This Mediterranean Bowl was inspired by CAVA, a Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant. I tried CAVA on a recent trip to Austin, TX and I fell in love! It reminded me of a Chipotle, but with Mediterranean food instead of Mexican food. I couldn’t wait to get home so I could recreate all the fresh and delicious flavors. This bowl makes a perfect lunch, chock full of healthy protein, flavorful rice, and also all your favorite bright and fresh Greek flavors.
Ingredients in this Mediterranean Rice Bowl recipe
This Mediterranean Bowl is only one of many delicious bowl combinations. I love bowl recipes, but also I love grabbing random ingredients from my fridge and creating delicious concoctions from whatever I have on hand, tossing it into a bowl and calling it a meal. They’re filling, healthy and leave me feeling satisfied but not overly full. It’s so fun to see what you can make out of odds and ends in your refrigerator. But typically here’s what you need for a Mediterranean Bowl:
Yellow rice – One cup of our delicious homemade yellow rice. It’s so simple to make! Spinach – one cup baby spinach leaves Chicken – half a cup diced chicken. You can make your own (see more below) or dice up a rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken breasts, boneless chicken thighs, anything you have on hand. Fire roasted corn – one quarter cup, or more to taste. Find canned fire roasted corn next to the regular canned corn in the grocery store. It’s got a rich, smoky flavor that gives the rice bowl extra depth. Diced cucumbers – I like to use English cucumbers because they have fewer seeds, but you can peel and dice any cucumbers you like, especially if you have an abundance of veggies in your summer garden. Tzatziki sauce – this yogurt sauce tastes delicious on so many things! Find it at Whole Foods or other grocery stores. If you can’t find it, make your own with our simple homemade Tzatziki Sauce recipe. It has the best flavor. Feta cheese – find crumbled feta in the dairy section of your grocery store or near the deli counter. Pickled red onions – make your own delicious and beautiful pickled red onions with the recipe below. They’re SO good and taste delicious on sandwiches, salads, wraps, anything! Fresh dill – find fresh herbs in the produce section of your favorite grocery store. Toasted pita bread – for serving
What Else Goes Well in a Mediterranean Rice Bowl
If you don’t have some of the ingredients listed above, this is the time to get in your fridge and clear out some odds and ends. Basically there are five main components of a bowl meal:
Homemade Pickled Red Onions
Pickled red onions are the absolute icing on the cake of this recipe. They are little sweet and sour GEMS. Plus, I am also just obsessed with the color. You can buy these at most grocery stores, but they are also SO easy to make at home! Thinly slice one red onion. Then, add it to a large jar with an airtight lid. Then, in a separate bowl mix together ¼ cup red wine vinegar, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, and 1 cup warm water. Stir until all the salt and sugar dissolve and pour over the onions. Let sit in the fridge overnight, and voila! You will want to make these over and over again. They are delicious on these Mediterranean Bowls, as well as tacos, avocado toast, salads, and sandwiches!
Additions and Substitutions
You can swap cooked quinoa, brown rice, couscous or any other grain. At CAVA I got the saffron rice and it was delicious! You can buy pre-made saffron rice at some grocery stores. However, I used our Yellow Rice for this recipe. Go all veggie! Keep out the chicken and pile on the veggies. In addition to the vegetables listed below, you can add roasted cauliflower, eggplant, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, shredded carrots, chopped beets, or sun dried tomatoes. For a little extra protein, you can also add chickpeas or avocado. If you’re a meat lover, you can add two or three types of meat to your Mediterranean bowl, like ground beef or pork, chicken thighs, grilled sirloin or shredded beef. Instead of Tzatziki sauce, you could use a red wine vinaigrette, tahini sauce, hummus, balsamic vinaigrette, or you can also just use extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and vinegar.
Meal Prep Ideas
These Mediterranean Rice Bowls make the best make ahead meals for lunches, easy to grab suppers or after school snacks. You can keep all the ingredients chopped, cooked and placed in separate containers for easy assembly. Store leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator for three to five days. READ NEXT: 35+ Easy Lunch Ideas
More Greek Inspired Recipes
Create a full Mediterranean feast with your Mediterranean Bowl by making a few of these bright and fresh recipes:
Copycat Skotidakis Jalapeno Greek Dip Greek Salad Light Greek Pasta Salad Mediterranean Flatbread Pizzas Chicken Gyro with Tzatziki Cucumber Sauce
How to Make a Mediterranean Bowl
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Greek Tortellini Salad
Crockpot Chicken Gyros
Jalapeno Greek Yogurt Dip
Flatbread Pizzas
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