Easy Healthy One Pot Spinach Rice

Name: Easy Healthy One Pot Spinach Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 cup white rice ((rinsed and drained)); 2-3 cups fresh baby spinach; 2 tomatoes (diced); 1 medium onion (diced); 2-3 cloves garlic (minced); 1 cup pinto/black beans canned ((rinsed and drained)); 2 cup chicken stock (low sodium (or vegetable stock or water if vegan)); 1 1/2 tsp curry powder; 1 tsp cooking oil; salt and pepper; 1-2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro (to garnish); 1 lime sliced (to garnish)

Published: Feb 4, 2016 · Modified: May 29, 2024 by Watch What U Eat · This post may contain affiliate links · 67 Comments

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Filled with greens, beans, and carbs, this all-in-one pot spinach rice recipe is healthy and full of proteins, fibers, and vitamins.

Healthy spinach rice with beans in a cast iron skillet. It is garnished with lime slices and is ready to serve.

One-pot meals are so easy to prepare! Just dump in all the ingredients, set the timer, and the dish is ready to enjoy. And it’s less messy, too! For example, vegetable orzo soup with pesto, Mexican chicken and rice are some wholesome dishes to try in one pot.

This fresh spinach rice recipe is also a one-pot meal. It hardly takes 10 minutes for the initial prep and 15-20 minutes for actual cooking. It is our favorite option when we are tired or don’t have time to cook.

One reader said - "I made this tonight for dinner for my family of 3 and everyone loved it. Perfect ratios, great curry flavor, and I love that this is truly a one pot meal. Great recipe! Thanks!"

Jump to:

Ingredients
Recipe Substitutions/Variations
Best rice to use
Preparation tips
How to make healthy spinach rice
Serving suggestions!
Helpful tips!
How is this spinach rice healthy?
Recipe FAQs
📖 Recipe

Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients you will need for making this spinach rice with beans.

Rice - This dish calls for long-grain white rice. I prefer aromatic Indian Basmati rice. In addition to Indian stores, you can easily find this in Costco, Samsclub, or even some local grocery stores. I always buy it from Costco.
Spinach - Baby spinach leaves work best in this recipe. They are tender, and you don't have to remove the hard stems or clean them as much.
Curry powder - Good quality curry powder flavors the rice very well.
Liquid - I usually add 50-50 water and chicken broth. However, if you are vegan or vegetarian, use veggie broth or stock.
Beans - I always use either pinto beans or black beans to add protein.
Tomato - Use fresh tomatoes whenever possible.

Recipe Substitutions/Variations

You can also use the substitutions mentioned below. Readers have tried some of them and suggested them in the comment section.

White rice - You can use short-grain rice. However, it may result in a risotto-style texture in the final dish.
Beans - You can use your favorite choice of beans. Replace black or pinto beans with kidney or white beans, chickpeas, or green peas.
Curry powder - If you are not a fan of curry powder, you can also use garam masala or a Mediterranean spice blend to flavor the rice.
For an easy and simple meal, cook this spinach rice in an Instant Pot. See the recipe notes in the recipe card below for more details. You can also follow this Instant Pot spinach brown rice recipe with slight variations.
Meat lovers can add cooked or grilled chicken pieces once the rice is well done.

Best rice to use

I prefer using long-grain white basmati rice for making one-pot recipes. It is easy to cook and takes about 15 minutes to fully cook. You can use your choice of white rice. Just make sure to use enough water and cook it for the time given on the package. Different varieties of rice may take different amounts of water and time to cook.

Preparation tips

Diced tomato, diced onion, and chopped garlic are placed on a flat surface in separate bowls.

Garlic - peel and chop it finely or mince or grate using a grater.
Onion - trim the ends, peel, and then dice into small pieces. To avoid tears, after peeling cut the onion in half, rinse with cold water, and then dice.
Tomato - clean with water, cut in half, and then dice into ½" pieces.

