Greek Spanakorizo Risotto with Feta and Dill
A creamy stovetop risotto inspired by Greek spanakorizo (spinach rice). Arborio rice is simmered with scallions, lots of spinach and fresh dill, then finished with lemon and salty feta.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Wait
- 3 min
- Total
- 58 min
- Makes
- 4 main-course servings (about 6 cups / 1.4 L total)
Steps
Before you start
- Use low-sodium broth. Feta is salty, so you'll season at the end after tasting.
- Chop everything before you turn on the heat. Once the rice goes in, you'll be stirring almost constantly for about 20 minutes.
- Crumble the feta by hand from a block packed in brine if you can. It's creamier than pre-crumbled feta.
- Plan to serve right away. Risotto thickens quickly as it sits.
Heat the broth
- Pour the vegetable broth into a medium saucepan and bring to a bare simmer over medium heat.
- Reduce the heat to low and keep it hot and covered for the whole recipe.
- Meanwhile, zest the lemon, then juice it and set both aside.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Broth is steaming with a few small bubbles at the edge.
Tip: Cold broth added to the rice slows cooking and makes the texture uneven, so keep it hot.
Soften the aromatics
- Set the wide skillet over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of the olive oil.
- Add the diced onion and the white and light green scallion slices with a pinch of salt.
- Cook, stirring often, for 6 minutes.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The onion is soft and translucent with no browning.
Tip: If the onion starts to brown, lower the heat. Browned onion makes the risotto taste heavier and less fresh.
Toast the rice
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the arborio rice and stir constantly for 2 minutes so every grain is coated in oil and heated through.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Grain edges look translucent with a small opaque white dot in the center, and the rice smells nutty.
Tip: Don't let the garlic brown. Add the rice quickly once it smells fragrant.
Deglaze with wine
- Pour in the white wine.
- Stir until the wine is almost completely absorbed and the sharp alcohol smell fades, about 2 minutes.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The pan looks nearly dry when you drag the spoon across the bottom.
Add broth gradually
- Reduce the heat to medium-low so the rice bubbles gently.
- Add about 1 cup (240 ml) of hot broth and stir often.
- When the pan looks almost dry and the spoon leaves a trail, add another ½ cup (120 ml).
- Keep adding in ½-cup additions for 18–20 minutes, using about 4 cups (950 ml) in total.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The rice is creamy and loose, and a grain bitten in half is tender outside with a slight firmness (al dente) in the very center.
Tip: Stir often but not nonstop. Stirring releases starch for creaminess, and the gentle bubbling does the cooking.
Wilt in the spinach
- Add the chopped spinach in two handfuls, stirring each until it collapses before adding the rest.
- Pour in another ½ cup (120 ml) of broth and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes more.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The spinach is dark green and fully wilted, and the rice is tender with a flowing, porridge-like consistency.
Tip: If the rice is still chalky in the center, add a splash more broth and cook 2 minutes longer. You may not need all of it.
Finish off the heat
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the lemon zest, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the lemon juice, the chopped dill, the dark green scallion tops and about two-thirds of the crumbled feta.
- Taste and add salt and pepper, remembering that feta adds salt.
- Loosen with a splash of hot broth if the risotto looks stiff.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The risotto flows slowly into a flat pool when you tilt the pan.
Tip: Add the lemon and dill off the heat so they stay bright and don't turn dull.
Rest and serve
- Cover the pan and let it rest for 3 minutes so the rice relaxes and the texture turns creamy.
- Spoon into warm shallow bowls and top with the remaining feta, a drizzle of the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil, a few dill sprigs and black pepper.
- Serve right away.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The risotto is creamy and spoonable and slowly spreads in the bowl.
Tip: Serve with extra lemon wedges if you like a sharper finish.
Good to know
Tips
- Keep the heat at medium-low during the broth stage. The rice should bubble gently, not boil hard, or the outside will turn mushy before the center cooks.
- Fresh dill matters here. Dried dill won't give the same flavor, so use fresh whenever possible.
- Pull the risotto from the heat while it is a little looser than you want. It will tighten as it rests.
- Serve it with a simple tomato and cucumber salad and warm pita for a complete Greek-style meal.
Make ahead
"Chop the onion, scallions, garlic and dill and refrigerate them in covered containers up to 1 day ahead. Zest and juice the lemon the same day. Risotto itself is best cooked just before serving."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: up to 1 hour (2 hours maximum for food safety). Refrigerator: cool quickly and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freezer: not recommended, as the rice turns mushy and the feta grainy. To reheat, warm in a skillet over medium-low heat with 2–4 tablespoons of broth or water per portion, stirring until hot and creamy, then add a squeeze of lemon."
Substitutions
- dry white wine → additional vegetable broth plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Use ½ cup (120 ml) broth in place of the wine for an alcohol-free version; the lemon adds back some acidity.
- baby spinach → thawed frozen chopped spinach (10 oz / 280 g). Squeeze out all the water first, then stir it in at the same step. Fresh spinach tastes brighter.
- low-sodium vegetable broth → water with 1 vegetable bouillon cube per 2 cups. Use reduced-salt bouillon and check seasoning at the end.
- block feta cheese → goat cheese or ricotta salata. Goat cheese is creamier and milder. Ricotta salata is firmer and saltier, so add less salt.