Heart-Healthy Oven-Baked Rice
Delight in the wholesome goodness of **Heart-Healthy Oven-Baked Rice**, a nutrient-packed, flavor-filled dish that’s as easy to prepare as it is nourishing. Made with hearty brown rice, aromatic garlic, and a medley of vibrant vegetables like cherry tomatoes and baby spinach, this recipe is infused with the rich zest of lemon and fresh basil for a light, refreshing finish. Cooking the rice in the oven with low-sodium vegetable broth ensures a perfectly tender texture while keeping it low in sodium, ideal for heart-healthy diets. Perfect as a satisfying side or a standout vegetarian main, this one-pot meal is simple to prepare, requiring just 15 minutes of prep before the oven does the rest. Whether you're meal prepping for the week or looking for a crowd-pleaser at a dinner gathering, this dish is a flavorful and wholesome choice. Keywords: heart-healthy recipe, oven-baked rice, vegetarian rice dish, easy one-pot meals, low-sodium, brown rice.
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 0.25 cup fresh basil
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
- 0.25 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Rinse the brown rice under cold water until the water runs clear. This helps remove excess starch.
In a medium-sized oven-safe pot or casserole dish, heat olive oil over medium heat.
Mince the garlic cloves and add them to the pot, sautéing until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Halve the cherry tomatoes and add them to the pot. Cook for another 3 minutes until they start to soften.
Add the rinsed brown rice to the pot and stir to coat it with the olive oil and tomato mixture.
Pour in the low-sodium vegetable broth. Stir to combine all ingredients evenly.
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then cover the pot with a lid or aluminum foil.
Transfer the covered pot to the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes, remove the pot from the oven and carefully uncover it. Add the baby spinach, stirring it into the hot rice to wilt it.
Cover the pot again and let it rest for another 5 minutes out of the oven to allow the spinach to fully wilt.
Finally, add the lemon zest, chopped fresh basil, black pepper, and a pinch of sea salt. Stir well to combine all flavors.
Serve warm, and enjoy your heart-healthy oven-baked rice!
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
433 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 16.2 g | 21% | |
| Saturated Fat | 2.6 g | 13% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1.3 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% | |
| Sodium | 928 mg | 40% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 63.1 g | 23% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 7.7 g | 28% | |
| Total Sugars | 6.8 g | ||
| Protein | 8.5 g | 17% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 137 mg | 11% | |
| Iron | 4.0 mg | 22% | |
| Potassium | 888 mg | 19% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