How to make healthy spinach rice

Step 1—In a large skillet, sauté fresh chopped garlic in oil on medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until translucent.

Step 2—Then add diced tomatoes and cook them until they soften.

Cooking tomato with onion and garlic in a cast iron pan.

Step 3—Now add fresh spinach leaves and rice to the pan. Stir-fry for a few seconds or until the spinach just wilts.

Raw rice and fresh spinach are added to a cast iron pan.

Raw rice and fresh spinach are mixed with onion, tomato, and garlic in a cast iron pan.

Step 4—Now add cooked beans and liquid (water + chicken/vegetable stock or use only stock); gently mix to combine and bring the mixture to a boil.

Liquid and cooked beans are added to the rice and spinach mixture.

Bringing spinach, beans and rice mixture to boil in a cast iron pan.

Chef's Tip for even better results - Instead of using store-bought canned beans, soak the raw pinto beans overnight and then cook them in an Instant Pot on manual high pressure for 8 minutes and release the pressure immediately. These home-cooked beans are way more delicious than canned ones.

Step 5—Add seasonings, including curry powder, salt, and pepper. Lower the heat, cover, and cook the rice until tender. Serve warm.

Seasonings are added to the spinach, rice, and beans mixture in a cast-iron pan on the gas stove.

Simmering the spinach rice and beans mixture in a cast-iron pan on the gas stove.

Serving suggestions!

Garnish the rice with chopped fresh cilantro, spinach leaves, and a slice of lime. Serve while it is fresh and warm to enjoy the flavors. A bowl of these beans and spinach rice is sufficient for a wholesome lunch or dinner.
Prepare cucumber and avocado salad to serve on the side.
You can also prepare light soups such as turmeric cauliflower soup or roasted tomato soup, detox broccoli soup to pair with this bowl of rice.
Make these roasted sweet potato fries, breaded ground chicken nuggets, or Air Fryer bbq cauliflower bites to serve on the side.

Helpful tips!

Buy organic baby spinach leaves whenever possible. If you love gardening, grow them in your yard or balcony. Spinach is very easy to grow. You can also grow them in containers or fabric grow bags.
I always use 50-50 water and chicken/veggie broth instead of only the broth. This method still provides flavor to the dish and helps to cut down on the cost. I never noticed any difference in the taste.
After adding cooked beans, gently mix them with other ingredients to avoid breaking the whole beans.

Spinach rice and beans served in a serving bowl, garnished with raw spinach and a lime slice, and ready to serve.

How is this spinach rice healthy?

This rice recipe is full of nutrients. Fresh green spinach is rich in vitamins A and C. Beans are a great source of protein and fiber. This rice dish is prepared without using any saturated fat, like butter.

Recipe FAQs

How to store leftovers and reheat the rice?

You can store leftover spinach rice in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Cooked rice tends to dry up over time. Before using it the next day, sprinkle some water over the rice and stir-fry it in the skillet until it gets steamy hot.
You can also microwave it for 1-2 min or until it gets steamy hot.

Can I use frozen spinach in this recipe?

Yes. You can use frozen spinach to make this rice.
However, I recommend using fresh spinach as it adds a nice color to the dish and is also easily available in grocery stores.

Can I use brown rice instead of white rice?

Yes, you can use brown rice instead of white rice. However, it will take at least 30-35 min to cook on the stovetop.
Or you can try this Instant Pot brown rice and spinach recipe. It is a slight variation of this dish and is made with brown rice.

Healthy spinach rice loaded with proteins, fibers and vitamins. It is a one pot meal that takes about 30 min to prepare. Ideal for busy times.

More spinach recipes to try

More one-pot meals you will love

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments if you REALLY like this recipe. Thank You!

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We are Swati and Tushar, our passion for food and cooking has now led us to share some healthy, tasty recipes and the benefits of eating certain ingredients with the goal of inspiring you to eat well and live well.

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