Mint Rice with crumbled feta cheese is a refreshing and savory dish that adds a Mediterranean twist to classic rice, perfect as a side or a main dish.
You can serve it with Roasted Salmon, grilled chicken, shrimp, beef, or lamb.
Why This Recipe Works
FLAVOR - Mint and feta cheese are a powerful flavor combination.
EASY - With just a few ingredients like rice, onion, mint, and feta cheese, you'll create a side dish that is fun to make as it is delicious to serve and eat.
VERSATILE - Although originally it was a side dish, you can easily transform it into a quick lunch. One of my favorite ways is to top it with shrimp and serve it with a slice of lemon. Still hungry? Add a slice of warm pita for a delicious, nutritious, healthy lunch.
LEFTOVERS - It may not be everybody's cup of tea, but I actually love to snack on the leftovers cold or at room temperature. The mint and feta cheese combine beautifully. The taste is just incredibly delicious.
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Ingredients
Please check the recipe card below for a detailed, printable ingredient list.
OIL - Extra virgin olive oil adds flavor and serves as a nice base.
GARLIC & ONIONS - Fresh minced cloves or minced garlic. A sweet or yellow onion is a great choice for this recipe.
RICE - Jasmine or Basmati rice work well. But any long grain rice will work.
BROTH - Chicken or Vegetable Broth are both great choices.
MINT - fresh mint is the star of this recipe and infuses the rice with the unique flavor that makes this side dish so special.
FETA CHEESE - This salty and savory cheese pulls all of the other flavors together.
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German Cucumber Salad - Oma's authentic German Cucumber Salad is incredibly refreshing and made with 4 simple ingredients.
How To Make Mint Rice
Please check the printable recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
- SAUTÉ - In a medium saucepan, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until soft and tender. Add rice and cook for 1 minute.
- BOIL - Add chicken (or vegetable) broth and bring it to a boil.
- SIMMER - Reduce heat and simmer until the liquid completely dissolves.
- FINISH - Use a fork to fluff the rice. Add the mint and feta. Salt to taste.
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Leftovers
STORE - Transfer any leftover mint rice to an airtight container. You can store it for up to 3 days in the fridge.
FREEZE - I don't recommend freezing the Mint Rice.
Useful Kitchen Tools
- Garlic Press. Hands down, the best garlic press - and easy to clean.
- 5-quart Stainless Steel Dutch Oven - One of my favorite pots to use when I cook for just two.
- Professional Chef's Knife. A high-quality knife is an investment, but having a well-sharpened knife in the drawer pays off.
- Cutting Board
Recipe Success Tips
Mince the fresh mint very finely. I purposely cut larger pieces when I photographed the recipe.
Once the fresh mint comes in contact with the hot rice, the mint will turn a few shades darker.
This recipe works well with grilled chicken, and roasted salmon, and for a middle-eastern touch, serve with grilled lamb.
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Mint Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice basmati
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- ½ medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 16 ounces broth chicken or vegetable
- ½ cup Feta cheese diced
- 3 tablespoons mint minced
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium sized Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and minced garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes until translucent and soft.
- Add rice and cook for one minute. Add broth and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes or until all the liquids have dissolved.
- Meanwhile finely mince fresh mint and cut the Feta cheese into ¼ inch cubes.
- Remove the rice from the oven and use a fork to fluff the rice. Add minced mint and Feta cheese and combine well. - Serve and Enjoy.
Hannah
This recipe is sooo good. We’ve made it twice already.
Thank you
Patrice
I love both Feta cheese and mint so this would be a wonderful side dish for us!
Whitney
It is great on it's own but I love the idea of adding shrimp! That makes it an easy dinner!
Anita
This was our first time adding feta cheese to rice. It was so good.
Krissy Allori
Absolutely delicious side dish. I had grilled shrimp with mine and it was amazing!
Beth
the flavor of mint and feta is so good together! Love how easy this was to make!
Danielle
Ah, the combination of mint and feta is amazing! I just love those two flavors... And adding them to rice makes the latter the perfect side to so many dishes!
Leanne
Feta is a staple in our house, and I actually love it with rice. I never thought to add fresh mint. The flavour profile sounds delicious!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
Mint rice is a popular recipe in India, but we add a lot more spices that sort of tones down the flavor of mint. I like this simple recipe and love the idea of using feta cheese. They will pair so well!
Maike
I didn't know that! I love Indian food and yes adding more spices would definitely be a great way to expand and play with this dish. That's a great suggestion. Thank you, Sandhya! 🙂
Leslie
I love how simple this recipe is but I really appreciate that it doesn't lack flavor. This is perfect!
Tracy
I use to make rice like this all the time! only difference is I use coconut water instead of chicken broth, the flavor is RIDICULOUS.
Maike
Coconut water is a fabulous idea!! I can definitely see how this would work really, really well. Thank you!