Easy Mediterranean Yellow Rice (Vegan)

Enjoy this delicious and easy-to-make Mediterranean Yellow Rice recipe. Using simple pantry staples and natural coloring agents, this flavorful side dish is the perfect accompaniment to falafel gyros and homemade hummus. 

Yellow rice is a traditional Mediterranean dish known for its bright golden hue. Made with white rice and natural coloring agents, this flavorful side dish will  bring a burst of color to your meal.

I love yellow rice because I can add so much flavor to my rice dish without much extra prep work.

Yellow rice is actually pretty tasty. It has a mild spice to it and a bit of an earthy flavor thanks to the turmeric. The spice mix used can vary depending on where you’re eating it, but it usually includes cumin, coriander, and other yummy spices. All of this combines to give the rice a delicious and comforting taste that goes great with all sorts of different dishes.

When I am craving a flavor-packed proper meal on busy weeknights, this is a recipe I often turn to. This is so easy and quick to prepare and cook. I’ve used only simple pantry staples. Preparation takes just a few minutes and during the cooking time, I’m free to do something else, like make my Creamy Chickpea And Lentil Curry Recipe or Middle East Falafels to go with the rice.

The rice itself only contains 124 calories per serving and 2.6g of protein.

If I’m in the mood for a feast, I prepare a range of my favorite falafel recipes to compliment this rice, such as my Falafel over Rice recipe.  Placing the falafel over the rice adds additional layers of flavor to both elements. You can find my falafel recipes in my BEST Falafel Side Dishes post. 

I lay out my feast starting with my easy Russian Pickled Tomatoes, a salad tossed with my Vegan Italian Dressing, and my oil-free No-Tahini Hummus with Falafel Gyros.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This recipe contains 123.9 calories per serving
• This recipe contains 2.6g protein per serving
• One serving of this recipe contains 13% of your recommended daily intake of iron

• This easy recipe takes 5 minutes of active preparation time and 15 minutes of cooking time.  You can use the cooking time to get on with other things.
• This recipe is made extra tasty by the addition of cumin and turmeric.
• I have simplified this recipe by limiting the number of ingredients and using everyday, simple ingredients such as garlic and paprika.
• This recipe and all recipes on my website are vegan, plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, lactose-free, free from refined sugar, vegetarian, and are based on whole foods.  
• All of my recipes follow my own diet plan called the Plant Plate 400. In addition,  my recipes also adhere to the following diets, the Mediterranean diet, the 1200 Calories a Day diet, Clean eating, the Macrobiotic diet, the Alkaline diet, the Ornish diet, the Daniel Fast, and the Starch Solution diet.

Ingredients

Ingredient Substitutions

• Rice: Rice is essential but it can be substituted with brown rice, not short-grain rice. Also, cauliflower rice can be used for a lower-calorie and higher-nutrient dish.
• Garlic: You can omit the garlic or replace it with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Sea salt: You can replace it with any salt of your choice or 1 tablespoon of tamari.
• Turmeric: Use mustard powder or saffron.
• Paprika: Use chili powder or omit it.
• Ground cumin: Substitute with ground coriander, caraway seeds, paprika or chili powder.
• Cilantro: Use chopped parsley, dill or omit it.
• Pine nuts: Replace with any nuts of your choice or omit it.

The Structure Of A Plant Based Plate

Each of the recipes I create fits into my Plant Plate System.  This system incorporates 5 food groups into every meal. 

The 5 food groups are 1) Plant Protein, 2), Leaves, Fruit, And Veg, 3) Aesthetic Additions, 4) Nutrient Packed Carbohydrates, and 5) Taste

This recipe is a nutrient-packed carb side dish, and is not a complete meal.

The diagram below helps you see the 5 different components of a Plant-Based Plate.

Click here to discover more about my Plant Plate System and some of the benefits of eating this way.

Here’s how this recipe is structured according to the Plant Plate System.  

Adding each ingredient to the following categories helps you to easily see how to make substitutions.  It also lets you know the exact reason why the ingredient is in the recipe. 

