranean. That being said, it’s time to go full-on spring and check recipes off from my seasonal bucket list. But first, let’s honor these last winter days with a special dish. This Mediterranean rice stew with egg and lemon sauce tastes so fresh and looks like the sunshine!
The story behind the recipe’s development is more or less the same every time. Meal planning + cleaning out the fridge/pantry = new recipe. So, I knew I had veggies like carrots, leeks and leaf celery waiting in the fridge and those ingredients gave me the idea of this rice stew. A lot of delicious vegetables alongside long grain brown rice make a Mediterranean friendly meal. Healthy and yummy! Almost like a risotto, but not exactly.
However, I had to go further than just a “so good” Mediterranean rice stew and make an “unforgettable” one. Why not add a hearty, creamy, tangy and 100% healthy sauce that will bring all the flavor together? So, I did it the Greek way and it worked like a charm. The famous Greek egg and lemon sauce called avgolemono (avgo=egg + lemono=lemon) in Greek.
Finally, adding egg and lemon sauce provides a vibrant yellow color to any dish that is more pleasant for the eye. You know what they say: you eat with the eyes first. Very nice color indeed but let’s add more with one of the most delicious and colorful spice. Turmeric. Nailed it! That’s how this Mediterranean rice stew looks like the sunshine!
The one and only challenge for this dish (and any dish with egg and lemon sauce) is to add raw eggs to hot broth without the eggs curdling. It isn’t that difficult but it needs your attention while tempering the egg-lemon mixture. Just follow my instructions carefully for this part of the recipe. For the rest, throw the veggies and rice into your pot, give them a few stirs and top them with the egg-lemon sauce. Whip up your dinner in no more than 30 minutes and serve an incredible dinner from just a few ingredients. It couldn’t be easier and tastier.
Serve your Mediterranean rice stew with whole-wheat pita and a traditional cabbage salad. A dry, aromatic Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect pair for this dish.
Use up the veggies in your fridge and pantry and make your version of this Mediterranean rice stew. Don’t forget to top it with the egg and lemon. Tag me and let me see your creations on Instagram or Facebook or leave your comment and rating on this page. It’s been always a pleasure to get your feedback.
- 1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 5 leeks, the white part, chopped
- 1 cup celery leaves, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 5-6 cups (1,25-1,5lt) hot water or low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup (250g) white parboiled rice or long grain brown rice
- 1 egg
- 1 lemon, juice
- Salt, pepper
- In a large pot, over medium-high heat, add the olive oil until it shimmers. Add the onion and leeks. Stir well for 2-3 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the carrots and leaf celery for 5 minutes and then garlic, crushed red pepper, and turmeric. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir well and season to taste.
- Pour carefully hot water or vegetable broth to cover all the ingredients and reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir occasionally for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the rice and thoroughly rinse it under cool water. Drain. When vegetables are ready, add the rice in the pot. Season to taste. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes until rice is ready.
- If the stew is too thick, add more hot water or broth. Repeat if needed but don’t add too much. Reduce the heat to low. Reserve ½ cup of broth.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg until lightened in color and frothy, about 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in the lemon juice. Drizzle the reserved broth into the egg-lemon mixture, while whisking vigorously.*
- Add the egg and lemon mixture into the pot, cook on low heat for 3-5 minutes and stir to combine. Don’t boil it.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Can I make in crockpot
Even though I have never made it, I know that you may make pretty much anything in crockpot.
You would be hard-pressed to find a Chinese household that doesn t enjoy a good bowl of fried rice. Growing up, whenever I saw a large bowl of cooked rice in the kitchen, I would cross my fingers and wait with eager anticipation to see if it was fried rice night. The flavor of rice mixed with eggs, vegetables and a thin layer of soy sauce was something that brought comfort to my belly.
Fried rice = amazing comfort food. However, I would suggest making this vegetable rice stew just to enjoy the Mediterranean way as well.
Sylia
Sounds wonderful!! I’ll have to try this on weight watchers :). I love spaghetti squash so I usually poke a hole in it and cook it in the microwave about ten minutes. That gets it half way done. Then I finish by roasting it cut side down in the oven because it has better flavor!!
Excellent idea. It will be amazing. Believe it or not, I have never made spaghetti squash but I will definitely try. Thank you for stopping by.
Sylia
Excellent site you have here but I was curious if you knew of any forums
that cover the same topics discussed here? I’d really love to be a part of community where I can get suggestions from other experienced individuals that share
the same interest.
Thank you Alisha. There are many Mediterranean friendly groups on Facebook. I would suggest “The Mediterranean Diet Followers” because they follow the guidelines of the Mediterranean way of eating.
xxx
Sylia
Thank you so much for wonderful recipes! What I love about your website most of all is that you post not only great recipes and descriptions but also stunning photos of food! Have a nice day!
Thank you so much, Rose. Your feedback keeps me going for another productive year. Happy New Year!
xxx
Sylia
I’m making this for dinner tonight I’ll let you know how it turns out. But I looks good anyways.
Thank you, Rubi. I would love to hear from you.
xxx
Sylia
This so AMAZING! This is a dish that I would totally make for myself and probably keep for myself. My grandmother used to make something similar when I was a little girl.
Thank you so much Hannah! Soglad you like it. Tell me if tou like it.
xxx
Sylia
Wonderful post! We are linking to this great article on our site. Keep up the great writing.
Thank you so much!!! Great site you got yoourself!
xxx
Sylia