Lahanorizo, Greek cabbage and rice

Lahanorizo is a Greek cabbage and rice recipe that is an easy, one pot meal. This vegan recipe is perfect for quick dinners. Made with simple ingredients like rice, cabbage, olive oil onoin, leek and garlic this is a perfect meal that will please everyone. Season simply with dill, lemon and salt and pepper for a rustic Greek classic dining experience.

Growing up in a Greek home with immigrant parents, my siblings and I learned early on the value of a dollar. My parents relied heavily on inexpensive, simple ingredients to create delicious Greek meals that could feed a hungry family. Recipes like lahanorizo, and other Greek classics like Greek chicken with chickpeas and Greek green beans baked with chicken and potatoes were often on the menu, and now I find myself making these recipes for my own family!

Why I love it

Cabbage is a great vegetable with a lot of bad press! I don’t really understand why, because it is sweet when cooked and caramelized, costs less than many other ingredients, and is super healthy. I also love the fact that a head of cabbage will stay fresh in the fridge for a pretty long time!

Lahanorizo is a dish that will always remind me of my Mama and Baba! It is humble, rustic, simple food and one pot of this meatless meal will satisfy your entire family.

It is also great as leftovers! Warm it up in the microwave, and you are good to go!

Key ingredients

Cabbage I use the regular head of green cabbage to make this recipe. I love using this type of cabbage (all cabbage actually!) because it is so delicious, hearty, and usually pretty economical.

Rice I tend to use either long grain or medium grain rice for this recipe. I rinse it well before adding it to my pot. Actually, if I have the time I soak my rice before using it, then drain and rinse.

Olive oil As always I use a fragrant and delicious Greek olive oil in this recipe. It is so wonderful in recipes like this one, where the vegetables are cooked in a good amount of oil.

Leek I love leeks! They add a great flavour to dishes, even when I also use regular yellow onions. I am always careful to wash my leeks very well because they can accumulate a lot of dirt.

Onion I use regular yellow onions in this recipe. They caramelize really nicely and add a depth of flavour to the lahanorizo.

Garlic When I can I use locally grown garlic – it really makes all the difference. I avoid the jarred, pre-minced garlic. Although convenient you can’t know the quality of the garlic, and the taste is usually subpar.

Dill Greeks use a lot of dill! We love to add it to salad, to soups, and to dishes like this one. There is also of course the great debate – should we add dill to tzatziki, or not?

Lemon juice I use fresh lemon juice always (well, almost always!). It is far better than using bottled lemon juice. When I find great lemons on sale I usually squeeze out the juice and freeze it in ice cube trays.

Salt & pepper Basic seasonings that are anything but basic! Salt and pepper belong in almost all recipes!

How to make it

This is a really simple meal to make. One pot, a few simple ingredients, not too much chopping or prep work to be done, and ready in about 40 minutes. I love recipes like this!

Step 1
Heat the oil in a large pot and saute the yellow onion and the leek until soft, about 3 – 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook, stirring regularly, for an additional 5 minutes.

Step 2
Next add the cabbage to the pot and cook for 5 – 10 minutes until the cabbage is soft and slightly caramelized. Add in the rice and the water and cook, covered over medium heat for 30 minutes or until the rice and cabbage are cooked.

Step 3
Add the dill and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the sliced green onions and serve.

Cooking tips

When adding your cabbage to the pot do so in batches. This is because you want your cabbage to caramelize somewhat before you add the water. This is best done, a bit at a time. Add the cabbage, cook until it wilts down a bit, and then add more cabbage.

The water recommended in this recipe is a guide. Keep an eye on your pot – you may need to add more water as your lahanorizo is cooking.

Recipe substitutions

I like to make my lahanorizo with green cabbage, but you can use red cabbage too or savoy cabbage. It would even work well with napa cabbage.

For the rice, I typically use either long or medium grain rice. You can use brown rice instead, basmati rice, or even quinoa. Simply adjust the cooking time if need be.

Recipe variations

The idea of cooking a vegetable along with rice and calling it a meal is one which is pretty popular in Greek cooking. If you love spinach you will love this spanakorizo recipe, which combines spinach with rice. For a healthier twist you can even try this spanakoquinoa recipe, which is made with spinach and quinoa.

You can also make another similar dish called prasorizo. This is a rustic and delicious meal made with leeks and rice. If you haven’t guessed it yet, us Greeks really like our simple, hearty and basic recipes!

Storing and reheating

If you have any lahanorizo left over you can store it in the refrigerator for 3 – 5 days in a well covered container.

To reheat either pop it into the microwave or reheat on the stovetop over low heat, stirring the contents well.

How to serve

I like to serve lahanorizo with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. It really does not need more than that.

If I have some meat leftover sometimes I stir it in before taking the pot off the heat, or I serve it on the side. I have even stirred in leftover Pork with leeks – so good!

To keep the meal vegetarian, if you want to add something as a side to the main dish (yes, the lahanorizo is the star of the meal!), try some chickpea fritters or revithokeftedes.

Related recipes

Greeks love to cook with cabbage. It is easy to grow, purchase and it is economical. It is also really delicious. One way we like to eat cabbage in my family is to turn it into soup or cabbage rolls. I think you will love these recipes:

Cabbage and bean soup recipe

Lahanodolmades or cabbage rolls with tomato

Greek cabbage rolls (lahanodolmades) with zucchini and rice

Thanks for sharing!