Plant-Based Protein

• n/a

Leaves, Fruit & Veg 

• Cilantro

Aesthetic Additions

• Cilantro
• Pine nuts

Nutrient Packed Carbohydrates

• Rice

Taste 

• Garlic
• Turmeric
• Paprika
• Cumin
• Sea salt

Recommended Equipment

Here are the main kitchen equipment tools I have used to create this recipe.

How To Make This Recipe

Here is a brief summary of the steps needed to make the recipe.  See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full detailed instructions.

• Mix all the ingredients together and cook in the stove, rice cooker, oven, instant pot, or microwave.

How To Serve

Serve it on a platter garnished with nuts and herbs.

Serving Sizes

If you’re on a low-calorie diet, add ½ cup of cooked rice to your meal to serve one person. This recipe serves 4 people, you can easily double or triple the quantities to make a larger batch for more people or to store in the fridge for later.

How To Reduce The Calories

If you’d like to reduce the calories of this recipe even further, I suggest replacing the rice with cauliflower rice.  You won’t need to cook cauliflower as long as rice.  You can just warm it up in a pan for 3-5 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How To Store Leftovers

This recipe keeps for up to 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container. It also freezes well for up to 3 months.  Defrost it before using it. Reheat it by warming it up gently in a pan.

Ways To Use This Recipe

Here are some of my favorite ways to use this recipe:

• 2 Minute Falafel Hot Sauce Recipe
• Creamy Vegan Italian Dressing Recipe (Oil Free)
• Russian Pickled Tomatoes Recipe (EASY)
• No Oil No Tahini Hummus Recipe (48 Calories Per Serving)
• Middle East Falafel Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free)
• Falafel Gyro Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free)
• Creamy Chickpea And Lentil Curry Recipe
• Falafel Over Rice Recipe (Vegan Buddha Bowl)
• Falafel Platter Recipe (Vegan Mezze Plate)
• The BEST Falafel Side Dishes

Vegan Vegetable Side Dishes

Here are some vegetable side dishes that go very nicely with this recipe which are all under 100 calories per serving.

• Easy Vegan Cheesy Broccoli
• Vegan Zucchini Fritters
• Easy Baked Mushroom Bacon
• Russian Pickled Tomatoes

For more options, see all of my best gluten-free vegan vegetable side dishes.

Plant-Based Protein Side Dishes

Here are some plant-based protein side dishes that go very nicely with this recipe.  They are all under 150 calories per serving and are based on the highest sources of vegan protein.

• Smoky Tempeh Bacon
• Spicy Vegan Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
• Easy Baked Mushroom Bacon
• Middle East Falafel

For more options, see all of my best gluten-free vegan protein recipes.

Vegan Meat Side Dishes

Here are some vegan meat side dishes that go very nicely with this recipe, and are great substitutes for regular meat.  These are all under 150 calories per serving.

• Vegan Gluten Free Black Bean Meatballs
• Vegan Jackfruit Shredded Chicken
• Crispy Roasted Soya Chunks

For more options, see all of my best gluten-free vegan meat recipes.

Vegan Dips

Here are some vegan dips or vegan sauces that go very nicely with this recipe, and are very quick to make.  These are all under 50 calories per serving.

• Vegan Ranch Dip Recipe
• Creamy Edamame Guacamole
• Easy Vegan Tzatziki Sauce
• Creamy Hummus Recipe (No Garlic)
• Creamy Vegan Poppy Seed Dressing
• 2 Minute Hot Sauce Recipe
• Creamy Vegan Italian Dressing Recipe
• No Oil No Tahini Hummus

For more options, see all of my best gluten-free vegan dips recipes.

More Tasty Vegan Carbohydrate Side Dishes

If you’re looking for some more easy vegan carb side dishes which are all around 100 calories per serving, check out some of my other recipes: 

• Crispy Homemade Baked French Fries
• Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
• Most Crispy Vegan Jacket Potato
• Easy Whole Baked Sweet Potato
• Perfect Long Grain White Rice
• Gluten Free Dough Balls
• Gluten Free Burger Buns
• Gluten Free Flatbreads
• Gluten Free Naan Breads
• Gluten Free Pita Bread

For more options, see all of my best vegan, gluten-free carbs side dishes.

Recipe

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